CLEMSON, S.C. – The No. 18/17 Clemson Tigers captured two wins over Furman on Wednesday at McWhorter Stadium taking game one, 3-2, and the second game, 8-0, in five innings. With the wins, Clemson improves to 27-10, while Furman drops to 12-19.
The Tigers walked off the first game after a two-run homer from Marissa Guimbarda before Millie Thompson recorded her first career solo no-hitter and Arielle Oda hit her first collegiate home run to help Clemson capture game two in five innings.
Game 1Guimbarda hit a two-run homer out of left field to snag the win from the Paladins in the first game of the afternoon in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The game started with Furman putting Clemson ahead in the first inning after Furman’s pitcher hit the first two batters and then walked the next two to bring in a run. The Paladins took the lead in the top of the fourth with a two-run homer out of left field that held until the seventh.
The Tigers needed to rally but picked up two quick outs to begin the final half inning. Valerie Cagle drew four straight balls to bring the ACC Co-Player of the Week, Marissa Guimbarda, to the plate. Facing a 2-2 count, Guimbarda drove the fifth pitch of the at bat out of left field to walk off Furman and seal the 3-2 comeback.
Cagle pitched her 10th-complete game of the season to earn her 11th victory. She struck out five batters while only giving up one walk.
Game 2Sophomore Thompson threw the first solo no-hitter of her career with no walks and two strikeouts. With 52 pitches, 38 strikes, thrown and five innings pitched, the lefty put out 15 consecutive batters after Furman’s leadoff batter was the only Paladin to reach base, getting to first off an error.
The Tigers continued the second game where they ended the previous, scoring a run in the first inning after a single from Cagle. The Paladins’ pitcher made a throwing error to score McKenzie Clark who was rounding third after reaching base off a walk.
Momentum continued in the second inning for Clemson as freshman Aby Vieira led off with a single to right center. Carlee Shannon replaced her as a pinch runner and quickly stole second for her 12th of the year. Redshirt sophomore Oda stepped to the plate and drove the ninth pitch of her at bat out of left field for her first career home run that extended the Tigers’ lead to 3-0.
The third inning was Clemson’s most productive inning, as Sam Russ led off with a walk and stole her 122nd-career base to be in scoring position for Alia Logoleo to pick up an RBI single. Vieira followed with a single and Oda walked to load the bases with no outs. Freshman Maddie Moore tallied a sac fly to bring home Logoleo.
Cammy Pereira kept things going by drawing a walk to once again load the bases in the third. Clark picked up an RBI after being hit by a pitch, and Cagle sealed the deal with a two-RBI single up the middle to push Clemson’s lead to 8-0 after three. The score would hold for the next two innings to give the Tigers the run-rule victory.
Up NextThe Tigers hit the road this weekend for a three-game series at Pittsburgh beginning on Friday, April 8 at 5 p.m.
