Clemson Tigers Softball: Clemson Dominates No. 14 Duke in Series Opener with 12-4 Run-Rule Victory

Coach John Rittman communicates with his baserunner. (Photo By Charles Mays/Tiger View Media)

The Clemson Tigers softball team entered their first ACC series riding a 14-game win streak, facing off against the No. 14-ranked Duke Blue Devils. In front of an electric McWhorter Stadium, the Tigers showcased their dominance, securing a dominant 12-4 run-rule victory in game one of the weekend series.

Sporting their all-orange uniforms for “Solid Orange Friday,” Clemson came into the matchup with a 17-6 overall record, while Duke stood at 15-6. The highly anticipated pitching duel featured Clemson’s Reese Basinger (5-2) against Duke’s Cassidy Curd (5-3).

How It Unfolded

Basinger set the tone early, striking out Duke’s first two batters, Aminah Vega and Ana Gold, both looking. A routine pop-up to shortstop Marian Collins completed a flawless 1-2-3 inning. Clemson’s offense was quiet in the first inning, with Alex Brown flying out to the warning track and back-to-back strikeouts from Maddie Moore and Julia Knowler. After allowing a leadoff single in the second, Basinger settled in, inducing a sacrifice bunt and two groundouts to escape unscathed.

Clemson Tigers Strike First 

The Tigers broke through in the bottom of the second. Macey Cintron led off with a single, and after a passed ball advanced pinch-runner Kennedy Ariail to second, Aby Vieira followed with a base hit to put runners on the corners. Marian Collins delivered in the clutch, driving a two-out, two-RBI double over the left fielder’s head. Alex Brown followed with a two-run single up the middle, extending Clemson’s lead to 4-0.

Basinger continued her strong outing with a scoreless third inning. In the bottom half, Clemson capitalized on Duke’s mistakes. A throwing error on an infield hit allowed another run to score, and Marian Collins added another double to push the lead to 8-0.

Duke Fights Back

Duke responded in the fourth with back-to-back home runs from Kairi Rodriguez and Amiah Burgess, followed by an RBI triple and a run-scoring single to cut the deficit to 8-4.

Tigers Add More

Clemson wasted no time answering back. A combination of timely hitting and Duke errors fueled a four-run bottom of the fourth, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Ava Wilson, giving the Tigers a commanding 12-4 lead.

Securing The Win

Basinger sealed the deal in the top of the fifth, forcing a diving catch in right field by Sam Minish and ending the game with a flyout to left, securing Clemson’s statement win via run rule.

Looking Ahead

With the victory, Clemson takes a 1-0 lead in the series against the No. 14 Blue Devils. The Tigers will return to action for game two at 1 p.m. Saturday at McWhorter Stadium. Fans can catch the game on ACC Network Extra.