No. 19 Clemson Softball Cruises Past Boston College Behind Knowler, Cintron Power Surge

Julia Knowler up to bat. (Photo By Charles Mays/Tiger View Media)

Two nights after a thrilling extra-inning win over No. 13 South Carolina, the No. 19 Clemson Tigers were back in action at McWhorter Stadium. Sitting at 35-11 overall and 14-4 in ACC play, the Tigers welcomed the Boston College Eagles to town for the start of their weekend series. Clemson sent Reese Basinger to the circle with a 14-4 record, while BC countered with Kelly Colleran, who entered with a 10-10 mark.

Quick Start on Both Sides

Basinger and the Clemson defense wasted no time setting the tone. After a one-out single by Gator Robinson in the top of the first, Hannah Slike hit into a double play to end the inning. In the bottom half, Alex Brown worked a leadoff walk and eventually came around to score on a two-out RBI triple from Macey Cintron, her first triple of the year, to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead.

The second inning was quiet on both ends. Boston College managed a single from Zoe Hines, but she was quickly thrown out attempting to steal second by Avy Vieira. Clemson went down in order in the bottom frame, as Colleran briefly settled in.

Clemson’s Offense Heats Up

Basinger cruised through the third inning on just four pitches, as the Eagles appeared to be pressing, swinging early in counts and failing to find any holes in the defense. Clemson took full advantage in the bottom half. Jamison Brockenbrough extended her hitting streak to seven games with a sharp single to left, then advanced to second on a misplayed diving attempt by Hines. She moved to third on a groundout and scored on Maddie Moore’s fielder’s choice to make it 2-0.

That set the stage for Julia Knowler, who launched her 14th home run of the season, a two-run shot, to extend Clemson’s lead to 4-0.

Boston College Tries to Rally

The Eagles chipped away in the fourth. Slike and Jordan Stephens both scored on a two-RBI double from Hines, cutting the lead in half, 4-2. That would be the end of the night for Basinger, who exited after four innings, allowing two runs on four hits, with one walk and one strikeout.

Cintron entered in the fifth and immediately provided a lift, not just from the circle but also with the bat.

Cintron Seals It With the Bat and Arm

The freshman didn’t waste her opportunity in the bottom of the fifth. After Knowler singled with two outs, Cintron stepped up and crushed a pitch over the center-field wall for a two-run homer, pushing the lead to 6-2. That’s where things would stay the rest of the way, as Cintron shut down any hopes of an Eagles comeback.

Final Stats and What’s Next

Reese Basinger earned her 15th win of the season, while Cintron picked up her second save. Boston College’s Kelly Colleran took the loss and dropped to 10-11 on the year. Clemson improves to 36-11 overall and 15-4 in conference play.

The Tigers and Eagles will be back at it tomorrow night at McWhorter, with first pitch scheduled for 6:00 PM EDT on ACCNX.