Tigers Win Ninth Straight in Shutout Over Boston College
CLEMSON, S.C. — The No. 17 Clemson Tigers (29-4, 19-4 ACC) won the first contest of its four-game series against the Boston College Eagles (8-22, 4-14 ACC) by a score of 6-0 Friday evening at McWhorter Stadium. The victory extended the Tigers’ win streak to nine games, and Clemson improved to 37-0 all-time and 20-0 this season when scoring five or more runs.
Clemson ace Valerie Cagle (18-3), who entered Friday’s contest as the ACC’s ERA leader, pitched her seventh complete-game shutout of the season to earn the win. Cagle allowed her first hit in the 4th inning that ended a 9.2 inning no-hit streak, dating back to the Tigers’ series finale against North Carolina on April 3. Boston College pitcher Susannah Anderson suffered the loss and fell to 5-12 on the season.
The Tigers opened the scoring in their half of the first frame when infielder Ansley Gilstrap roped her fifth double of the season down the left field line. Cagle knocked her in with a single through the right side to collect her 27th RBI on the season.
That tie did not last long, as Marissa Guimbarda’s third-inning single up the middle scored Gilstrap to double the Clemson lead to 2-0. Following an Abi Stuart single, Kyah Keller stroked a single through the right side that scored Guimbarda, and Stuart (2-for-3) reached home safely as a result of the Eagles’ catcher misplaying the right-fielder’s throw to the plate.
Guimbarda’s big night (2-for-3) continued in the fifth inning when she blasted her ninth home run of the season deep over the left-center field wall, extending Clemson’s lead to 5-0. With the win, the Tigers’ improved to 24-0 on the season and 40-2 all-time when hitting at least one home run.
Clemson tacked on one more home run in the sixth as Morgan Johnson smacked her fourth home run of the year to center field. Johnson’s bell-ringer marked the 13th multi-home run effort by the Tigers this season.
Cagle closed out the three-hit shutout in the top of the seventh, highlighted by a leaping snag by left-fielder Alia Logoleo to end the game and secure the series opener for Clemson.
Up next, the Tigers and Boston College (8-21, 4-13 ACC) return to McWhorter Stadium on Saturday for a doubleheader, which begins at noon. Both of Saturday’s contests are set to broadcast on RSN, which include: FOX Sports South, FOX Sports Florida, YES, NESN Plus, AT&T Sportsnet Pittsburgh, Marquee, MASN2 and
FOX Sports Southwest Plus.
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Responses
What a Pawsome program….