Clemson Tigers Softball: Clemson Roars Back from Seven Down to Win 14-8 over Charlotte
- Charles Mays
- Feb 18
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 30
The Clemson Tigers faced off against the Charlotte 49ers in their home opener in front of a fired-up McWhorter Stadium. It looked shaky at first for Clemson as they went down 7-0 early, but a fierce comeback by the Tigers, fueled by Julia Knowler, would give them a 14-8 victory over the 49ers. For Clemson, the win went to Macey Cintron, which was the second of her career. Aubrey Yarnall picked up the loss for Charlotte.
Charlotte Starts Off Scorching Hot With 7-Run Second Frame
Clemson's starting pitcher, Brooke McCubbin, started her night off the right way with a 1-2-3 inning to retire the side. That hot start ended shortly during the second inning, with fielding miscues and clutch hitting by the 49ers. The second inning started with a four-pitch walk to Jenna Ford and an error from Julia Knowler to allow London Dirks and Emma Shoemaker to give Charlotte a 2-0 lead early. The 49ers were not done there as Savanna Nguyen's bunt scored two more runs after an error from Clemson catcher Aby Vieira. This led to McCubbin being taken out of the game, but it would get worse for the Tigers as a Teagan Ritchie three-run blast would give Charlotte a seven-run lead in the top of the second inning.
Clemson Feeds off Charlotte's Mistakes in Third Inning
The Tigers had yet to reach base through the first two innings of the ball game. Charlotte pitcher Avery Shamblin was rolling through two innings, starting her night off by recording six straight outs. Unfortunately, to start the bottom of the third inning, Shamblin was struck on the hand by a Marian Collins line drive, which caused the 49ers' starter to be removed from the game. That hit by Collins got things going for the sluggish Clemson bats, as they were able to load the bases and strike. An error by catcher Olivia Williams and a two-run double into the right field gap by Julia Knowler cut the Charlotte lead to three. The Clemson offense kept rolling as Macey Cintron's two-run bomb made it a 7-6 ballgame in the bottom of the third inning.
Clemson Tigers Take Commanding Lead
After Charlotte extended their lead to 8-6 from a sac fly off the bat of Olivia Williams, Jamison Brockenbrough struck right back. The junior from Locust Grove, Georgia, sent a three-run missile over the right-center field wall to give the Tigers a one-run lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Clemson was not done there as Julia Knowler crushed a three-run bomb of her own off the scoreboard to put the Tigers up 12-8. The home run onslaught would not stop there as pinch-hitter Kylee Johnson sent the third Clemson home run of the inning over the center field wall to give Clemson a six-run lead. This lead would last for the rest of the game as the Clemson Tigers beat the Charlotte 49ers, 14-8.
Key Takeaways:
Julia Knowler: The sophomore from Fort Myers, Florida, continued her hot start to the season in tonight's game. Knowler went 3/4 on the night with two doubles, a three-run home run, and five RBIs, leading the way for the Tigers' seven-run comeback.
Home Runs: Hitting more home runs than the opposition wins games. The Tigers hit a total of four home runs in this game, their third time doing so this season, while Charlotte only hit one. The Tigers' three home runs hit in the fourth inning tied a program record for the most home runs hit in one inning.
Up Next: Clemson stays at McWhorter Stadium for a doubleheader on Friday, February 21, against Elon and Villanova. First game is at 12:30 p.m. ET on ACCNX.
Comments