Clemson Softball Falls Short in Comeback Attempt Against North Carolina in Game Two

Brooke McCubbin from the circle. (Photo By John Meldrum for Tiger View Media)

Despite a late rally, Clemson softball couldn’t complete the comeback against North Carolina, falling 6-3 on Saturday afternoon at McWhorter Stadium. The Tar Heels (23-5, 4-1 ACC) capitalized on early offensive opportunities to secure the win over the Tigers (19-9, 2-3 ACC). Let’s jump into how the game unfolded.

Saturday’s game also marked a special occasion for the program, as Clemson welcomed back 13 former players from the first five teams in program history to celebrate Alumni Day.

Cintron, Vieira Lead Tigers at the Plate

Freshman Macey Cintron continued her strong season, leading the team with two hits and an RBI. Senior Aby Vieira provided a spark with her first home run of the season, a solo shot in the sixth inning. Sophomore Kylee Johnson added an RBI, and in total, seven Tigers contributed to Clemson’s eight hits.

The Tigers had an early scoring opportunity in the second inning after back-to-back singles from Cintron and Sam Minish. Vieira advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, and Marian Collins loaded the bases with a walk. However, Clemson couldn’t capitalize, stranding all three runners.

North Carolina built a 3-0 lead through three innings, but the Tigers responded in the bottom of the third when Alex Brown led off with a triple, her second of the season. Julia Knowler worked a four-pitch walk, setting the stage for Cintron, who ripped an RBI single down the left-field line to put Clemson on the board.

Defensive Efforts and Late Push Fall Short

Senior pitcher Brooke McCubbin worked 5.2 innings in the circle, allowing five earned runs while striking out three. She prevented further damage in the fifth after a runner reached third with no outs. A key replay review caught a North Carolina runner leaving early, and McCubbin closed the inning with a full-count strikeout.

The Tar Heels extended their lead to 6-1 in the sixth, but Clemson showed fight in the bottom half of the inning. Vieira launched her home run 259 feet to right-center, and Collins and Jamison Brockenbrough followed with back-to-back singles. Johnson then brought Brockenbrough home on a groundout to second, cutting the deficit to 6-3.

Clemson’s defense made a highlight play in the seventh when Minish tracked down a deep fly ball in right field and doubled off a runner at first. However, North Carolina quickly shut down any hopes of a final-inning comeback, retiring the Tigers in order to seal the win.

Up Next for Clemson Softball

Clemson looks to bounce back in Sunday’s series finale against the Tar Heels. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.