USC Upstate junior Carson Shaw (27) reacts as Clemson senior Maddie Moore (28) is out at first base in a double play, during the bottom of the first inning of the NCAA Softball Tournament Clemson Regional at McWhorter Stadium in Clemson Friday, May 16, 2025. Ken Ruinard Imagn Images

After USC Upstate briefly pulled ahead with a two-run third inning, Clemson responded quickly. Maddie Moore tied the game with a double to left-center that scored Alex Brown, setting the stage for Johnson’s go-ahead swing in the fifth.

The South Carolina and Clemson softball teams continue on in the postseason, hosting their respective regionals. This is the Gamecock’s 25th trip to the NCAA Tournament, and third consecutive year in a row in the postseason.