Clemson Softball Makes it Look Easy in Regional Opener

Tigers Score 6 runs in the First Inning in rout of UNC Wilmington

Ken Ruinard / USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY

In the first-ever inning of postseason softball at McWhorter Stadium, the No. 10 national seed Clemson Tigers plated six runs en route to a 9-0 run-rule victory over UNC Wilmington.

The Tigers improve to 40-15 on the year while the Seahawks drop to 32-14. 

Sophomore Millie Thompson threw her second solo no-hitter of the 2022 season, and McKenzie Clark went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored to help propel the Tigers to the victory in front of a record-setting 1,760 crowd on Friday afternoon.
The Tigers came ready to battle with leadoff batter Cammy Pereira lifting a ball to shallow left field on a full count. Team leader in batting average, Clark, followed it up with a hard hit that bounced off the left-center field wall for a stand-up double that sent Pereira home and put the Tigers on the board. 

With two outs, freshman Aby Vieira found the right-center gap to double the Tigers’ lead.

Sophomore Alia Logoleo kept things going when she came to the plate and tallied her fourth homer and seventh RBI in the last four games to increase the lead to 4-0. Sam Russ continued the inning by drawing a walk then stealing her 26th base of the year. Russ stole third when Arielle Oda walked, and due to a throwing error by the Seahawks, came home to add another run for the Tigers.

Off that same play, Oda advanced to third and then was brought home as Maddie Moore dropped a double into right center to give Clemson a 6-0 lead after one.

Clemson’s momentum continued in the third after Russ reached on a fielding error and quickly stole her third base of the game to tie Clemson’s single-game record. Russ advanced to third as Oda was ruled out on the play, and the Tigers put runners on the corners after Moore was hit by a pitch.

Moore stole second, and advanced to third as Russ came home off a ground out from Pereira. Clark tallied her third hit of the day with a double into center field to bring home Moore and give Clemson an 8-0 lead.

The Tigers scored one more run in the bottom of the fourth after Marissa Guimbarda, who was pinch run for by Carlee Shannon, singled to left field with no outs. The Tigers then strung together a productive series of at bats to bring home Shannon on a ground out to the shortstop.

In the circle, Thompson recorded her fourth solo shutout of the year on just 49 pitches. The lefty sat down four batters via strikeout and was two hit batters away from throwing a perfect game while improving to 14-3.

Up Next: Clemson will face the winner of this afternoon’s contest between Auburn and Louisiana on Saturday, May 21, at 1 p.m.