Clemson run-rules USC Upstate in the Tigers' opener of the Clemson Regional
Clemson run-rules USC Upstate in the Tigers' opener of the Clemson Regional
Kylee Johnson is quickly becoming the go-to bat in the biggest moments for Clemson softball.
Just a week after her walk-off home run stunned Florida State in the ACC Championship Game, Johnson once again came through in a pressure spot—this time with a three-run blast that helped lift No. 11 Clemson to a 10-2 run-rule win over USC Upstate on Friday at McWhorter Stadium. The Tigers are now one win away from advancing out of the Clemson Regional.
With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth and two runners on with two outs, Johnson sent a 2-2 changeup over the wall in left field to give Clemson the lead for good.
'I was just trying to pick up my teammates,' Johnson said. 'I wasn't trying to do anything big, just trying to get something going. We all trust each other one through nine, and I knew I had to come through.'
The homer was all reliever Brooke McCubbin would need. After entering with the bases loaded in the third and one run already in, she settled in and shut the door. McCubbin gave up just one hit over the final 4.1 innings to earn her 17th win of the season.
Head coach John Rittman admitted he wasn't sure if Johnson's blast would clear the fence.
'I was blowing it out,' Rittman joked. 'I didn't know if it was going to make it or not. The one in the ACC title game was a no-doubter, but this one—man, I was watching the flags. But she's battled all year and really deserves this moment. She's such a good teammate and works her tail off.'
JoJo Collins added a big day at the plate as well, giving Clemson a 1-0 lead in the second with an RBI single. She also helped spark the offense with steady at-bats and timely contact.
'I was definitely a little nervous early,' Collins said. 'But our focus all year has been trusting each other. That's what helped me slow the moment down and get the job done.'
After USC Upstate briefly pulled ahead with a two-run third inning, Clemson responded quickly. Maddie Moore tied the game with a double to left-center that scored Alex Brown, setting the stage for Johnson's go-ahead swing in the fifth.
Reese Basinger started the game and got out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the second with a clutch strikeout. But after the Spartans loaded the bases again in the third and scratched across two runs, McCubbin entered to stop the bleeding and took over from there.
Clemson's offense poured it on late, scoring five in the fifth and adding two more in the sixth to close things out in run-rule fashion.
The Tigers now sit at 35-17 overall and will play in Saturday's regional final with a shot to move on to the Super Regionals.
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