Cassidy Curd allowed just three hits and struck out five in a complete game shutout, as No. 12 Duke down Clemson, 6-0, Sunday at the Smith Family Stadium in Durham, N.C. The win allowed the Blue Devils to capture the three-game series (2-1), while the loss possibly hurt the Tigers’ chances of getting a home regional for next month’s NCAA Tournament.

Clemson will likely need to win the ACC Tournament to earn a home regional.

The loss also drops Clemson (32-19, 13-11) into seventh place in the ACC standings, a half-game back of Virginia, who finished the conference season at 13-10. The Cavaliers will own the No. 6 seed in the ACC Tournament, while the Tigers, the defending champions, will be the No. 7 seed.

As for Duke (38-13, 20-4 ACC), it will have to wait and see what Florida State does against Boston College next weekend to see where they will line up in the tournament. Right now, the Blue Devils stand behind the Seminoles, who are 18-3 in ACC play and in first place. Duke is currently second in the ACC standings.

The 2026 ACC Softball Championship will be held from Wednesday, May 6, through Saturday, May 9, 2026. The tournament, a 12-team, single-elimination event, is hosted by the University of Virginia at Palmer Park in Charlottesville, Va.

Clemson conclude its regular season by being shutout for the first time in 41 games, which dated back to a 12-0 loss to the No. 9 Arkansas on Feb. 13.

Taylor Pipkins (2-2) recorded two of the Tigers’ three hits on Sunday, while Jamison Brockenbrough (1-2) had the other. Brockenbrough also drew two walks, while Pipkins drew one.

Duke was led by DAuna Jennings 2-for-3 day at the plate, which included a home run and 2 RBIs. Aminah Vega went 1-for-2 and drew two walks, but her one hit was 2-run blast in the bottom of the fifth inning that stretched the Blue Devils’ one-run lead to 3-0 at the time.

Jennings led off the Duke first inning with a sole home run to right field. The Blue scratched across three more runs in the sixth inning to put the game away. Jennings’ home run was the only score until Vega’s two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth.

The Tigers had opportunities to score in the third and fifth innings when they got two runners on with no outs in both innings, but they failed to score either time. Pipkins doubled to lead off the third and Brockenbrough drew a walk, but Clemson could not get the timely hit to bring them home, as Curd retired the side.

In the fifth, Pipkins drew a lead off walk on four pitches, while Brockenbrough also drew a free pass to put the Tigers in position to take the lead for a second time. Again, they failed to pick up the timely hit on Curd. Vega then made them pay, and put the game away with her 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning.

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Clemson will now wait and see who they will play in the ACC Tournament on May 6.