Clemson Tigers Advance to NCAA Super Regionals After Defeating Kentucky

CLEMSON, South Carolina — The Clemson Tigers advanced to their third NCAA Super Regionals in program history after defeating the No. 2 seed Kentucky 5-1 on Sunday at McWhorter Stadium.

Julia Knowler led the charge for Clemson, hitting an RBI double in the third inning to put the Tigers on the scoreboard first. Freshman Taylor Pipkins followed with a two-run home run in the fourth inning, securing the team’s victory.

Clemson finished the regional with a perfect 3-0 record, having beaten each of the four teams, including Kentucky (31-28). With the win, the Tigers improved their overall record to 47-12.

The Tigers will now face No. 6 overall seed Texas in the Super Regionals next weekend in Austin. The match will be a best-of-three series, with the winner earning a spot in the Women’s College World Series.

Clemson added a late run in the seventh inning when Kylee Johnson hit an RBI fielder’s choice after the bases were loaded. The team was up by three runs entering the seventh.

Despite a leadoff single by Kentucky in the seventh, Clemson’s Brooke McCubbin came in to strike out the next batter and end the inning. McCubbin, who relieved Reese Basinger, kept Kentucky scoreless as Clemson’s pitching continued to dominate.

Basinger had a strong performance, allowing three hits and no runs through three innings, while striking out two batters. She transferred to Clemson from Winthrop and has been a key player this season, earning ACC Pitcher of the Year honors.

Clemson’s offense was vibrant today, with additional runs coming from Maddie Moore‘s two-out RBI double in the fifth inning and Knowler’s contributions early in the game. The victory marked a significant achievement for the program, as they look forward to the next round in the postseason.