Clemson was 60 feet away from going to its first Women’s College World Series Friday night, but the Tigers could not get the winning run across home plate.
The Tigers had runners on second and third with no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, but they were unable to bring home the winning run, and No. 6 Texas finally made them pay for it in the top of the 10th inning in Game 2 of the Austin (Texas) Super Regional.
The Longhorns led off the inning with back-to-back hits, and then later got the go-ahead runs across, as they rallied to beat No. 11 Clemson, 7-5, in 10 innings at McCombs Field in Austin, Texas.
Ashton Maloney flew out to leftfield on a sacrifice fly to score Katie Stewart from third with the game-winning run. The Longhorns added another run later to secure the victory.
“I think, offensively, we had opportunities to win the game, and we did not get the timely hit. Hats off to Texas. They had the opportunities and did late,” Clemson head coach John Rittman said. “It was just a hard-fought battle, and I am really proud of the way we competed tonight.”
The Texas win allowed the Longhorns (49-11) to tie the Super Regional at 1-1, setting up a decisive Game 3 with a spot in the Women’s College World Series on the line.
The loss snapped Clemson’s 11-game win streak.
“It is like I told the team,” Rittman said. “This team has a lot of grit. They play free and they play for each other, and as coach, that makes you really proud. I told them, ‘listen, in February, when we were 3-6 and you could say we would be in Texas, and we play one game to see who goes to the World Series. Would you guys take it?’ They all agreed they would.
“This team has fought back and has accomplished so much this year, but there is still a game to be played. We have to flush tonight away pretty quickly and get our mind ready for another battle tomorrow.”
Texas took a 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to Leighann Goode’s two-run shot to leftfield off Clemson starter Reese Basinger.
However, Clemson’s Maddie Moore evened the score in the bottom of the third inning with a moonshot to left centerfield. Moore was able to tie the game thanks to Alex Brown’s one-out double to center.
The Longhorns went yard again in the top of the fourth inning, as Atwood homered to left field to lead off the inning.
The Tigers (48-13) came back again in the bottom half of the fourth, as Jamison Brockenbrough got a two-out single through the left side to tie the game. The junior’s hit allowed Kennedy Ariail to score from second base, tying the game at 3-3.
Moore earned her third RBI of the night a few moments later, as she drew a bases-loaded walk to score the go-ahead run, as Ava Wilson scored from third.
Texas rallied for two more runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead thanks to a two-run double from Mitchell with two outs.
But for the third time in the game, Clemson came back as Macey Cintron drove a 1-2 offering from Citlaly Gutierrez to left centerfield to tie the game at 5-5.
Clemson had an opportunity to walk off the game in the seventh and eighth inning, but it failed to execute in both situations. Julia Knowler led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a base hit to left, but she tried to stretch out a double and was easily thrown out at second base.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Tigers got back-to-back hits from Marian Collins and Taylor Pipkins. Both runners then moved up a base, and Collins represented the winning run at third with no outs.
However, Texas pitcher Teagan Havan struck out Kylee Johnson for the first out, then got Brockenbrough to lineout to short and Brown to hit into a force at third to end the treat.
The Longhorns had an opportunity in the top of the ninth inning after Mia Scott tripled off the centerfield wall with two outs. However, after intentionally walking Atwood, Brooke McCubbin got Mitchell to fly out to leftfield.
McCubbin, who pitched brilliantly in relief of Basinger, suffered the loss despite throwing four shutout innings prior to the Longhorns scoring the game-winning runs in the 10th inning.
Another streak comes to an end
The Tigers’ 11-game win streak was not the only streak Texas stopped on Friday night. Prior to Friday night, Clemson was 34-0 this year when leading after the fourth inning.
The Tigers had a 4-3 lead over Texas heading into the fifth inning.
UP Next
Clemson and Texas will play Game 3 of the Super Regional at 9 p.m., on Saturday. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
—photo courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications