No. 19 South Carolina softball returned to Beckham Field and won four of five games during the Garnet & Black Invitational this past weekend.
The four wins helped improve the team's record to 15-6 this season and 12-3 on its home field.
South Carolina takes down Marist in five innings
The No. 19 South Carolina Gamecocks kicked off their Garnet & Black Invitational play with an 11-1 win over the Marist Red Foxes.
Junior utility player Tori Ensley got the scoring started early with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning.
The Gamecocks tacked two more runs in the bottom of the second, courtesy of an RBI triple from sophomore outfielder Nia McKnight, who then scored herself on a sacrifice fly from redshirt senior outfielder Quincee Lilio.
The bulk of the runs for the Gamecocks came in the bottom of the third inning, as seven runs were scored before recording a single out. The highlight of this explosion in offense was McKnight’s grand slam to extend the lead to 11-0 and give McKnight her second home run of the season.
“I was just trying to see a pitch elevated,” McKnight said. “Fortunately, that one went out.”
Pitching was a key contributor to the Gamecocks' win as well, as freshman KG Favors had her best performance yet. She pitched all five innings, striking out four and giving up just four hits to earn her the win and improve to 2-0 on the season.
Marist’s lone run came in the top of the fourth inning, when freshman utility player Livia Wiltsie hit a solo home run to put the Red Foxes on the board.
It was not enough, however, and the Gamecocks closed out the game in a run-rule win.
Gamecocks earn come-from-behind win over UAB
The Gamecocks continued their weekend play with a 3-2 win over the UAB Blazers Saturday.
The teams remained in a scoreless affair until a solo home run from sophomore infielder Shae Anderson broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Blazers answered back in the top of the sixth inning, when they recorded their first hit of the game on a single from freshman infielder Madeline Flammia. They continued the offensive breakthrough with a double from freshman infielder Charlee Bennett, which drove in two runs and gave the Blazers a 2-1 lead.
South Carolina started the bottom of the sixth inning with senior infielder Arianna Rodi getting walked. Sophomore infielder Tate Davis followed up with a double to put two on the bases.
The Gamecocks reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning thanks to a two-RBI single from junior infielder Alyssa Hovermale.
The Blazers entered the top of the seventh with one last chance to bring the game even, but the Gamecocks' defense came up big to get the first three batters they faced out and hold on for the 3-2 win.
Marist defeats South Carolina in low-run affair
The Gamecocks finished Saturday with a 2-1 loss against Marist, its first defeat to an unranked team this season.
In her fifth start this season, sophomore pitcher Julie Kelley opened in the circle for the Gamecocks with a no-hit first inning. While for Marist, graduate pitcher Ava Metzger dealt a complete game, which included eight strikeouts.
“I felt we couldn’t handle the change,” head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard said. “She had a lot of off-speed, and we just couldn’t handle it in the box.”
Junior pitcher Emma Friedel took over the circle to finish out the third inning. A wild pitch by Friedel allowed runners on second and third to advance, putting Marist in the position to score. Friedel recovered with a strikeout to end the top of the third and prevent a run. The score remained 0-0 to begin the fourth inning.
A sacrifice bunt by Marist’s senior catcher Isabella Manory allowed Wiltsie to advance to second. Marist gained the first score and lead of the game in the fourth inning with sophomore infielder Sienna Kunze hitting a home run, which also brought Manory home.
Following a walk by Friedel, junior pitcher Nealy Lamb took the circle to begin the fifth inning. On offense, Hovermale drew a walk, and Lilio hit a ground ball to right field to reach first base. Junior infielder Karley Shelton singled up the middle, allowing Lilio to advance to second and freshman outfielder Kai Byars to score, giving the Gamecocks their first run of the game.
Senior pitcher Jori Heard finished the top of the seventh for South Carolina with a no-hit inning. Lilio hit a double to left center, and Shelton was walked to first, allowing the Gamecocks to briefly regain momentum. Metzger's strikeout sealed South Carolina's loss with a final score of 2-1.
South Carolina's offense erupts, scoring 25 runs on 19 hits against Queens
South Carolina defeated the Queens University Charlotte Royals 25-4 in five innings during its fourth game of the invitational.The Gamecocks' 25 runs in this match were the most a South Carolina team has put up in a game since the 2013 season.
Favors made her third start of the season. The Royals took a 2-0 lead early on, as sophomore outfielder Olivia Thornton and graduate pitcher Lindsay Henson both knocked in runs during the top of the first inning.
The Gamecocks responded with a run of their own in the first inning to cut the deficit to 2-1. South Carolina produced early on, as Lilio and Shelton both found their way on base, with Rodi knocking in South Carolina's first run of the day with an RBI single.
Lamb took the circle for Favors, pitching three innings with four strikeouts. Royals’ sophomore utility player Dani Stewart hit an RBI single, stretching their lead to 3-1 in the top of the second inning.
Anderson scored an early run to shorten the Royals’ lead, followed by a run by redshirt junior pinch runner Lexie Shaver to make it a 3-3 game in the second inning. Then, after loading up the bases, Davis hit her first collegiate grand slam to bring the score to 8-3.
“It was unreal. I’m really excited to keep producing for my team,” Davis said.
South Carolina’s defense kept the top of the third brief, and Davis’ grand slam was just the start to the Gamecocks’ powerhouse offense.
The third inning brought 10 runs in for South Carolina with the help of a three-run home run by Rodi, the 50th of her career. The Gamecocks ended the third up 15 on the Royals with a score of 18-3.
Continuing their impressive lead, the Gamecocks added seven more runs in the bottom of the fourth, giving South Carolina its biggest lead of the season, up 22 runs on Queens to enter the fifth inning.
Senior pitcher Josey Marron replaced Lamb to finish out the game. The Royals loaded the bases and gained a single run by sophomore infielder Caylin Herring to end the game with a score of 25-4, in favor of the Gamecocks.
Gamecocks complete double header sweep over the Royals
The Gamecocks finished out their doubleheader with another win against Queens University Charlotte to end the Garnet & Black Invitational.
Kelley was the opening pitcher for the Gamecocks. The Royals’ offense got started early with a home run by Henson to bring the score to 2-0 to close out the top of the first.
Lilio and Shelton instantly cut into the Royals' lead in the bottom half of the inning with consecutive doubles. An RBI single by Ensley and an RBI double by senior catcher Lexi Winters claimed South Carolina's first lead of the game at 3-2.
Friedel took the circle for Kelley and started the top of the second with a no-hit inning.
A double by McKnight put two runners in scoring position at second and third with no outs. Lilio and Shelton were each able to put balls in play, scoring Shaver and McKnight on back-to-back groundouts to expand the lead to 5-2.
Despite some early traction by the Royals, Heard, who replaced Friedel, allowed three hits during her 4.2 scoreless innings. Davis added a run for the Gamecocks in the bottom of the third with a solo shot.
To finish out the bottom of the fifth, Anderson recorded a two-run homer to bring the score to 8-2.
What's next?
South Carolina softball will begin its Southeastern Conference schedule with a home series against the Texas Longhorns. The first game is set for March 6, with first pitch taking place at 6:00 p.m.