Regan Spencer – Syndication Server

Clemson softball pacing ACC in this area entering postseason

Clemson’s softball team is streaking into the ACC Tournament on the strength of its work in the circle. The Tigers’ pitching staff has statistically been the best in the league this season. Clemson (37-14) enters the postseason with a 1.77 earned …

Clemson’s softball team is streaking into the ACC Tournament on the strength of its work in the circle.

The Tigers’ pitching staff has statistically been the best in the league this season. Clemson (37-14) enters the postseason with a 1.77 earned run average – a full tenth of a point better than Duke, which has the next-highest team ERA at 1.82. Only two other ACC teams, Florida State (1.85) and regular-season champ Virginia Tech (1.92), possess sub-2 ERAs.

Clemson is led by its top three arms, all of which own an ERA of 1.83 or lower. Valerie Cagle has been the workhorse for the Tigers with a team-high 28 appearances, going 13-7 in 22 starts during the regular season. The right-hander has recorded 160 strikeouts in 134 innings.

Millie Thompson (12-3) and Regan Spencer (6-2) have been just as effective in the circle. Thompson owns a 1.68 ERA while limiting opponents to a .218 average in 22 appearances. Meanwhile, Spencer has been perhaps the Tigers’ most consistent pitcher in her 59 innings of work. Spencer has a team-best 1.07 ERA while opponents are hitting just .209 against the sophomore right-hander.

The staff’s latest gem came in Clemson’s regular-season finale against Georgia Tech over the weekend. Spencer took a perfect game into the fifth inning before a leadoff walk sparked a two-run inning for the Yellow Jackets that tied the game. But Spencer finished the frame before Thompson worked two innings of scoreless relief, setting the stage for the Tigers’ walk-off victory in extras.

“Just so proud of our pitching staff,” Clemson coach John Rittman said afterward. “(Assistant) coach (Kyle) Jamieson does a great job with them. They’ve been phenomenal, and they just keep getting better as the season goes on.”

Clemson has yielded four runs or less in seven of its last 10 conference games and hasn’t allowed more than two runs during its four-game winning streak, momentum the Tigers will try to keep going as the No. 5 seed in the ACC Tournament. The tournament is slated to begin May 11 in Pittsburgh.

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Pitching igniting Clemson softball’s late-season surge

With a 19-9 record that included just one ACC win, Clemson’s softball team was struggling to live up to its billing as a preseason top-15 team heading into the last week of March. Things have changed for the Tigers since then. Fresh off a series win …

With a 19-9 record that included just one ACC win, Clemson’s softball team was struggling to live up to its billing as a preseason top-15 team heading into the last week of March.

Things have changed for the Tigers since then.

Fresh off a series win over No. 21 Notre Dame, Clemson has won 14 of its last 16 games. That stretch has included 11 consecutive wins that began with a victory over South Carolina on March 30, and Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Fighting Irish gave Clemson its third straight ACC series win.

It has helped vault the Tigers (33-11, 11-7 ACC) to fifth place in the ACC standings, just two games back in the loss column of third-place Florida State ahead of the teams’ series in Tallahassee next weekend. It may be difficult for the Tigers to catch Virginia Tech and Duke – teams that are a combined 5-1 against Clemson this season – atop the standings with just two series left before next month’s ACC Tournament, but their hot streak has given them a shot at a second straight top-3 finish after winning their first-ever regular-season conference title a season ago.

It’s been the work in the circle that’s ignited Clemson’s late-season resurgence.

With two-way All-American candidate Valerie Cagle (1.96 earned run average), Millie Thompson (1.61) and Regan Spencer (1.03) pitching most of the innings, Clemson has limited teams to just 2.06 runs per game since a 5-2 win over Louisville on March 25. The Tigers haven’t yielded more than five runs in a game since, and four of the Tigers’ wins during that stretch have been shutouts.

That’s dropped the team’s ERA to 1.80 on the season, second-lowest in the ACC.

“I can’t say enough about our pitching staff,” Clemson coach John Rittman said.

Cagle didn’t have her sharpest outing Saturday in the series clincher against Notre Dame, but the sophomore right-hander still limited the Fighting Irish to just one run on nine hits in 4 ⅓ innings. Spencer polished off the victory with 2 ⅔ innings of three-hit relief.

“Certainly we didn’t hit the ball like we’re capable of, but credit goes to their pitching staff,” Rittman said. “They kept us off balance all weekend, but we found ways to win two out of three games.”

Cagle went the distance in the Tigers’ 3-2 victory to start the series Thursday, and Thompson was saddled with the tough-luck loss Friday after yielding just two earned runs in six innings. The Tigers failed to muster a hit in the 4-0 loss and needed Cammy Pereira’s walk-off single to squeak out Saturday’s win, but the pitching is keeping Clemson in games as the Tigers wait for more consistent offense to come around.

“(Notre Dame) put a lot of pressure on us and on our defense,” Rittman said. “Valerie gave us all she had, and then Regan stepped in and just did a tremendous job to keep it at 1-1. Got out of some tough situations. Just really proud of Regan and how she’s grown and developed as a pitcher.”

Clemson’s series at Florida State will begin Thursday. The Tigers will close out the regular season with four games the following week, including a weekend home series against Georgia Tech.

Clemson softball learning ‘we always have to be on our A-game’

While Clemson softball coach John Rittman believes his team has gotten used to going from the hunter to the hunted, some of his players think the Tigers are still working through the process. “Last year, we kind of snuck up on people a little bit,” …

While Clemson softball coach John Rittman believes his team has gotten used to going from the hunter to the hunted, some of his players think the Tigers are still working through the process.

“Last year, we kind of snuck up on people a little bit,” center fielder McKenzie Clark said. “Now we’re not doing that as much, which I don’t mind at all. I like the competition. I like the fight. We just need to start executing a little bit more.”

Last year is a reference to Clemson’s ACC regular-season championship season, which firmly put Rittman’s program on the college softball map in just the second year of its existence. With the Tigers now getting everyone’s best shot, their title defense has gotten off to a slow start.

Clemson (21-10 overall) is just 3-6 in conference play through its first three ACC series, though the slate certainly hasn’t lacked for meat on the bone. The Tigers were swept at home by a top-10 Virginia Tech team to start the month and dropped two of three at Duke, another legitimate conference contender.

Clemson, which also lost by a run at Georgia last week and fell in extras to Louisville at home its last time out Sunday, has lost four of its last seven games after an 18-6 start that included a win over Washington, another top-10 team.

“Definitely our schedule has challenged us,” Rittman said. “We’ve played a very tough schedule, and we’ve lost some close games. And (Sunday) was another one where we still gave ourselves a chance in the seventh inning with the winning run at the plate. As a coach, that’s really all you can ask for in your team.”

Clemson did pick up its first league series win against Louisville, outscoring the Cardinals 13-2 in the first two games. The Tigers looked primed to do one better in Sunday’s series finale, controlling the game through the first four innings. But much like its midweek loss to Georgia, an early two-run lead evaporated as Clemson’s offense struggled to get out of first gear.

The Tigers mustered just six hits against Louisville right-hander Taylor Roby, who went the distance to notch the win. Camryn Greenwood’s two-run, opposite-field homer in the eighth made for the winning separation in a game in which Clemson hit just 3 of 15 with runners on and 2 of 11 with runners in scoring position.

Some of those were tough-luck outs on balls that were hit directly at the Cardinals, but Clemson’s batters also put themselves in plenty of adverse situations by being passive and falling behind in counts. Being more aggressive is something Clark said the offense has to work on as a whole.

“Jumping on the good pitches,” said Clark, who had two of Clemson’s hits, including an RBI single. “Even though we had established the strike zone later in the game, just getting on top of those good pitches. Whether it’s the first pitch or second pitch, it doesn’t matter. We’ve just got to be ready.”

Through the first three conference series, Rittman said he’s learned his team’s pitching and defense are good enough to win games. Star sophomore Valerie Cagle (2.35 earned run average) is the headliner, but right-hander Regan Spencer, who hurled five innings of two-run ball Sunday, leads the Tigers with a 0.77 ERA in 36 ⅓ innings.

Sophomore Millie Thompson has also given Clemson a lift in the circle, posting a 1.57 ERA in 13 appearances (eight starts). Meanwhile, the Tigers’ defense had just one error in the Louisville series and has gone 11 straight games without committing multiple errors.

“The biggest thing now is getting the timely hits and building off this series win for next week,” Rittman said.

That starts Wednesday with a home game against rival South Carolina. Then it’s off to North Carolina on Friday to begin a three-game series against the Tar Heels.

They are Clemson’s latest opportunities to implement the biggest lesson it’s learned so far if the Tigers are going to make a late-season push to get back in the conference title race.

“We always have to be on our A-game,” Clark said.

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Softball Week 3 in Rewind: Rittman, Tigers rack up five wins and many firsts

The Clemson softball team walked away from another full week of competition last week, adding five more wins to their record along with being named tournament champs of the Clemson Classic at McWhorter Stadium in Clemson. The Tigers began play last …

The Tigers began play last week with a midweek matchup, traveling to Charlotte, N.C. to take on the 49ers. Thanks to a monster two-run bomb to left field in the fourth inning by graduate Marissa Guimbarda, Clemson came away with the 5-2 win over Charlotte, handing the Niners just their second loss of the season. In the circle, Millie Thompson earned her first win of the season with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work.

Following the win on Wednesday, Clemson opened up play at McWhorter Stadium for the 2022 season with the Clemson Classic. On Friday, the Tigers faced two opponents in Boston University and St. Francis, shutting out both teams 8-0 and 2-0, respectively, and securing Clemson’s spot in the championship game on Saturday.

Bright spots for Clemson on Friday included redshirt sophomore Alia Logoleo’s walk-off, two-run homer in the fifth to earn the run-rule win over Boston University, and sophomore righthander Regan Spencer pitching her way to her first career complete game in the circle versus the St. Francis Red Flashes.

Into the final day of competition for the Clemson Classic, Clemson took the field against Akron early Saturday afternoon, coming away with a 10-5 win over the Zips. En route to their fifth straight victory, freshman Brooke McCubbin earned the win in the circle along with Valerie Cagle getting her second save of the season in relief.

Both McKenzie Clark and Aby Vieira had a stellar game for the Tigers versus the Zips. Clark recorded the program’s first inside-the-park home run, going 4-for-4 at the plate and scoring three runs, while Vieira earned her first collegiate grand slam of her career.

Clemson faced Boston University once again Saturday evening in the Clemson Classic championship game. The Tigers jumped ahead early versus the Terriers with a 1-0 lead in the first, but Clemson blew the game wide open in the third, ultimately coming away with the 7-3 win and overall tournament victory thanks to freshman Maddie Moore’s two-run homer to left field, the first of her collegiate career. Lefthander Millie Thompson earned her second win of the week in the circle versus Boston University with four strikeouts in 5.2 innings.

“Great weekend for the Tigers,” head coach John Rittman told the media on Saturday. “Doubleheader each day, obviously we’re thrilled with the sweep both days and coming out with the tournament championship. A lot of great things happened this weekend in our program. I thought we made some growth in a lot of areas. Number one, our pitching did really well this weekend. I think tonight Millie [Thompson] didn’t have her A stuff, but just went out there and competed like she always does and got the victory. Brooke [McCubbin] came in, in relief and did well.

“Offensively, a lot of things happened this weekend, a lot of people stepped up in different situations. Tonight, in particular, Marissa Guimbarda, Sam Russ, Valerie Cagle with the big hit there late to give us an insurance run. Very pleased with our performance and a lot to build on for this upcoming week.”

Up next, the Tigers host Gardner-Webb for a midweek matchup on Tuesday, March 1, at McWhorter Stadium in Clemson with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. Clemson opens up ACC play later in the week with a three-game weekend series versus No. 7 Virginia Tech. Game one is scheduled for Friday, March 4, at McWhorter Stadium with first pitch set for 5 p.m.

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Clemson softball wins first two games of Clemson Classic

Clemson softball’s team kept its momentum going on the first day of the Clemson Classic. The ninth-ranked Tigers began the home portion of their schedule with a pair of wins Friday at McWhorter Stadium. After run-ruling Boston in its tournament …

Clemson softball’s team kept its momentum going on the first day of the Clemson Classic.

The ninth-ranked Tigers began the home portion of their schedule with a pair of wins Friday at McWhorter Stadium. After run-ruling Boston in its tournament opener, Clemson capped an unblemished day with a 2-0 win over Saint Francis in front of a capacity crowd of 1,616 fans.

The Tigers (9-3) will go for their fifth straight win when they continue tournament play against Akron at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Since starting the winning streak by blanking then-No. 5 Washington in its final game of the St. Pete-Clearwater Classic last week, Clemson has outscored its opponents 17-2.

Clemson’s latest win didn’t come easy. The teams were scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when Sam Russ reached on a one-out single and stole second to move into scoring position. Russ advanced to third on McKenzie Clark’s flyout to right, but the throw back into the infield got away from shortstop Jordan Pietrzykoski, allowing Russ to scamper home.

Marissa Guimbarda then doubled home pinch-runner Carlee Shannon to provide further support for right-hander Regan Spencer, who combined with Game 1 starter Valerie Cagle to yield just eight hits on the day. Spencer, who had pitched just 4 ⅔ innings on the season coming in, got some help from her defense throughout to face just four batters over the minimum.

Saint Francis loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the second. Spencer induced a popout and a groundout to third baseman Alia Logoleo, who threw home for the second out. JoJo Hyatt’s throw to first trying to complete the double play was late, but Bailey Taylor threw back to Hyatt to nab Rachel Marsden trying to score from second to keep the Red Flash off the board.

The Red Flash got the leadoff hitter on in the fifth when Logoleo threw wide of first base on Jordan Frank’s grounder, but Frank was thrown out trying to advance to third on the play. Saint Francis’ final threat came in the seventh when the Red Flash’s first two batters reached, but shortstop Maddie Moore stabbed Marsden’s liner and turned it into a double play. Spencer then got Ashley Orischak to fly out to preserve another shutout.

This story will be updated.