ATHENS, Ga. - The Clemson Tigers’ season came to a close on Sunday with a 5-0 loss to the No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs (41-18) at the Athens Regional. The Tigers concluded their season with a 34-22 record and made their sixth regional appearance in the program’s short infancy.
As the designated home team, Clemson took to the field first. The Bulldogs got two aboard off a walk and hit, but graduate Abby Dunning continued her hot streak in the circle and notched back-to-back strikeouts - one swinging, one looking - to force Georgia to leave them stranded.
Dunning did it again in the top of the third after UGA got its first two batters on. Dunning followed it up with a strikeout, pop up and another strikeout to force the Bulldogs to leave five on through three.
The Bulldogs broke open the game in the top of the fourth inning with a solo home run to left field. Georgia extended its lead in the fifth with a bases loaded walk and sac fly to make it 3-0 after five.
Georgia plated two more runs in the sixth inning to take a 5-0 advantage that held for the remainder of the game.
Dunning pitched four innings with four strikeouts before freshman Lexie Hames entered in the fifth. In total, Dunning threw 331 pitches over four games at the Athens Regional. Hames faced two batters before sophomore Macey Cintron entered in relief. Cintron went two innings with two strikeouts before freshman Keira Crosby made her postseason debut. Crosby saw four batters in one inning of work.
Senior Jamison Brockenbrough concluded her collegiate career with 141 hits, including 58 during her senior campaign. She etched her name in the record books for the fourth-most walks in a single season with 32. In the circle, graduate Abby Dunning ended her career with a dominant Athens Regional outing. She went the distance in two games and garnered a save in her lone career postseason performance. She finished her career with 481 strikeouts and 39 wins.
On the year, Clemson tied its program record with 10 top 25 victories, one of which marked the 150 win at home as a team with the 3-1 upset against No. 18 Virginia on April 18. Clemson’s Head Coach John Rittman recorded his 1,000-career victory and 250 at the helm of the Tigers with a, 3-0, upset against No. 12 Mississippi State on Feb. 28.