Latest news with #KyleeJohnson
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kylee Johnson hits 3-run HR to lead 11-seed Clemson to a 10-2 win over USC Upstate in 5 innings in NCAA softball tournament opener
CLEMSON, S.C. (Clemson SID) – The 11th-seeded Clemson Softball team broke open a 2-2 ball game with three runs in the fourth inning and five in the fifth inning to secure a 10-2 run-rule victory over USC Upstate in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at McWhorter Stadium. ACC Champion Clemson, ranked 13th nationally, improved to 45-12 on the season, while Upstate fell to 39-15. Kylee Johnson hit a three-run fourth-inning home run to give Clemson a 5-2 lead, a game after hitting the go-ahead home run in the ACC Championship game the previous Sunday. In the fifth inning, four consecutive Tigers earned RBI hits, including freshman Taylor Pipkins, who knocked in the final of three consecutive doubles to walk it off for the Tigers. Freshman Marian Collins went 3-for-3 with three runs batted in as Clemson totaled ten hits. Despite the Tigers getting on the board first off an RBI single by Collins in the second, USC Upstate responded with two runs in the top of the third to take the lead. With two outs in the third, Alex Brown drew her second walk of the day to put a runner on for Maddie Moore to drive her 11th and team's 95th double off the left center fence to even things at 2-2. This was Moore's 65th RBI of the year and Brown's 64th run – both of which are single-season program records. Following the day, Clemson has 98 doubles on the season. Clemson claimed the lead in the bottom of the fourth on Johnson's home run that came after an Aby Vieira walk, a Collins single, and a Pipkins fielder's choice. In the fifth inning, Clemson's bats again came alive with Moore and Kennedy Ariail on-base, Macey Cintron singled to center to bring in Moore. Vieira followed with her 17th double of the year, scoring Ariail. Ava Wilson came on to run for Cintron and was promptly sent home along with Vieira on Collins's double. Pipkins ended it with a double to score Collins. Senior Reese Basinger made her first NCAA Regional start in the circle. She pitched 2.1 innings before senior Brooke McCubbin entered in relief, going the final 2.2 innings to improve to 17-5 on the year. Up Next The Tigers return to McWhorter Stadium on Saturday, May 17 where they will take on Northwestern. First pitch is slated for 1:30 p.m. The winner of that contest will play Sunday at 1 p.m., while the loser will play at 6:30 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
11-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Social media reacts to Clemson softball's first-ever ACC Championship win
Social media reacts to Clemson softball's first-ever ACC Championship win Clemson delivered the most memorable win in program history on Saturday, taking down No. 3 Florida State, 2-1, to claim its first-ever ACC Tournament Championship. It was a defining moment for the Tigers — not just because it came against one of the nation's top programs, but because it ended an 0-7 drought against the Seminoles and erased the heartbreak of the 2022 title game loss. On the biggest stage the ACC has to offer, Clemson came through. Trailing 1-0 in the seventh inning, freshman Kylee Johnson came up with one of the biggest swings the program has ever seen. Down to her final strike, she launched a two-run home run to straightaway centerfield off FSU reliever Jazzy Francik, flipping the script in a game Florida State had controlled for most of the afternoon. The Tigers' pitching and defense locked it down from there, holding the Seminoles scoreless the rest of the way to secure the championship. Clemson rallied from behind in all three of its ACC Tournament games, showing the kind of toughness and maturity that's come to define the program under John Rittman. Now, with a conference title in hand and a projected top-16 RPI, Clemson will turn its attention to the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers will find out their postseason path during Sunday's selection show at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. Here's how social media reacted to Clemson's ACC Championship win:
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kylee Johnson hits 2-run HR in 7th to lift Clemson past Florida St. 2-1 in ACC Softball Tournament Championship Game
BRIGHTON, Mass. (Clemson SID) – A seventh-inning two-run blast off the bat of sophomore Kylee Johnson secured the 2-1 victory against Florida State for the first ACC Championship title for the Clemson Tigers. The Tigers improved to 43-12 following the win, while the top-seeded Seminoles dropped to 46-9. Senior Brooke McCubbin earned her 15th victory on the season and third of the ACC Tournament. Fellow senior Reese Basinger started the game and went the first three innings, striking out one and getting tagged for just one run. McCubbin came on in the fourth and pitched the final four frames, allowing only four hits. The Tiger pitching tandem stranded nine Seminoles and held Florida State 0-8 with runners in scoring position. The Tigers looked to strike early with two singles and a walk that loaded the bases with two outs, but the Tigers were held scoreless. In the bottom, a fielding error and a bunt single put runners on first and second for the Seminoles with nobody out, but with two on, the Clemson defense stood tall. A grounder found its way to Alex Brown who stepped on third and threw across the diamond for a double play. Following the twin killing, a steal attempt was snuffed out by Aby Vieira who caught the runner at third to end the frame. The Seminoles opened the scoring in the bottom of the third with a leadoff home run to center field. Basinger retired three of the next four Seminoles and the solo shot was the lone run of the inning and the afternoon for FSU. McCubbin came on to relieve Basinger with one on and no outs in the fourth. She stranded two Seminoles on the bases to end the inning and kept them quiet the rest of the way. In the top of the seventh, Marian Collins worked a walk and got on base to lead off the inning. With one out, Johnson unloaded on a 2-2 pitch to center field to score Collins and give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. In the bottom, the first two Seminoles reached base, but McCubbin forced a deep flyout and froze the next batter to put the Tigers within one out of the title. On the first pitch of the at bat, the ball popped into center and fell harmlessly into the glove of Jamison Brockenbrough, and the party began in Brighton as the Tigers captured their first ACC Championship. The Tigers landed four on the ACC Championship All-Tournament team with freshman Taylor Pipkins being named the Tournament MVP. Additional Tigers selected included: senior Aby Vieira, senior Maddie Moore and senior Brooke McCubbin. Up Next The ACC Champion Tigers await their NCAA postseason designation that will be determined on Sunday, May 11 at 7 p.m. during the NCAA Softball Championship Selection Special on ESPN2. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Kylee Johnson's two-run homer in 7th rallies Clemson to 2-1 victory over Florida State for ACC title
BRIGHTON, Mass. — Kylee Johnson hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning and the Clemson Tigers rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday in the championship game of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Johnson's homer sent the second-seeded Tigers (44-12), who didn't start playing softball until 2020, to their first victory in eight all-time meetings with the top-seeded Seminoles (46-9). Clemson has made five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament — all under head coach John Rittman.
USA Today
10-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Clemson takes down No. 3 Florida State, wins program's first-ever ACC Championship
Clemson takes down No. 3 Florida State, wins program's first-ever ACC Championship Clemson delivered its most thrilling win of the season on Saturday, knocking off No. 3 Florida State, 2-1, to capture the program's first-ever ACC Tournament Championship. It was a breakthrough moment not only for the Tigers as a team, but also for the trajectory of the young program, which had never defeated the Seminoles in any of their seven previous meetings. This time, on the conference's biggest stage at Harrington Village in Brighton, Massachusetts, Clemson made history. The 10th-ranked Tigers once again leaned on their resilience, rallying from behind for the third time in as many games during the ACC Tournament. Trailing 1-0 in the seventh inning with one out and a runner on base, Kylee Johnson stepped to the plate and delivered the decisive blow. Down in the count 1-2, Johnson got a pitch from FSU reliever Jazzy Francik and crushed it over the wall in straightaway centerfield. The two-run home run not only gave Clemson the lead, but also completely silenced a Florida State team that had controlled the matchup throughout much of the afternoon.\ Clemson's pitching and defense did the rest. The Tigers shut down the Seminoles the rest of the way, locking up the championship and handing Florida State just its sixth loss of the season. For Clemson, the victory was more than just a trophy—it was a statement. It erased the sting of a loss in the 2022 ACC title game, it broke through the 0-7 all-time barrier against FSU, and it firmly established the Tigers as a legitimate threat heading into the NCAA Tournament. Clemson now returns home with momentum and hardware, awaiting word on its postseason destination. The Tigers are projected to receive a regional, though that is not guaranteed. They entered Saturday's title game ranked No. 11 in the RPI and will find out their NCAA Tournament path during the selection show, scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
