Clemson’s 2-out hitting punishes Syracuse in 10-0 loss
Syracuse allowed eight runs to Clemson with two outs Saturday, leading to SU's 10-0 loss to the Tigers. Angelina Grevi | Staff Photographer
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Syracuse’s pitching staff has undoubtedly been the hero of its 2025 season thus far. The Orange’s rotation, highlighted by Madison Knight and Julianna Verni, held one of the nation’s top-20 earned run averages at 2.06 entering this weekend’s series with Clemson. The statistic also marked the third-best in the Atlantic Coast Conference despite SU’s 1-5 start to conference play.
Several of Syracuse’s closest ACC games this season have featured the Orange stranding opposing runners on base in crucial moments. SU forced then-No. 20 Stanford to leave eight on base in its narrow 4-3 loss on March 7, and let then-No. 16 Duke total a combined 10 across its 3-2 win and 3-1 loss to the Blue Devils on March 14 and 15.
But through two games in Syracuse’s weekend series with Clemson, situational pitching has been nearly nonexistent. It reached a new low as SU (19-10, 1-7 ACC) was crushed 10-0 by Clemson (23-9, 5-3 ACC) Saturday. The Orange allowed eight runs with two outs, including three in the fifth inning and four in the seventh to stamp their blowout loss to the Tigers.
“Two outs, runners scoring, it’s not anything you want on any given day,” Verni said. “We’ve gotta be better in those situations.”
Verni got the start Saturday, and her first four innings of work were nearly spotless. She allowed four hits and one run, none of which came with two outs.
In the top of the fifth inning, though, the Orange ran into trouble. Verni picked up two quick outs, forcing Marian Collins into a groundout and striking out Jamison Brockenbrough. From there, though, the Tigers knocked Verni around.
It started with Verni’s first and only walk of the afternoon, as Alex Brown reached on a free pass. Maddie Moore then took Verni deep with a two-run homer to put Clemson up 3-0. Julia Knowler and Macey Cintron followed with back-to-back singles, and Aby Vieira blasted a double to tack on another run for the Tigers. SU picked off Cintron advancing to third for the final out of the inning. Nonetheless, Clemson’s bats heated up for four consecutive hits with two outs, contributing to a 4-0 lead after five.
“Those are moments you should be out of the inning, and allowing those runs to score in those situations is frustrating,” Verni said.
The Tigers’ hot bats carried into the sixth. Sydney Jackson took over in the circle for Verni and promptly picked up a strikeout. Clemson got a few runners aboard and scored on a sacrifice fly with one away. A two-out RBI single by Moore manufactured another run for the Tigers, and they carried a 6-0 lead into the final frame.
All of Clemson’s damage in the seventh inning came with two outs, too. Jackson forced two quick groundouts, but walked Sam Minish and Kylee Johnson before she was pulled for Rose Cano.
The Tigers jumped on Cano immediately, loading the bases on a walk by Collins and clearing them with a three-run double down the line by Brockenbrough. Brown drove her in with an infield single for Clemson’s fourth two-out run of the inning and eighth of the game. The 10-0 advantage was more than enough to comfortably shut down Syracuse in the final frame for a dominant win.
“(The Clemson offense) has a good approach,” Verni said. “They’re swinging away, they’re swinging at pitches and they’re making good decisions.”
SU’s offense didn’t provide any run support on Saturday, tallying zero hits with runners in scoring position, but the Orange’s numerous defensive collapses with two outs hurt them. ACC games are rarely won without offense, but a lack of scoring is something Syracuse has been able to combat at points this season. However, SU is yet to overcome poor performances from its pitching staff, as it’s winless in four games when allowing seven or more runs.
The Orange’s pitching staff is SU’s true bread-and-butter, keeping it in games by shutting down top offenses in crucial moments. To turn around a 1-7 start to conference play, getting out of jams will be crucial if Syracuse wants to rewrite its history of underachievement in the ACC.
