ATHENS Ga., – For four innings Sunday, Clemson pitcher Abby Dunning– and her signature hair bow– continued her Athens (Georgia) Regional heroics, holding a potent Georgia offense to only one run in 92 pitches.
However, contrary to popular belief, even Super Woman gets tired.
And after 331 pitches, 19 innings, and 19 strikeouts across four games, Clemson’s superhero left the circle for the final time after walking two consecutive batters. In turn, Georgia scored four in its next two innings and grabbed 5-0 shutout victory in the championship round to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals.
Clemson’s season, on the other hand, comes to a close with the loss.
The defeat marked the Tigers’second NCAA Regional championship loss in program history. Clemson has now played for five regional championships, and won three in their short seven-season history.
Clemson falls to a 4-3 program record against Georgia with the loss, and splits a two-game series with the Bulldogs this year. The Tigers outscored the Bulldogs 10-6 this season. The loss marked the fifth time Clemson has been shut out this season.
The Tigers finished with two hits to Georgia’s eight, and batted 0-for-10 with runners on base. Through seven frames, Clemson put only one runner in scoring position, despite putting the leadoff batter on three times.
Centerfielder Jamison Brockenbrough and catcher Corri Hicks made up for both of the Tigers’ (34-22) hits. Brockenbrough, a senior, touched base twice, a team-high, in her final collegiate softball game.
In two of the first three innings, the Bulldogs (41-18) got their leadoff runner on base and moved her to second with a single and one or fewer outs. Both times, Dunning answered with two strikeouts to strand four runners.
Through three frames, Georgia was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-3 with two outs. Dunning stranded five Bulldog baserunners in the earliest three innings.
Similarly, the Tigers totaled two hits in the first three frames, but also left both runners stranded at first. Georgia’s starting pitcher Addisen Fisher struck out two and forced weak contact to keep Clemson’s offense at bay.
The Bulldogs struck first in the fourth, with a one-out solo homer from shortstop Marisa Miller, to capture a 1-0 lead. The next batter singled and reached second on an error, but Dunning induced weak contact to escape further damage.
Clemson put exactly one runner on base in each of the first four frames, but failed to extend innings and score. Entering the fifth, Dunning had thrown 84 pitches to Fisher’s 50 as the Tigers’ offense failed to string together long at-bats.
After throwing eight straight balls to open the fifth, Dunning’s heroic weekend came to a close. The right-hander threw 331 total pitches in four Athens Regional games. She threw 19 innings across the three-day span, striking out 19 and only allowing one run in each appearance.
The Chicago, Ill., native finished with four strikeouts, five hits, three earned runs, and four walks Sunday. Freshman righty Lexie Hames entered in relief with runners on first and second, and immediately walked two to extend Georgia’s lead 2-0.
Two-way player Cintron quickly replaced her in the circle, striking out one. A sacrifice fly made out two, but scored a runner to extend the lead 3-0. Cintron got out of the nine-batter inning with a strikeout and two fly outs.
Georgia plated two more in the sixth off of two doubles and a single to mark the final score.
Clemson lost both of its games as the designated home team at the Athens Regional, while Georgia was the only “home” team to win its game.
While the Tigers will lose seniors Brockenbrough and Dunning next season, a young core is eligible to return for head coach John Rittman’s squad in 2027. The Tigers will be back.
