OFFICIAL ACC SOFTBALL THREAD: NO.3 CLEMSON vs. No.6 North Carolina

CUTrevor 2023-05-11 16:11:37


The Tigers have not played a game in 12 days and final exams are behind them, so they should be fully rested physically and mentally! You've gotta think they have a chip on their shoulder too, after the way the regular season ended. They are looking to make their 3rd straight ACC Championship appearance in their 3rd full season. Many feel they have to win the tournament in order to host a Regional, which is crazy given where they were a month ago as a top 5 team with 23 straight wins. They will probably have to go through Duke and FSU to win the tournament, and those are the teams that beat the Tigers in the last 2 ACC Championship Games, so that would be extra sweet to beat those two teams! Personally, I think getting to the final would be enough, but we'll see. It will be interesting to see if Rittman decides to pitch ACC Player of the Year Valerie Cagle tonight or save her for tomorrow. Thompson and McCubbin should be able to beat the Heels, who they did not play during the regular season. I would use McCubbin or Thompson tonight, the other against (presumably) Duke and have a rested Cagle for FSU in the final. Hyatt will be starting behind the plate again with Aby out the last few weeks with a forearm injury. Freshman Ruszkowski is also making her 3rd start. Not sure why she is starting instead of Oda.

First pitch is at approximately 7:30 on ACCN, and I'll have live updates right here!


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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 18:34:58


UPDATE: Duke game is running late, so our game probably won't start until about 8:30. Duke is up 7-1, so it looks like they will be the Tigers' next opponent as expected.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 18:59:54


UPDATE: First pitch is scheduled for 8:25.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 19:32:22


We're finally underway, and Cagle goes 1-2-3 with 2 K's!



SCORELESS M1.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 19:34:58


Clark strikes out swinging.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 19:36:22


Miklesh flies out.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 19:38:54


Cagle reaches on an error.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 19:41:06


Jacobsen grounds out.



SCORELESS AFTER ONE.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 19:47:29


Fluke infield single gives Heels their first base runner with one out. Moore probably could have thrown her out, but May dove for the catch and missed it.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 19:49:51


Runner steals 2nd with 2 outs.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 19:51:21


Fly ends the inning.




SCORELESS M2.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:01:14


Logoleo, Moore and Ruszkowski go 1-2-3.



SCORELESS AFTER 2.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:06:09


Cagle strikes out the side swinging! 700 career K's for Cagle.



SCORELESS M3.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:12:28


Hyatt draws a leadoff walk on full count! Just the second base runner for the Tigers, who don't have a hit yet.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:13:51


Davenport sac bunts the runner to 2nd with one out.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:14:24


Clark pops up. RISP with 2 outs for Miklesh with Cagle on deck.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:14:55


MIKLESH DELIVERS!!! 2-out single scores Houston from 2nd to put the Tigers up 1-0! That was timely for the Tigers' first hit of the game.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:18:05


Cagle infield single! 2 on with 2 outs for Jacobsen.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:21:59


Jacobsen lines out to end the inning.



TIGERS LEAD 1-0 AFTER 3.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:24:43


Cagle strikes out the leadoff batter. That's 4 straight K's and 6 in the game!

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:25:29


Cagle gives up a one-out single.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:26:49


Grounder moves the runner to 2nd with 2 outs.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:28:06


Ugh 2-out single ties the game. Runner barely beat the throw on a high chopper up the middle, and the runner slid around the tag at the plate.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:31:29


Cagle strikes out the next batter on 3 pitches for her 7th K.




TIED 1-1 M4.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:39:21


Logoleo flies out, Moore strikes out looking on 3 pitches and Ruszkowski strikes out swinging on full count. Not sure why the freshman Ruszkowski is making her 3rd start. Something might be wrong with Oda. She has struck out both times tonight.



TIED 1-1 AFTER 4.


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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:44:34


Cagle strikes out the leadoff batter swinging for her 8th K!

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:44:48


Cagle gets her 9th K on 3 pitches!

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:45:21


Cagle gets a grounder to go 1-2-3!




TIED 1-1 M5.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:55:41


Clark 2-out single. Hopefully that gets her going. Need to steal here!

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:58:17


Miklesh walks! 2 on with 2 outs for Cagle.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 20:59:49


Ugh Cagle strikes out swinging to strand the runners.



TIED 1-1 AFTER 5.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:04:15


Cagle strikes out the leadoff batter for her 10th K! She's going for a season high.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:07:57


Cagle gets a fly and her 11th K to go 1-2-3! That ties her season high against FIU in her 3rd start of the season.



TIED 1-1 M6.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:11:39


Jacobsen draws a leadoff walk! Finally a leadoff runner. The only other inning they had a leadoff runner, they scored.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:14:57


Logoleo grounds out. One on with one out for Moore.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:17:33


Ugh Moore strikes out swinging. One on with 2 outs for Ruszkowski, who has struck out both times.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:18:04


Ruszkowski grounds out to end the inning.



TIED 1-1 HEADED TO THE 7TH.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:24:57


Cagle goes 1-2-3 with a K swinging on 3 pitches! Season-high 12 K's!



TIED 1-1 M7.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:32:23


Ugh Hyatt, Davenport and Clark go 1-2-3. Davenport was robbed of a line drive double on a nice play in left. We go to extras!



TIED 1-1 HEADED TO THE 8TH.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:36:30


Ugh Cagle walks the leadoff batter on full count, her first of the game. She had retired 10 straight.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:38:45


Runner tags on fly to the track. Should have had her out at 2nd. RISP with one out.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:41:32


Comebacker to Cagle for a double play!




TIED 1-1 M8.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:44:17


MIKLESH LEADOFF DOUBLE!! Cagle could walk it off here with a hit!

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:45:37


Cagle wisely intentionally walked. 2 on with no outs!

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:46:13


WILD PITCH!!! Winning run on 3rd with no outs! Clutch base running by Miklesh. The catcher casually dropped the intentional ball, and Miklesh darted for 3rd.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:47:05


Corners with no outs for Jacobsen.

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CUTrevor 2023-05-11 21:48:28


WILD PITCH ENDS GAME!!!



TIGERS WIN 2-1 IN 8 INNINGS!!!



Cagle demonstrated why she is the front-runner for National Player of the Year, striking out a season-high 12 with just 3 hits and one full-count walk in the 8th. They were also so worried about her as a hitter, that they intentionally walked her, and the catcher dropped one of the intentional balls to allow Miklesh to get to 3rd for the winning run. Speaking of Miklesh, she was the Tigers' offensive player of the game for sure! Her 2-out single drove in the Tigers' first run, and she scored the winning run after her leadoff double in the 8th! Heads up base running too, to steal 3rd on the dropped ball and then score the winning run on another wild pitch.

Tigers play 3 seed Duke at 1:30 on ACC tomorrow in a rematch of the 2021 ACC Championship, won by Duke 1-0. Thompson will presumably get the start in the circle. I'll have post-game interviews shortly!














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