No. 13 South Carolina softball traveled to Cathedral City, California, to compete in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic this past weekend.
The team went 2-3 in its five games out west, losing all of its games against three ranked opponents. South Carolina has struggled against the best of the best this season, as it is now 0-5 against top-25 National Collegiate Athletic Association teams.
South Carolina defeated Washington 8-1 and Saint Mary’s 4-2, but lost 9-1 to No. 10 Nebraska, 2-1 to No. 18 Oregon and 5-4 to No. 9 UCLA.
South Carolina starts trip strong with win over Washington
South Carolina softball defeated the Washington Huskies 8-1 on Feb. 19.
The pitching trio of junior Nealy Lamb, junior Emma Friedel and senior Jori Heard held the Huskies to just four hits on the afternoon. Lamb started the game on the bump, throwing three hitless innings.
The Gamecocks got the scoring going in the bottom of the second inning with a RBI-single by redshirt senior left-fielder Quincee Lilio and a three-run blast by junior second baseman Karley Shelton. The Gamecocks led 4-0 after two innings.
South Carolina later tacked on two runs in each the fourth and fifth innings, which included a solo shot by senior first baseman Arianna Rodi.
Third, fifth innings guide No. 10 Nebraska past South Carolina
South Carolina lost 9-1 to the No. 10 Nebraska Cornhuskers in five innings on Feb. 20. It was the fifth time the Gamecocks have suffered a run-rule defeat under head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard.
South Carolina struggled to get anything going offensively in the first three innings, as the team recorded just one hit.
Nebraska got to Lamb and Friedel in the bottom of the third inning, as a two-RBI triple by junior catcher Jesse Farrell and a two-run home run by senior shortstop Ava Kuszak ballooned its lead to 4-0.
Rodi cut into Nebraska’s lead in the top of the fourth inning with a solo shot. That turned out to be the only run the Gamecocks could produce in this one, as it stranded two baserunners in scoring position that same inning.
Nebraska then got over the eight-run mercy mark in the fifth inning, as it scored five runs to win the game 9-1.
No. 18 Oregon Ducks top Gamecocks 2-1 on Friday night
In a low-scoring affair, the No. 18 Oregon Ducks were victorious in a 2-1 game.
The Gamecocks’ offense was held to just four baserunners all night. Defensively, the Gamecocks struggled as well, as they recorded more errors, four, than hits, three, against the Ducks.
Errors were deemed costly in this one, as a throwing error by Lilio caused two runs to be scored during the second inning.
Heard was credited for the loss against Oregon, as she threw five innings and allowed zero earned runs. Lamb bounced back in this game, throwing two hitless innings to close out the game.
South Carolina’s lone run came in the bottom of the fifth inning on a solo shot by junior center fielder Tori Ensley. It was her second home run on the season.
The Gamecocks were unable to get the tying run home in the bottom of the sixth inning when their bid came up short after the South Carolina pinch runner was picked off at second base.
No. 13 South Carolina fails to get revenge against No. 9 UCLA, suffers walk off defeat in third consecutive loss
In a come-from-behind effort, No. 9 UCLA defeated No. 13 South Carolina 5-4 in eerily similar fashion as it did in the NCAA Super Regional round last season.
The bats of South Carolina were slow in its first game of a Saturday night doubleheader, as UCLA’s senior pitcher Taylor Tinsley conducted a perfect game through the game's first five innings.
South Carolina got to Tinsley in the top of the sixth inning, when an RBI single by Shelton, followed by a three-run home run by Rodi, guided the Gamecocks to a late 4-0 lead. Rodi’s home run marked her third longshot of her trip out west.
After Heard started the game with five scoreless innings, the wheels fell off in the final inning when Lamb allowed five earned runs to grant the Bruins a comeback victory.
The Bruins opened up the last inning rally with a solo home run by redshirt junior catcher Alexis Ramirez. From there, a series of walks and singles helped advance Bruin runners around the bases before redshirt freshman shortstop Aleena Garcia knocked in the winning runs on a two-RBI single.
The loss stings extra for the South Carolina softball team, as a Tinsley-led UCLA defeated the Gamecocks by the same 5-4 score in walk-off fashion last season during the NCAA Super Regional round. The loss to UCLA in May 2025 led to the eventual elimination of South Carolina in its past season.
South Carolina finishes its weekend with victory over Saint Mary’s
The Gamecocks got back into the win column with a 4-2 win over Saint Mary’s. After losing to UCLA on the front half of a Saturday night doubleheader, South Carolina earned a comeback win of its own over the Gaels.
South Carolina went down early in this one, as a Saint Mary’s two-run home run opened the score to 2-0.
After checking into the game midway through the second inning, Friedel threw the final 5.1 innings of the game. The Kennesaw State transfer allowed no walks, one hit and struck out nine of the 17 batters she faced.
South Carolina began to cut into its deficit in the top of the sixth with a solo home run by sophomore third baseman Tate Davis. In the final inning, sophomore shortstop Shae Anderson blasted her first home run of the season with the bases empty to knot the game 2-2.
South Carolina later found its first lead of the game, when a bases-loaded single by Shelton drove in two runs to create a 4-2 lead.
What’s next?
The South Carolina softball team will return to Columbia to face UNC Charlotte at Beckham Field on Feb. 24. First pitch is set for 6 p.m., and it will be streamed on SEC Network+.