Photos by Alana McCallion, Clemson Athletics
CLEMSON, S.C. — The No. 20 Clemson Tigers’ 17-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of the 11th-ranked Duke Blue Devils, who won both games of Friday’s doubleheader at McWhorter Stadium. With its pair of wins, Duke improved to 26-1 overall and 14-1 in ACC play, while the Tigers fell to 20-4 overall and 12-4 in league play. Additionally, the Blue Devils picked up their 20th consecutive victory, making them one of two teams in the nation with at least 20 straight wins.
Despite strong pitching performances by Valerie Cagle and Millie Thompson, the Clemson offense managed just one run on the day after dropping Friday’s games 2-0 and 3-1, respectively. Alia Logoleo starred in the batter’s box for the Tigers after going 3-for-6 on the day, while knocking in Clemson’s only run of the day.
Cagle (10-3) continued her success in the circle and threw a two-hit complete game in the first leg of the doubleheader, but ultimately earned the loss in a 2-0 shutout by winning pitcher Peyton St. George (11-0).
Game two saw the Tigers take a lead in the fourth inning thanks to a double from Logoleo and steady pitching from Thompson, but the Blue Devils’ offense manufactured one run in each of the last final three innings to secure the complete-game win for Duke right-handed pitcher Shelby Walters (10-0).
Up next, Clemson and the Blue Devils return to McWhorter Stadium tomorrow for game No. 3 of the four-game series. First pitch on Saturday is scheduled for noon on ACC Network.
Box Score || Box Score (PDF)
The Tigers manufactured their first true scoring threat of the game in the bottom of the third inning when they loaded the bases with no outs, but St. George worked out of the jam unscathed.
The Blue Devils got on the board first in the top of the fifth when they put runners on second and third with one out. Cagle came within a strike of escaping unharmed, but a Clemson error allowed the first run of the game.
Logoleo led off the bottom of the frame with a double to deep left-center, and two batters later McKenzie Clark ripped what would have been a bomb down the left field line, but it was just foul. A two-out flyout to left once again left the Tigers empty-handed.
A solo home run in the top of the sixth inning doubled Duke’s lead, and St. George completed the shutout to secure the victory.
The first three innings of game two were scoreless, but in the top of the fourth Duke threatened with runners on first and third and only one out. The Tigers escaped the jam when the Duke batter hit a line drive to third baseman Casey Bigham, who made the catch and tagged the runner out at third, keeping Duke off the scoreboard.
The inning-ending double play set the stage for the bottom of the frame, when Logoleo roped a two-out RBI-double into the right-center field gap, scoring pinch runner Carlee Shannon to give the Tigers their first lead of the day.
Duke answered in the following inning and evened the score, 1-1. The Blue Devils threatened once more an inning later, but shortstop Ansley Gilstrap fielded a hard-hit ground ball and gunned down the runner trying to score from third. However, the following batter shot an RBI-triple into the gap to give Duke the 2-1 advantage in the sixth inning. The Blue Devils added an insurance run in the top of the seventh before starting pitcher Walters retired the Tigers in order and closed out her three-hit complete game
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