Clemson softball’s season came to an end Sunday afternoon in Athens as Georgia pulled away for a 5-0 win in the NCAA Regional championship game.
For much of the day, Abby Dunning once again kept the Tigers within striking distance. The senior right-hander battled through four scoreless innings before Georgia finally broke through, continuing a remarkable weekend in which she carried a heavy workload for Clemson’s pitching staff.
Dunning finished the Athens Regional with 19 innings pitched, 19 strikeouts and only four earned runs allowed across four appearances. Her tournament run included a win, a save and a two-hit complete game, giving Clemson every opportunity to advance despite injuries limiting the Tigers’ pitching depth.
Georgia finally grabbed momentum in the fourth inning when shortstop Marisa Miller launched a solo home run to left field for the game’s first run. Clemson still trailed just 1-0 entering the fifth, but Dunning’s weekend workload eventually caught up to her.
After opening the inning with eight consecutive balls, Dunning exited to a standing ovation from the Athens crowd following her 331st pitch of the regional. Georgia capitalized from there, pushing across two more runs in the inning before adding another pair in the sixth to create separation.
Freshmen Lexie Hames and Macey Cintron both appeared in relief after Dunning’s exit, but the Bulldogs continued to apply pressure offensively.
Clemson’s lineup struggled to generate much offensively against Georgia starter Addisen Fisher, who tossed a complete-game shutout. The Tigers managed only two hits and finished without an extra-base hit after exploding offensively earlier in the weekend. Clemson also went hitless with runners in scoring position and left multiple leadoff baserunners stranded.
Senior centerfielder Jamison Brockenbrough accounted for one of Clemson’s two hits and reached base twice in the final game of her collegiate career, while Corri Hicks recorded the Tigers’ other hit.
The loss drops Clemson to 34-22 on the season and marks the second regional championship game loss in program history. The Tigers are now 0-3 in road regionals when facing the host school, though they did earn a Super Regional victory at Texas last postseason.
Clemson fate in ACC Tournament bracket revealed, now-or-never for Tigers
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Despite the disappointing finish, Clemson once again reached the NCAA Tournament and remained competitive deep into regional play. While the Tigers will lose veterans like Dunning and Brockenbrough, much of the roster remains intact heading into 2027 for head coach John Rittman and the Tigers.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson softball comes up short, season ended at the hands of Georgia