Photos by Patrick Boling, Clemson Athletics
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In an ACC Championship matchup that featured two of the league’s top pitchers, Duke came out victorious over the top-seeded Tigers in a well-fought 1-0 shutout. Clemson was led by ace and ACC Player-of-the-Year Valerie Cagle, who allowed just two hits and struck out 13 batters, one shy of tying her career high.
In Clemson’s first postseason opportunity, the Tigers mustered three hits and were unable to string any together in the same inning, which ultimately led to the shutout loss. Duke starter Shelby Walters (17-3) earned the win in her five innings, while Payton St. George entered the game in the sixth inning and retired all six batters she faced to earn the two-inning save and deliver the third-seeded Blue Devils their first ever ACC Championship in just their fourth season.
7:05 p.m., 610 AM/95.9 FM, www.abqisotopes.com
THURSDAY: The Isotopes outhit an opponent for the first time this season, but El Paso scored five unanswered runs and beat Albuquerque 5-3 at Southwest University Field as the Isotopes opened a six-game series with the Chihuahuas. Thursday marked Albuquerque’s first road game in 620 days and the first of 24 scheduled meetings between the two clubs this season. Taylor Motter and Greg Bird, with back-to-back RBI doubles in the third against El Paso’s top pitching prospect, MacKenzie Gore, put the Isotopes in front 3-0. Box Score: El Paso 4, Albuquerque 3
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The Isotopes ranked last in Triple-A West in batting average (.198), at-bats (187), hits (37), doubles (three) and on-base percentage (.306).
Photos by Patrick Boling, Clemson Athletics
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Cammy Pereira’s pair of solo home runs to right-center field were enough for Clemson ace Valerie Cagle and the Tigers to secure a 2-0 victory over Georgia Tech in the program’s ACC Tournament opener. Cagle (25-4), the ACC Player of the Year, threw her 10th complete-game shutout and matched her career-high 14 strikeouts as the Tigers advanced to the ACC semifinal. With the victory, Clemson secured the win to improve 41-5 overall on the season.
Pereira’s second-inning shot proved the decisive one, but for good measure the Clemson infielder blasted her second of the game and third of the season, all of which have come against Georgia Tech, in the sixth inning to give the Clemson ace an insurance run headed into the final frame. Cagle ultimately only needed Periera’s first bell-ringer to advance her team in the tournament.
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. In the program’s first opportunity to do so, the Clemson Softball team won the ACC regular-season title after defeating Syracuse 19-2 in Sunday’s season finale at Skytop Softball Stadium. As a result of Sunday’s victory, the Tigers became the first team in Clemson history to secure a conference regular-season title in its first year of having the opportunity to do so. Clemson’s ACC-clinching win on Sunday was highlighted by a spectacular offensive performance by second-year freshman Alia Logoleo. The Tigers’ infielder/outfielder hit three home runs: a grand-slam, three-run and two-run shots, as well as an RBI-double. The offensive outburst resulted in a program record ten RBI’s, most by a player in a single game in the NCAA this season.