The Clemson Tigers softball team defeated Duke University with a score of 13-11 on April 25, marking their tenth victory against a Top 25 opponent this season. Junior Kiley Channell led the effort for Clemson, recording a career-high five runs batted in, while teammates Macey Cintron, Marian Collins, and Kylee Johnson each contributed multi-run home runs.
This result is significant as it positions Clemson strongly at the close of the regular season and demonstrates their ability to compete against higher-ranked teams. The win came after an early five-run inning by Duke, but Clemson responded quickly to tie the game and eventually take control through key hits and defensive plays.
Cintron put Clemson on the scoreboard in the first inning with her seventh home run of the year. Despite Duke’s early offensive surge that gave them a three-run lead after one inning, Clemson managed to even things up by capitalizing on timely hits from Sarah Breaux, Taylor Pipkins, Jamison Brockenbrough, and Channell. The Tigers took back the lead in the fourth inning thanks to aggressive baserunning and another strong performance from Channell.
Defensively, Johnson made notable contributions by preventing potential runs for Duke with both her fielding and throwing abilities. In relief pitching duties, Abby Dunning recorded three strikeouts across six innings while facing 29 batters to improve her record for the year.
Both teams exchanged multiple runs late in the game; Collins’ sixth home run of the season and Johnson’s third helped extend Clemson’s lead before Duke closed within two runs in their final at-bats. However, Dunning secured victory for Clemson by inducing a groundout for the final out.
The Tigers are set to conclude their regular season with a series finale against Duke on Sunday evening.
