No. 21 Clemson's bats warm up to take series at Louisville

Clemson hit double-digits on runs to take the series over Louisville. (Clemson athletics photo)

by CU Athletic Communications - Sun Apr 28 14:54:46 GMT-04:00 2024

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - No. 22/21 Clemson closed out the regular season with an 11-5 victory at Louisville on Sunday. The Tigers head into postseason play with a 33-16 (15-9 ACC) record, while the Cardinals conclude the weekend with a 26-23 (7-14 ACC) record.

The Tigers strung together 11 hits marking the 12th time in 2024 the program has notched double-digit hits. Senior McKenzie Clark finished 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs to lead the team. Freshman Julia Knowler and graduate Lindsey Garcia tallied two hits each, including Garcia knocking a three-run shot out of the park for a team-high four RBIs on the day. Knowler, Maddie Moore and Valerie Cagle rounded the Tigers out with multi-run games, scoring two each.

Clemson was aggressive on the bases, clocking two stolen bases in the first two innings, including one from Moore and another from Alia Logoleo. Moore’s in the first inning was her 15th of the season and seventh in ACC play, while Logoleo’s was her fifth of 2024. The Tigers capitalized on Logoleo’s stolen base in the second as Aby Vieira knocked a single through the right side to plate Clemson’s first run of the game.

The Tiger offense opened up in the third to score four with two outs. Moore tallied her 50th hit of the season with a single through the left side and took second on a wild pitch to allow Clark to tally her 19th RBI in conference play with a single to left field. Clark advanced to second as the throw went home attempting to tag Moore to put Clark in scoring position. Knowler followed with her own RBI single to center to plate Clark and make it 3-0 in favor of the Tigers.

The momentum continued in the third with Valerie Cagle reaching on a throwing error that had Knowler booking it around the bases from first to score. Garcia provided one additional insurance run with an RBI single to left that scored Cagle to push Clemson ahead by five. Louisville got one run back in the bottom of the third to make it 5-1 after three.

Clemson added six more runs in the sixth inning after loading the bases with only one out. Clark tallied her third hit of the game with a single into shallow left that scored Julia Bombardt, who was running for Vieira, from third. With the bases still loaded, Cagle drove the second pitch of her at bat into left field to score both Moore and Clark. Garcia rounded out the hits that inning with a three-run homer, her fourth home run of the year, to left center to make it 11-1.

Louisville answered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut into Clemson’s lead and make it 11-5.

Regan Spencer started in the circle for the second time this weekend. She improves to 9-3 on the year after pitching 5.2 innings with two strikeouts and no walks. Junior Brooke McCubbin pitched the final 1.1 innings, facing five batters with one strikeout and no walks conceded.

Up Next

The Tigers gear up for postseason play that begins at the ACC Tournament. Clemson will await its seeding for the tournament that will be announced following the conclusion of ACC action for the conference next weekend. Action at the ACC Tournament will run May 8-11 in Durham, N.C.