Baseball
NO.7 CLEMSON DRAMATICALLY BEATS UNC 2-1 IN 8 INNINGS, ADVANCES TO ACC SEMIFINAL
- 2023-05-12 03:17:39
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The Tigers had 12 days off to rest and prepare for the ACC Tournament, which might have been a double-edge sword. The good news is that Valerie Cagle's pitching arm was fully rested and ready to go. The bad news is that they would need her at her very best because the offense couldn't get going.
It was an old-fashioned pitchers' duel, with each team totaling just 3 hits apiece. Cagle showed why she is the front-runner for National Player of the Year, though, striking out a season-high 12 with just one full-count walk in the 8th and over 100 pitches. She also passed the 700 career strike out mark in picking up her 23rd win. She might have been the MVP of the game, but Miklesh was the offensive hero. She drove in the Tigers' first run with a 2-out single and scored the winning run after her leadoff double in the 8th, so she had 2 of the Tigers' 3 hits and accounted for both runs. It was also her heady base running that allowed her to score the winning run. After her double, she alertly stole 3rd when the catcher casually dropped the ball during an intentional walk of Cagle. On the next at bat, another ball got away from the catcher, and Miklesh darted home for the winning run.
One has to wonder how much of the Tigers' lack of offense had to do with the layoff, or perhaps it was because they hadn't seen that pitcher all season. Maybe a combination of both. She was just 16-14 this season, so by no means dominant. Let's hope their bats wake up early tomorrow because Duke cruised past Tech 7-1 on Thursday. The Tigers and Devils will play at 1:30 ET in a rematch of the 2021 ACC Championship, won by Duke 1-0. If the Tigers win, they will likely get FSU for a rematch of last year's ACC Championship won by the Seminoles in comeback fashion. If the Noles lose tomorrow, the Tigers would get a shot at the Hokies, who have also had their number, so the Tigers could exorcise some big demons en route to their first-ever ACC Tournament title. Millie Thompson will likely be in the circle against Duke. As always, click on the link below for live updates during the game.
Highlights and Cagle interview are below!
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