ATHENS, Ga. — It would have been easier for Clemson to quit after losing the first game of the Athens (Georgia) Regional on Friday.

The loss to UNC Greensboro sent the Tigers into the loser’s bracket, meaning they had to beat the College of Charleston in Saturday’s first elimination game, and then beat the Spartans to advance to Sunday’s championship round.

And if they do all of that, they get top-seeded Georgia on Championship Sunday, and, oh yeah, they have to beat the Bulldogs twice at Jack Turner Stadium—Georgia’s home field—to advance. Like I said, it would be easier to just quit and go home after the first game.

But that isn’t what second seeded Clemson wanted to do. The Tigers are not quitters, a trait they displayed in gritty victories over the Cougars (3-1) and UNCG (4-1) on Saturday afternoon and evening.

“I just love the way we fought to get ourselves in position for a rematch against UNCG,” Clemson head coach John Rittman said. “It was a very tough loss yesterday. We made a mistake in the first inning, and we could not score a run against their senior pitcher, who was really, really good.

“But tonight, we came out with a different attitude.”

The Tigers (34-21) did not quit. Even when Brooklyn Shroyer came in the third inning in the rematch, they battled. Senior Jamison Brockenbrough, who was doing all she could to keep her seniors year alive for another day, battled and lifted a double down the leftfield line that bounced away from the leftfielder to put her in scoring position.

She later scored on a fielding error that gave the Tigers all they would need to advance.

“Being a senior, I am really not taking these games for granted,” Brockenbrough said. “Any day, it can end. So, our mindset in Game 2 was a lot better. We want to come out and throw punches, and that is what we did.”

Brockenbrough extended her career for at least another day, with a 2-for-4 night at the plate, which included two doubles. She scored two of Clemson’s four runs against UNCG, while also driving in an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning.

While Brockenbrough helped the Tigers get past Shroyer and UNCG, it was shortstop Marian Collins that got them there. The sophomore was 3-for-3 against the College of Charleston in the first game on Saturday, while along the way she became the first player in Clemson history to hit three doubles in the same game.

She also drove in two of the Tigers’ three runs to keep their season alive.

“We love our seniors,” Collins said. “We only have two of them, but they are such huge and important roles in our program. You try to lean on them and trust in them in these moments to try to get us through.

“Both of them have kind of been there and done that, so we lean on them. So, getting another day with them is super important to us.”

The Tigers will lean on Brockenbrough and senior pitcher Abby Dunning on Sunday, as they try to knock off the Bulldogs in the championship round. First pitch is set for noon.

If Clemson wins, Game 7 of the regional will be played 35 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.