Tigers Dominate in Syracuse Behind McCubbin’s Complete Game Shutout

Brooke McCubbin had a phenomenal day in Syracuse, NY.

The Clemson Tigers entered Saturday’s contest at Syracuse looking to build on their game one victory and keep the momentum rolling. On a cold and windy afternoon in Syracuse, New York, the Tigers took the field in all white, while the Orange countered in all black. Luke Burgess and Sam Reis were on the ACCNX call for what turned into a dominant performance by Clemson.

Early Momentum and Strong Start

Clemson wasted no time getting the offense started. Alex Brown, who went 4-for-4 in the series opener, singled up the middle to open the game. She would steal second on a wild pitch, but Syracuse’s Julianna Verni worked out of the jam, retiring the next three batters.

Brooke McCubbin got the start in the circle for Clemson and came out dealing. The right-hander struck out the side in the first inning, setting the tone for a career performance.

Pitchers Duel Unfolds

The Tigers went down quietly in the second inning as Verni matched McCubbin with early control. Syracuse’s Taylor Posner led off the bottom of the second with a single, followed by a bunt single from Madelyn Lopez, giving the Orange two on with no outs. Clemson’s defense rose to the occasion, keeping Syracuse off the board.

Moore Breaks the Deadlock

Jamison Brockenbrough singled in the third inning, and Alex Brown followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position. Maddie Moore then executed a textbook sacrifice bunt to bring in Brockenbrough and give Clemson a 1-0 lead.

McCubbin remained locked in during the bottom half of the inning, allowing only a single and recording another strikeout. Moore helped end the threat with a diving play at second, robbing a potential RBI opportunity.

Clemson Breaks Through in the Fifth

Verni, who had been effective early, started to unravel in the fifth. After Alex Brown reached on a walk, Maddie Moore launched a two-run homer to left center, extending Clemson’s lead to 3-0. Julia Knowler and Macey Cintron followed with back-to-back singles. Aby Vieira added an RBI double to make it 4-0, chasing Verni and shifting the momentum fully in Clemson’s favor.

McCubbin continued to shine in the bottom of the inning, striking out two more to bring her total to eight on the day. Her command and energy on the mound were unmatched.

More Runs in the Sixth

Freshman Sydney Jackson entered the game for Syracuse in the sixth, but the Tigers continued to stay aggressive. After a pinch-hit walk and single, Jamison Brockenbrough delivered a sacrifice fly to score Ava Wilson and make it 5-0. Alex Brown followed with another walk, and Maddie Moore added an RBI single to push the lead to 6-0.

McCubbin, still dealing, struck out her ninth batter in the sixth and got help from a highlight-reel diving catch in left field by Kylee Johnson to end the inning.

Seventh Inning Explosion

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Clemson’s offense caught fire once more. Back-to-back walks to Sam Minish and Kylee Johnson prompted Syracuse to make another pitching change, bringing in Rose Cano. Jackson’s relief outing ended after just 1.2 innings, where she allowed two runs on two hits.

Cano walked Marian Collins to load the bases, and Riley Burton came in to pinch run. Jamison Brockenbrough stepped up and crushed a base-clearing three-RBI double to right field, putting Clemson up 9-0. Alex Brown then capped off the offensive eruption with an RBI single, scoring Brockenbrough and making it 10-0.

Brown finished the day perfect at the plate once again, going 3-for-3 and improving to an incredible 7-for-7 in the series.

McCubbin Slams the Door

McCubbin returned to the circle for the final frame and left no doubt. She struck out three more, ending her masterclass outing with a career-high 12 strikeouts. McCubbin improved to 6-4 on the season with a complete game shutout, allowing no runs, no walks, and scattering just a few hits over seven dominant innings.

Syracuse’s Julianna Verni took the loss and dropped to 8-3 on the season.

Final Thoughts

Clemson’s 10-0 victory not only clinched the series against Syracuse but also marked their second consecutive ACC series win. The Tigers improved to 23-9 overall and 5-3 in conference play.

On a frigid day in upstate New York, Clemson’s bats were blazing and Brooke McCubbin was untouchable in the circle. With the offense firing on all cylinders and pitching hitting peak form, the Tigers are heating up at the right time.

Clemson will look to complete the series sweep tomorrow. Game time is set for 12:00 PM EDT, and will be streamed on ACCNX.