CLEMSON SOFTBALL

Valerie Cagle totaled eight RBIs in the win, including four on a grand slam. (Merrell Mann photo)
Valerie Cagle totaled eight RBIs in the win, including four on a grand slam. (Merrell Mann photo)

Valerie Cagle's big day keys run-rule win over Redhawks


by - Correspondent -

CLEMSON - No. 9 Clemson run-ruled Miami Redhawks to win 10-1 after five innings in the second game of its Clemson Classic on Saturday. Redshirt senior pitcher Valerie Cagle led the charge with eight RBIs.

Neither team scored in the first inning despite Clemson (9-2) having the bases loaded. In the bottom of the second, however, Clemson took command of the game. It started with a single by junior utility player Alex Brown, who sent redshirt senior infielder Alia Logoleo home to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Then, for the second inning in a row, Clemson had the bases loaded. Cagle stepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam down the right center to extend Clemson’s lead to 5-0.

Cagle got the same opportunity to step up to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third. She hit a single, sending Logoleo and graduate redshirt infielder Arielle Oda across the plate.

The Redhawks and the Tigers failed to score in the fourth inning. Miami did score in the fifth inning. Following a Clemson pitching change and with the bases loaded, junior outfielder Jenna Golembiewski hit a flyout, allowing freshman outfielder Hadley Parisien to get home, narrowing the Tigers’ lead to 7-1 and forcing Clemson to go to the bottom of the fifth.

Cagle ended the game for Clemson. With a runner on first and second, she hit her second home run of the day. Her eight RBIs tie her career high from back in February of 2020 against Maryland. In addition, Cagle’s two home runs in this game tie her career high; she has now hit multiple home runs in nine games in her Clemson career. To add to that, Cagle had a hit in all of her at-bats. Her four hits in this game tie her career high and all-time high in Clemson softball history; she accomplished this feat three previous times, all in the month of February.

Junior right-hander Brooke McCubbin (5-1) was the starting pitcher for Clemson in this game; this marked her sixth game of the season. Of the 18 batters she faced, she allowed seven hits and had three strikeouts. Senior right-handed pitcher Regan Spencer came into the game in the top of the fifth as the closer.

The second game of the series against UConn is set to start at 4:22 p.m. on Saturday. The Huskies are winless in the series thus far. However, with Clemson’s victory against the Redhawks, they most likely will be the No. 1 seed in the Classic going into tomorrow. If so, that sets up a rematch against Ole Miss at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.


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