It was deja vu for Clemson’s softball team Saturday.
The Tigers advanced to their second straight ACC tournament championship game before suffering the same fate. A four-run sixth inning propelled Florida State to an 8-6 win over the Tigers at Pittsburgh’s Vartabedian Field.
The Tigers lost to Duke in last year’s tournament final. Now Clemson (39-15) will wait to see if they’ve done enough this year to host a regional for the first time in program history. The Tigers, who began the day at No. 8 in the NCAA’s latest RPI rankings, will find out Sunday when the NCAA Tournament field is revealed.
Alia Logoleo got Clemson a little closer in bottom of the seventh with a two-out RBI single, but FSU reliever Kathryn Sandercock got Sam Russ to line out for the final out, continuing Clemson’s wait for its first-ever conference tournament title.
FSU (52-5) plated three runs on three hits in the first against Valerie Cagle to erase Clemson’s 1-0 lead after half an inning, a run the Tigers scored thanks to a pair of Seminole errors. But Clemson answered with a three-spot of its own in the third with two walks and a pair of hits in the frame, knocking FSU starter Mack Leonard out of the circle after just 1 1/3 innings.
McKenzie Clark provided the go-ahead knock with a two-run double off Danielle Watson that gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead. Kalei Harding drew FSU even with solo homer in third before Russ put Clemson back in front with just her third homer of the season, sending the first pitch she saw from Watson deep over the right-center wall.
Clemson had a chance to extend its lead in the top of the sixth with a pair of baserunners in scoring position with two outs, but Sandercock got Cammy Pereira swinging to end the Tigers’ threat. The Seminoles went ahead for good during their next at-bat after Cagle issued a leadoff walk to Hallie Wacaser.
Pinch-runner Amaya Ross scored on Kaley Mudge’s sac fly later in the frame. And after Clemson chose to intentionally walk Harding, FSU’s 3-hole hitter, with two outs, Leonard cleared the bases with a three-run shot to right-center that ended Cagle’s day in the circle.
A day after going the distance against Virginia Tech, Cagle (15-8) allowed seven earned runs on six hits while striking out four and walking six in 5 2/3 innings. Sandercock (29-1) got the win for FSU after throwing the final 3 2/3 innings of one-run relief.
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