Valerie Cagle hit a three-run homer in the first (Clemson athletics photo).

by TigerNet Staff - Wed Mar 30 21:19:27 GMT-04:00 2022

No. 16-ranked Clemson softball pounced on the visiting South Carolina Gamecocks early and never looked back in an 8-1 win Wednesday at McWhorter Stadium.

The Tigers (22-10) scored five runs in the first inning to set the tone, with starting pitcher Valerie Cagle dealing the first blow with a 3-run homer.

Sam Russ scored on a Gamecocks error in the second frame to make it 6-0 Clemson.

Cagle (9-7) totaled 11 strikeouts over seven frames in the circle.

Clemson won the first installment of the rivalry meeting at South Carolina (18-14), 6-0, last season.

The Tigers return to action on Friday at North Carolina in a 6 p.m. start of a three-game series.

THREE batters, THREE runs, still NO outs?

Cagle sends her ninth ?? of the season out of the park.#Team3 pic.twitter.com/WWk5jzc6ln
— Clemson Softball ?? (@clemsonsoftball) March 30, 2022