Clemson, S.C. – Valerie Cagle totaled four hits and four RBI on the day and earned the victory in the circle in game two as No. 25 Clemson completed a series sweep of Furman with a 5-0, 8-1 doubleheader sweep on Saturday afternoon at McWhorter Stadium in Clemson, S.C.
Game 1: Clemson 5, Furman 0
Millie Thompson tossed five scoreless innings and Cagle delivered a pair of RBI doubles to lead Clemson to a 5-0 victory.
Cagle got the Tigers on the board with an RBI double in the bottom of the first and scored on Grace Mattimore's two-run double. In the third inning, Cagle followed Ansley Gilstrap's leadoff single with an RBI double and the Tigers added another run on a bases loaded walk drawn by Morgan Johnson.
Thompson (1-1) limited the Paladins to just two hits and a walk over five shutout innings before Regan Spencer closed the game with two perfect frames of relief.
Gilstrap, Cagle and Mattimore each collected two hits to pace Clemson's eight-hit attack.
Ashlee Lykins and
Amanda Fleming registered the only hits for the Paladins.
Freshman
Sierra Tufts took the loss for Furman after allowing four earned runs on eight hits over six innings. She walked four batters and struck out two.
Game 2: Clemson 8, Furman 1
In the series finale, Cagle put the Tigers in front with a two-run single in the first inning and Gilstrap answered Furman's lone run in the top of the second inning with a three-run blast in the bottom of the frame to power the Tigers to an 8-1 decision.
Three Clemson pitchers combined to limit Furman to just an unearned run on two hits over seven innings. Cagle improved to 10-1 in the circle by allowing just a run on two hits over four innings. She fanned three batters without issuing a walk.
The Paladins got the only run of the day in the second inning when
Mackense Greico reached on a one-out single and moved to third base on a throwing error.
Kaitlyn Laudick beat out a grounder to deep shortstop to drive in the run.
Clemson (16-2) tallied eight runs on nine hits over four innings off of Furman starter
Shelby Basso, who fell to 0-3 in the circle. McKenzie Clark and Cagle each registered a pair of hits for the Tigers, while Gilstrap batted in three runs.
Furman (4-11) returns home to Pepsi Stadium to host Presbyterian in a 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 18.
