CLEMSON — With two outs, Madison Pickens slid into first base to outrun a ball to second base in the top of the seventh inning, allowing Camryn Lookaddoo to score from third, as Louisville rallied from six runs down to beat No. 24 Clemson, 7-6, Sunday at McWhorter Stadium.
With two outs, Lookado tripled off the wall in centerfield to score the tying run, as the Cardinals rallied from a 6-0 deficit after the fifth inning to steal the victory. The Tigers had a chance to run-rule the Cardinals in the fifth inning but could not find a way to get the final two runs to do so across the plate.
Louisville (20-7, 3-3 ACC) scored five runs in the sixth inning and two in the top of the seventh inning to complete the comeback.
Marian Collins smacked a double to score two runs, while Mac Pavese had a two-run single down the rightfield line in the fifth inning to lead Clemson. Though Collins and Pavese had the big hits, it was Kiley Channell that led Clemson at the plate. The shortstop was 3-for-4 with a double and a RBI. The Tigers also got an RBI hit from leftfielder Kylee Johnson and two hits from Jamison Brockenbrough.
The Tigers (19-9, 4-2 ACC) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning thanks to Channell’s double to right centerfield with two outs. Brockenbrough kept the inning going with a two-out hit to leftfield. The senior stole second base and came around to score on Channell’s double.
Louisville had an opportunity to get on the board in the second inning. The Cardinals got a lead-off hit from Camryn Lookadoo and Madison Pickens followed with a bunt single and a Clemson throwing error to put both runners at first and second with no outs.
However, pitcher Sierra Maness recorded back-to-back strikeouts before walking Riley Janda to load the bases. But Maness got out of the jam with a nice stab at Easton Lotus’ rocket back to the circle, giving her plenty of time throwing Lotus out at first base to end the inning.
Johnson continued the Tigers’ defensive gem when she made a diving catch in leftfield to rob Taylor Monroe of a sure hit, and possibly a double, to end the fourth.
Clemson blew the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning. After loading the bases with no outs, Pavese singled down the rightfield line to score Brockenbrough and Taylor Pipkins for a 3-0 lead. Collins then followed with a double to the gap in left center, plating both Channell and Pavese to extend their advantage to 5-0.
Collins’ double ran off Louisville starter Alyssa Zabala, who had kept the Cardinals in the game to that point. She was replaced by Brooke Gray. After Gray walked two batters, with one out, Johnson smacked a single to right field to score Collins for a 6-0 lead.
However, Louisville made things interesting in the sixth inning. The Cardinals ran Maness off with one out, as she was responsible for four of the five runs that got the visitors back into the game.
Lookadoo doubled to centerfield to score two runs, Pickens singled to center to drive in a third and pinch hitter Ava Venturelli homered to left as Johnson’s attempt to catch the softball above the wall bounced out of her glove as she smashed into it. The impact caused the ball to clear the wall for a two-run home run.
UP NEXT
Clemson hits the road on Wednesday where it will visit Western Carolina at 5 p.m.
