CLEMSON – A breakout performance from freshman pitcher Lexie Hames and a fourth-inning offensive burst in a 8-0 run-rule win over Lipscomb Friday reminded patrons how dominant No. 23 Clemson is at home.
After a rocky 3-5 stretch since Feb. 7, most recently falling 8-3 to Charlotte this Wednesday, the Tigers were due for a feel-good win at the Clemson Classic Tournament at McWhorter Stadium. In her third career start, Hames decided that joy should start with her.
After walking the first batter of the game, Hames recorded six straight outs, including three consecutive strikeouts in the second inning. Before Friday, the Harmony, Pa., native only tallied three strikeouts this season, the entirety of her collegiate career.
After a quick, two-minute top of the second inning thanks to Hames’ dominance, second baseman Marian Collins kept the momentum on the Tigers’ (7-5) side. On the first pitch of the inning, the sophomore blasted her first double this season nearly to the newly minted ‘2025 ACC Tournament Champions’ banner on the back wall.
Shortstop Kiley Channell kept it going, bumping Collins over to third on a fielder’s choice, and reaching first herself on a throwing error. Channell quickly stole second to put two runners in scoring position with no outs.
Macey Cintron, last year’s ACC Freshman of the Year, grounded out to the shortstop to score Collins, and centerfielder Jamison Brockenbrough singled to center to plate another run. After four scoreless innings dating back to Wednesday’s loss, the Tigers’ offense was wide awake.
Hames came back on the mound and opened the third inning with a leadoff walk, before reeling off three more strikeouts to keep the Bisons at bay. Lipscomb stranded three in the third, as Hames struck out yet another for out No. 3 with bases loaded.
Clemson’s offense stayed active in the fourth inning, as Channell singled through the middle, and Cintron followed with a shot to left, her third hit of the season. With two outs, first baseman Mac Pavese tripled to left center, scoring three runs and extending the lead 5-0.
Julia Knowler added a single of her own, her first hit since Feb. 10’s win over Furman, to score Pavese for a 6-0 lead through four.
One inning later, Collins sent her second double of the day to left center, and Wilson knocked her home with a single for a 7-0 score. Breaux and Collins singled in the eighth for a walk-off run-rule win.
Collins, a sophomore, finished her day 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and two runs scored. Brockenbrough was 1-for-2 with two walks, while Pavese finished 1-for-3 with a team high three RBIs. Cintron, Channell, and Knowler each finished 1-for-2.
Seven Tigers recorded hits and five scored runs as Clemson improved to 2-0 at McWhorter Stadium this season.
Hames remained in the circle for the entirety of the game, finishing with a career-high six innings pitched, three walks, 10 strikeouts, and only two hits. Her fastball sat in the high 60s, and she routinely got hitters out with offspeed pitches in the lower 50s.
Before this game, the righty appeared in 3.1 innings across five games, giving up five runs, six walks, and two hits against 19 batters. She had never pitched more than two innings before Friday’s seven-inning shutout.
Interesting Statistic
Although five half-innings opened with leadoff walks, none of them scored. Clemson’s runs from the second inning started with a leadoff double, and the four-run fourth inning started with a ground out and a single.
Clemson has now run-ruled both of its home games this year
Next Up
Clemson will look to string together another win together presently, when the Tigers take on Coastal Carolina University at the Clemson Classic at McWhorter Stadium. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.