Tigers capitalize on Longhorns’ errors and timely hitting to take 1–0 series lead at the 40 acres
In a gritty and dramatic pivotal opening game of the Women’s College World Series Super Regional, No. 11 seeded Clemson takes a 1–0 series lead over the No. 6 seed Texas with a 7–4 victory on May 22 at the 40 acres, powered by clutch hitting and an opportunistic third inning that flipped the game’s momentum.
After the weather delay, The Longhorns struck first in the bottom of the first inning when a well-placed bunt by senior-third baseman Mia Scott (.433 BA & 55 RBI’s) and a fielding miscue allowed sophomore-center fielder Kayden Henry (.427 BA & .579 SLG %) to race home, giving the Longhorns an early 1–0 edge. They kept the pressure on in the second with a leadoff double by the graduate-first baseman Joley Mitchell, but failed to capitalize after Clemson senior-righty pitcher Reese Basinger (2.79 ERA & 121 strikeouts) worked out of the jam.
The Tigers roared in the third. After back-to-back singles from the senior-third baseman Alex Brown (.423 BA & .582 SLG %) and senior-second baseman Maddie Moore (.418 BA & 16 HR’s), a routine fielder’s choice turned into a disaster for the Longhorns when a fielding error let the tying run cross the plate. Two batters later, freshman-shortstop Marian Collins (.366 BA & 11 HR’s) broke the game open with a 2-RBI double to left, swinging momentum sharply in the Tigers’ favor.
Texas quickly narrowed the deficit in the bottom half of the frame, with Scott belting a solo home run to make it 3–2. But Clemson was far from finished. Longhorn sophomore-righty Teagan Kavan (202 strikeouts & 23-5 W/L) took the loss, surrendering six runs (five earned) over five innings.
In the sixth, the Tigers exploded for four more runs. With the bases loaded, Moore punched an RBI single through the left side, and sophomore-first baseman Julia Knowler (.301 BA & 60 RBI’s) followed with a 2-RBI double into the right-center gap. A heads-up groundout by senior-catcher Aby Vieira (.343 BA & .509 SLG %) brought home another run, extending the lead to 7–2.
Texas made a late push in the sixth with a string of singles and a 2-RBI knock by Henry, trimming the deficit to 7–4. But the Tigers shut the door in the seventh behind solid infield defense and a poise-under-pressure performance from senior- righty reliever Brooke McCubbin (2.59 ERA & 18-5 W/L).
Brown led the way for Clemson with a 3-for-5 night and scored twice, while Collins and Knowler drove in five combined runs. Texas’ offense, while lively, struggled to deliver in key moments—leaving seven runners on base.
With the win, Clemson moves one step closer to a trip to Oklahoma City. The Tigers look to close out the series in Game 2 as the Longhorns aim to stay alive and avoid a winner-take-all scenario at Red & Charline McCombs Field on May 23 at 8 pm central time streamed on ESPN 2.
