Syracuse swept by Clemson in crushing 15-0 loss
Syracuse was dismantled by Clemson’s high-powered offense Sunday, losing 15-0 to complete the series sweep. Angelina Grevi | Staff Photographer
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Atlantic Coast Conference offenses are dangerous. Syracuse starting pitcher Madison Knight knows it as well as anyone. The junior was among the conference’s leaders in innings pitched the past two seasons, and her 80 innings so far this year are good for sixth-most in the conference.
Despite Knight’s Orange once leading the nation in earned run average, SU’s pitching staff has hit a roadblock in ACC play. Syracuse entered its weekend series with Clemson just 1-5 in the conference after series losses to then-No. 20 Stanford and then-No 17 Duke. To turn their ACC season around, the Orange needed a kickstart. But in order to get it, they had to tame a beast.
“It’s trying to cage the animal you don’t want to cage,” Knight said of facing Clemson.
Syracuse couldn’t cage the monster that is the Tiger offense throughout the weekend. SU (19-11, 1-8 Atlantic Coast) was pummeled 15-0 by Clemson (24-9, 6-3 Atlantic Coast) in a run-rule affair Sunday afternoon, capping a weekend in which the Orange were outscored 33-1 during the three-game series. The Orange had just one hit Sunday, and their 15 runs allowed are the most they’ve conceded all year. SU’s one run in the series was the least it’s scored in a series since failing to score in a three-game set with Duke in March of 2024.
“In all aspects of Syracuse softball, we were trying to be perfect, and clearly we were not perfect,” Knight said postgame.
Syracuse’s pitching staff has often been strong enough to keep the team competitive. And when star starters Knight or Julianna Verni faltered, the offense stepped up to carry the Orange to victory. Though not always a sustainable formula, SU’s early inconsistencies were overshadowed by a program-best start to the season.
The script was followed early in all three games against Clemson. Knight, who started Friday and Sunday, and Verni, who started Saturday, dominated through their first few innings of work. But in the middle innings, the Orange ran into trouble.
In the first inning of Sunday’s loss, Knight allowed a leadoff knock to Alex Brown before sitting down the next three batters in order. Her punchout of Macey Cintron to end the frame could’ve been a momentum builder for a Syracuse offense that was 10-2 when scoring in the first inning. However, the Orange’s first three batters went down consecutively.
Knight picked up another two strikeouts in a clean second inning, but SU’s offense couldn’t replicate the effort. When the third inning came around, Clemson opened the floodgates.
The Tigers loaded the bases on a single, a fielder’s choice and two walks. Aby Vieira and Marian Collins knocked back-to-back singles off of Knight to plate Clemson’s first three runs. Knight was pulled for Verni right after, but neither of SU’s key starters could escape the Tiger offense.
A wild pitch, a two-run homer from Kylee Johnson and a two-run double from Maddie Moore extended the Clemson lead to eight. By the end of the top half of the third, SU needed a miracle to get back in the game.
“We knew coming in that our first three series were gonna be our toughest,” Knight said. “I think Duke, Stanford and Clemson are just all very good hitting teams. It’s hard to limit them to three runs when they’re such a big offense.”
Any wishes the Orange had of coming back were spoiled in the bottom of the third, as SU went another inning without a baserunner. A strikeout, a popout and a foul out indicated that the Orange were far from sparking anything offensively.
The top half of the fourth brought more of the same for the Tigers. A hit by pitch and a double put Clemson in prime territory to tack on a few more runs, and it took advantage. Johnson drove in a run with a single and a throwing error, Brown crushed a three-run homer, Cintron ripped an RBI double and Vieira drove in another on a fielding error. A seven-run fourth inning meant SU needed an eight-spot to avoid being run-ruled.
Gabby Lantier led off the bottom of the fourth with a single, Syracuse’s first and only baserunner of the day. However, two strikeouts and a groundout from the Orange’s next three batters halted any momentum offensively.
“We’re trying to hit home runs and we’re not a home-run-hitting team,” Knight said. “I think it’s just realizing what our game is and sticking to that. Just getting quality at-bats, moving runners, stealing bases. If we can get a longball we get a longball, but I think it’s just going back to the drawing board and knowing what we’re good at.”
Sydney Jackson pitched a spotless top of the fifth for SU, but the damage was already done. A 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth closed out Syracuse’s worst loss of 2025 thus far.
ACC play has been a wake-up call for the Orange thus far. While conference play has formerly been unkind to Syracuse, its historic start to 2025 indicated SU could potentially contend.
However, through nine games, the Orange haven’t lived up to that new hope.
“Just because we played like crap this week doesn’t mean it’s gonna determine how the rest of the season looks,” Knight said. “We just gotta let loose, play softball and get back to being eight years old again.”
