Clemson softball was oh so close.
But close only wins in horseshoes not against the No.1 team in the country in a Super Regional Game.
The Tigers were up three runs and had Oklahoma down to two outs and to its last strike when Kinzie Hansen blasted a three-run home run to left field to force extra innings. The Sooners eventually won Game 2, 8-7, in the top of the ninth when Tiare Jennings homered to centerfield for the game winner.
Both home runs came off Clemson ace Valerie Cagle, who came on in relief of Millie Thompson in the sixth inning.
The heartbreaking loss ends Clemson’s season, while the Sooners move on to the Women’s College World Series next week in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma won the Norman Super Regional 2-0.
The victory also allowed Oklahoma (56-1) to set a new mark for the longest win streak in softball history as they won their 48th consecutive game. Clemson ends the season with a 48-12 record.
In all, Oklahoma hit five home runs, as Jennings finished the game with two home runs.
Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Maddie Moore slapped a three-run homer to left field to get the Tigers back in the game.
Then in the fifth inning, McKenzie Clark’s two-run shot gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead. They added two more runs to extend their lead to 7-4.
The Tigers started Brooke McCubbin in the circle, but she was ineffective against the Sooners strong lineup. In 3 ½ innings of work, McCubbin gave up four runs on five hits. She had just two strikeouts in suffering the loss.
Stat of the Game: Cagle, who had not allowed more than five runs in any game of her career prior to Game 1 of the Super Regional, gave up a total of 11 runs in two appearances this weekend, five of which were home runs.
Player of the Game: Hansen was 2-for-5 and had the three-run home run in the top of the seventh which eventually forced extra innings.
Key Moment: The Tigers were up three runs and had Oklahoma down to two outs and to its last strike when Kinzie Hansen blasted a three-run home run to left field to force extra innings.
Up Next: The off-season.
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–photo courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communication
