CLEMSON – For the first time in program history, No. 25 Clemson came short of winning the Tiger Invitational Tournament Sunday, falling 9-1 to No. 12 Mississippi State in an abbreviated winner-take-all rematch from the day prior.
Despite topping the Bulldogs in a shut out 3-0 win at McWhorter Stadium Saturday, the Tigers failed to replicate a similar shutout performance, allowing 12 hits and, offensively, leaving five on base. The defeat marked the third time Clemson has been held to one or fewer runs this season and the second loss to a ranked opponent.
With a 8-7 defeat to Georgia Southern on Friday, Clemson finished 2-2 on the weekend, and second in the Tiger Invitational.
After handing Mississippi State (18-2) only its second loss of the season Saturday, every fan in McWhorter Stadium could venture that the high-powered Bulldogs would be ready to right their wrongs against the Tigers (13-7).
They did not take long to pounce, or at least punish Clemson for its early pitching woes.
Freshman pitcher Lexie Hames got her fifth start of the year in the circle, and after issuing two walks to start the contest, head coach John Rittman put another freshman, Keira Crosby, in relief. After a quick hug between the two underclassmen, Crosby found herself in a jam.
The righty, like Hames, initially struggled with her command. Outside of one foul ball, it took the Tigers’ staff 12 pitches to land a strike. Crosby gave up a single to the first batter she faced to load the bases and a run scored on a wild pitch to give Mississippi State a 1-0 lead.
Outside of one walk, Crosby was solid in the second inning– forcing the heart of the Bulldogs’ lineup into weak contact.
Clemson did not get any runners aboard in the first inning, and looked to keep the trend running in the second when the first two hitters struck out and grounded out. With two outs, third baseman Sarah Breaux set a double barrelling past the Bulldogs’ outfielders to put Clemson in scoring position.
Breaux was left stranded when the next hitter struck out on three pitches.
In the third, the Bulldogs put up two runs with a solo-shot home run, along with a double and an RBI single to extend the lead 3-0.
Two singles from Mississippi State and a throwing error from Channell, the Tigers’ shortstop, drove in another run, and three more hits in the fifth plated one more. A sacrifice fly and a triple secured a 7-0 lead through five frames.
In response, Clemson loaded the bases with two walks, a Channell single, and a wild pitch. The Tigers’ single run of the afternoon came when Pavese was hit with a pitch with bases loaded. The Bulldogs plated two more on a home run in the sixth for the final 9-1 result.
Hitting Struggles
On Saturday, the Tigers only notched four hits, but turned them into three runs with strategic baserunning, drawn walks, and capitalizing on State’s mistakes.
On Sunday, however, Clemson only recorded three hits and walks, leaving five on base. Five Tigers struck out to Bulldogs’ pitcher Peja Goold, who pitched 4.1 innings and got the win.
Channell made up two of Clemson’s three hits, and finished 2-for-2 on the day.
Streaks End
Brockenbrough, Clemson’s leadoff hitter, snapped her ten-game streak of touching base. Macey Cintron, the Tigers’ right fielder, snapped a four-game hitting streak, while Pavese ended her five-game multi-hit streak.
It marked the first time Clemson has not won a tournament it hosted in program history.
Pitching
After a seven-inning, shut out performance from Maness Saturday, the Tigers burned five pitchers in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Hames did not record any outs, Crosby allowed two earned runs on four hits with one walk in 3.0 innings of relief.
Olivia Duncan pitched one inning in relief, allowing two runs on three hits, before suffering an injury when she was hit with a ricocheting ball. She exited for freshman righty Maddie Johnson, in her first appearance with the Tigers.
Johnson allowed four runs on five hits with no walks or strike outs in 1.1 innings.
Cintron finished it out, pitching the final inning. The two-way player gave up no runs and notched one walk and one strike out.
Reviews
Clemson challenged two calls, including one where Brockenbrough said the first baseman never tagged her on a ground out. However, she was ruled out in a momentum shift against the Tigers. The crew also decided a Bulldogs’ runner did not leave first early when trying to steal second, to Rittman’s disappointment.
Up Next
The Tigers will look to improve their record on Wednesday when they will host the College of Charleston for midweek action at McWhorter Stadium. It will mark the first matchup between the two teams. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.