The South Carolina softball team won both preseason exhibition games against the USC Beaufort Sand Sharks by a score of 14-0 and 8-2 on Friday at Beckham Field. Both games lasted five innings with a brief break in between.
To open game one, the first batter of the game reached on an error by sophomore shortstop Shae Anderson, but that would be the only baserunner USC Beaufort got all game. The South Carolina pitching staff threw a five-inning no-hitter, sending down every batter after the error.
The Gamecock bats came out swinging early, with the first four batters all recording hits and coming around to score. South Carolina scored four runs on six hits in the first inning.
After scoring a run in both the second and third innings, 13 batters came to the plate in the fourth as the Gamecocks scored eight runs on seven hits including senior infielder Arianna Rodi hitting a home run.
South Carolina took game one 14-0 behind multi-hit games from Rodi, senior catcher Jamie Mackay and junior infielder Alyssa Hovermale, and a dominant nine strikeout no-hitter.
USC Beaufort jumped out to an early lead in game two, scoring one run on three singles in the top of the first.
That lead didn’t last long as redshirt senior outfielder Quincee Lilio led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single and came around to score. The Gamecocks added three more in the inning, including junior utility player Tori Ensley hitting a two-run home run.
Game two ended with a final score of 8-2. The Gamecocks outscored the Sand Sharks 22-2 in the two games.
Stolen bases
Stolen bases were a huge part of both Gamecock wins. South Carolina recorded four stolen bases in game one and three in game two, for a total of seven stolen bases.
Three of the stolen bases in game one came in the fourth inning. Freshman outfielder Kai Byars made her presence known on the bases with a stolen base both times she got on base in game one.
In 2024, South Carolina recorded the third-fewest stolen bases in the SEC with 49.
Ansley Bennett
One of the standout performers in game two was freshman utility player Ansley Bennett.
Bennett came into the game in the second inning and shut down USC Beaufort’s lineup for two innings.
She recorded two strikeouts in two scoreless innings with just one hit allowed.
Bennett also made her presence known at the plate. She reached base in all three of her plate appearances, with a single, walk and triple that was inches away from a home run.
Transfers
Both games were dominated by strong performances from players in South Carolina’s 2025 transfer
class.
NC State transfer Ensley recorded three hits in both games combined, including a two-run home run in the first inning of game one. In her last two games, Ensley had recorded six hits, including three extra-base hits.
Mackay is a transfer from Ole Miss. She hit a home run in the third inning of game one, and finished the day 2-for-5.
Florida transfer Hovermale went 3-for-4 in game one with two singles and a double.
Perhaps the most dominant pitching performance of the night came from junior pitcher Emma Friedel, who threw two scoreless innings without allowing a hit or run and striking out five. Friedel, along with redshirt junior infielder Lexie Shaver, is from Kennesaw State.
What’s next?
The Garnet and Black World Series will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. at Beckham Field.