Clemson made history in Sunday’s 8-0 run-rule win over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, winning its first-ever NCAA regional to advance to Super Regional play for the first time in program history and doing so on their home turf. The Tigers got the scoring started early in the first, but it all came down to a huge fourth inning where Clemson scored seven runs off of six hits, six of which were with two outs, highlighted by homers from Aby Vieira and Valerie Cagle.
Lefthander Millie Thompson earned her second win and shutout of the weekend in Sunday’s win. Louisiana’s Meghan Schorman takes the loss for the Rajun’ Cajuns.
With the 8-0 victory on Sunday, the Tigers completed their third shutout in a row, advancing to the Super Regionals and staying in the hunt for a College World Series birth in Oklahoma City.
Cammy Pereira led things off for the Tigers in the first with a clutch single up the middle with a 3-2 count. Cagle came up big a few batters later with an RBI single to score Pereira and give Clemson the early 1-0 lead after one.
Following a scoreless second and third inning, the Tigers broke the game open in the fourth. With one out, Vieira doubled the Tigers lead to 2-0 with a no-doubter to centerfield, her fifth home run of the year. Alia Logoleo quickly followed suit with a single to shortstop that was later brought in by Maddie Moore’s RBI double. Following a Louisiana pitching change, Pereira struck yet again for the Tigers, this time with a two-RBI single to left. Cagle was the real hero though, launching her 13th homer of the year to right field, tacking on three more runs for a score of 8-0 through four innings.
The Tigers came away with the 8-0 run-rule victory and shutout on Sunday improving to 41-14 overall and advancing to the program’s first-ever Super Regional next weekend. NCAA Super Regionals will take place May 26-29 with locations and opponents to be announced later this week.