Clemson Celebrates Another NCAA Regional Title
By: Will Vandervort May 18, 2025

CLEMSON — The celebration started a little early for No. 11 overall seed Clemson on Sunday.

Taylor Pipkins sent the 2,100 or so fans at McWhorter Stadium into a frenzy in the top of the fourth inning when she launched Carson Fall’s first pitch to her into the berm in left centerfield for a two-run shot. The celebration continued a few moments later, as Maddie Moore doubled down the rightfield line to score Alex Brown all the way from first.

The party continued later with a dogpile in the circle, as the Tigers won their third regional in five years with a 5-1 victory over Kentucky in the Clemson Regional Championship. Clemson advances to the NCAA Super Regional Round next week, where they will play No. 6 overall seed Texas in Austin, Texas.

But for now, the Tigers (47-12) will keep the party going a little longer, as they enjoy adding an NCAA Regional title to last week’s ACC Tournament Championship.

Julia Knowler got Clemson going in the third inning when she doubled to left centerfield with one out to score Brown from second. Brown led off the inning with base hit through the left side of the infield.

Though Knowler got the Tigers going, it was Pipkins that got the party started. Marian Collins led off the fourth with a walk, setting up Pipkins, who smashed Fall’s offering over the wall in left center. The two-run home run gave Clemson a 3-0 lead.

Later in the inning Moore doubled down the rightfield line with two outs to plate Brown, as the speedster came all the way home for a 4-0 advantage.

The Tigers scratched across a run in the seventh for their final run of the afternoon. The run gave them a 5-1 lead.

From there, Clemson pitcher Reese Basinger (17-5) controlled the majority of the game in the circle. The senior threw 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits. She also had three strikeouts to one walk.

The Wildcats (31-28) did stretch a run across the plate in the sixth inning and had the tying run at the plate with two outs, when Brooke McCubbin came in and earned her fourth save of the season. The righty struck out Ella Emmert to shut Kentucky down in the sixth to keep the score at 4-1. She then clinched the Tigers’ third regional championship in the seventh.