The South Carolina softball team swept the Carolina Classic, taking down UNC Greensboro, Ohio, Longwood and Winthrop.
South Carolina crushed UNC Greensboro on Friday night 11-3 in five innings. The game started close with Gamecocks leading 4-3 after four, but the offense took off from there. Sophomore Tiara Duffy reached first to lead off the fifth, which was the beginning of the end for the Spartans.
The explosive seven-run fifth included three loaded-bases opportunities and three doubles.Junior Kaylea Snaer’s double scored the lead runner and ended the game in a mercy rule.
Junior Nickie Blue got the win in Friday’s contest, improving to 2-1 on the season.
The bats came alive again for the Gamecocks on Saturday, destroying Ohio 8-0 in six innings.
Saturday’s contest got off to a slow start — scoreless until the third. Senior Alaynie Page got the offense rolling with a two-run blast, the first of what would be four home runs for the Gamecocks on the day. Freshman Kennedy Clark hit two home runs, and senior Ansley Ard hit a solo shot in the fourth.
Two singles in the sixth scored the final two runs to give the Gamecocks another victory ending in a mercy rule.
Junior Jessica Elliott improved to 4-0 on the season with Saturday’s win, where she went five shutout innings.
Clark and Blue both had strong performances in Sunday’s first game against Longwood. A shutout from Blue and two RBIs from Clark led the way to defeating Longwood 2-0.
South Carolina got on the board early with Clark’s single scoring freshman Kenzi Maguire in the first. Her second RBI came in the fifth after good base running by Page.
Blue got out of some tough jams, surrendering eight hits and striking out six on the way to her first shutout of the season.
The Gamecocks wrapped up the tournament Sunday afternoon against Winthrop. They got off to another quick start with back-to-back doubles to bring in the first three runs. Sophomore Krystan White came in clutch with a three-run homer to give the Gamecocks a quick 6-0 lead after one.
The only offense from the Eagles came from wild pitches. Winthrop's K.J. Uyeno advanced to third after a walk and two wild pitches. Then Blake Wallert walked, and a wild pitch scored Uyeno.
The Gamecocks still had a comfortable lead, and went into the sixth to finish it off. Sophomore Taylor Williams scored on a line out, then White’s single scoring Duffy ended the game. South Carolina capped off the successful weekend with a six inning 9-1 win.
After the sweep, the Gamecocks improve to 7-1 on the season. They will stay in Columbia to play Coastal Carolina on Tuesday before traveling to Santa Barbara, California, for the Gaucho Classic over the weekend.