CLEMSON – Corri Hicks blasted her sixth home run of the year and Abby Dunning recorded her fourth scoreless win in the circle as No. 24 Clemson won the series with a 4-0 victory over Louisville at McWhorter Stadium Saturday.
After picking up a series-opening win over the Cardinals Friday night, the Tigers played off of momentum to secure their third consecutive win, second ACC series victory, and maintain a dominant 13-3 record at home.
The win extended Clemson’s (19-8, 4-1 ACC) record over Louisville to 10-2, and marked the second weekend in a row that the Tigers secured a series win with a game still to play.
The Tigers notched eight hits from six different players and batted .250 with runners in scoring position to punish the Cardinals’ (19-7, 2-3 ACC) pitching staff. The victory marked Marian Collins’ tenth multi-hit performance of the season, and ninth shutout from Clemson’s pitching staff and defense.
Louisville started the first inning with a leadoff walk, and advanced all the way to third on a stolen base and a sacrifice fly. Tiger pitcher Abby Dunning escaped without any damage, however, as she stranded the runner with a strike out for out No. 3.
Centerfielder Jamison Brockenbrough opened Clemson’s day at the plate with a leadoff bunt single, and singles from Mac Pavese and Marian Collins sent her home for a 1-0 score. The Tigers added to the lead in the second when left fielder Kylee Johnson singled, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and dove to the plate to beat out a throw for a 2-0 lead.
Dunning escaped another jam in the top of the third, after striking out the first batter. The senior issued two walks and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases with one out. Head coach John Rittman came out to speak with her, with other hurlers throwing in the bullpen, but decided to let his veteran player stay in the game. After the meeting, Dunning issued a strike out and forced a pop up to get out of the frame.
Minutes later, on the offensive side, Collins singled with one out, and two batters later, Hicks blasted her sixth home run of the season to score two runs and double the lead. It marked her 21st and 22nd RBIs of the season, and her ninth extra-base hit of the season.
Dunning held off Louisville’s lineup for three more innings to secure the final 4-0 shutout. The right-hander improved her record 6-3 with the win, and notched her second complete, seven-inning performance of the season. The Chicago, Ill., native allowed no runs on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts on the day. She notched a career high in pitches thrown with 131.
Brockenbrough finished 1-for-2 on the day with a walk. Pavese, Hicks, Sarah Breaux, and Kylee Johnson were each 1-for-3, while Collins led the day with three hits.
Clutch Hitting
Clemson batted .273 with runners on base, and .250 with two outs, compared to Louisville’s .091 and .143.
Collins’ Career Day
Collins tied her career-high of three hits in a single game, a mark she has notched six times over two seasons with the Tigers. Thanks to her success this year, the sophomore is hitting a team-high .398 with 22 RBIs.
Cintron Back in Action
After facing an injury and a tough few weeks, last year’s ACC Freshman of the Year Macey Cintron made her first plate appearance in over a week pinch hitting for left fielder Taylor Pipkins. The sophomore struck out in one at-bat, but it showed her health has improved.
Up Next
The Tigers will look to improve their ACC record and complete a sweep of the Cardinals Sunday, when they will host Louisville at McWhorter Stadium for the third installment of a three-game series. First pitch is set for noon and coverage will be shown on ACC Extra.