South Carolina's softball team took two of three games against the No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies in a conference win at Beckham Field over the weekend.
The Gamecocks captured a 3-1 win Friday night, falling the next day to the Aggies, 2-1. However, following a dominant conclusion to the bottom of the seventh inning during the third and final game of the series, the Gamecocks won the game, 2-1.
"I think we've been grinding it out all year for that kind of win, and it just brings a lot of tears to my eyes, honestly, like how hard they've worked for something like that," head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard said. "It's a big win for us, it's a big series win for us. So proud of them, and they really believed they could do it from the start."
Gamecocks take Game 1 against Texas A&M on Senior Night
Senior pitcher Jori Heard threw in her 13th start of the season and delivered a dominant complete game, her third of 2026. She struck out six while allowing just one run.
Texas A&M senior Kennedy Powell appeared to open the game with a triple, but after review, the play was overturned to a double, with Powell ruled out trying to advance to third.
South Carolina got on the board first in the second inning when redshirt senior Natalie Heath launched a three-run home run to left field.
The game stayed in the Gamecocks' control through the next couple of innings, led by Heard’s commanding performance in the circle.
The Aggies finally broke through in the fifth when junior Mya Perez hit a solo shot off of Heard, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
Texas A&M staged a final threat in the seventh when sophomore Kelsey Mathis doubled to open the inning. Heard responded by striking out the next batter, but a walk and a single by sophomore Larisa Perez quickly loaded the bases.
With the leading runs on, Heard stayed composed and ended the game with a strikeout to escape the jam and seal the win.
Heard said that her success came from trusting her preparation and the defensive team that she has behind her.
“I think it’s just the hard work I’ve been putting in with the pitching staff, being able to trust myself and have a lot of confidence, and also having confidence in my defense. I’m not a strikeout pitcher, so I just try to get ground balls for my teammates and fly balls so they can work for me,” Heard said.
South Carolina drop Game 2 to Texas A&M in a tight game
Junior pitcher Emma Friedel got the start Saturday and went the distance, striking out nine while allowing just two runs on six hits and two walks over a full game of work.
The Aggies threatened in the third inning after back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases. A hit-by-pitch forced in a run, but Friedel limited the damage, ending the inning with a strikeout.
Texas A&M senior Micaela Wark extended the Aggies’ lead to 2-0 with a lead-off solo home run in the fourth inning, but South Carolina answered back in the bottom of the frame, as junior Tori Ensley hit a solo shot of her own to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The score stayed the same through the next three innings as Friedel settled back in, retiring hitters and keeping the Gamecocks within striking distance.
South Carolina was unable to break through in the final inning, leaving a runner on base in the seventh as the Gamecocks’ rally fell short.Texas A&M evened the series, 2-1.
“A lot of positive thoughts about Emma’s performance against a really good offense, and I think that’s going to pay off for us down the stretch. We’ve just got to keep doing that. Offensively, we just couldn’t get anything going,” Chastain Woodward said.
South Carolina captures series win after a 2-1 victory
Heard took back over on the mound for the Gamecocks to start the game. Despite the bases being loaded for Texas A&M following two hit-by-pitches and a walk in the first, Heard and the infield defense managed to put a stop to a surge of momentum by the Aggies.
Redshirt senior outfielder Quincee Lilio hit a single to lead off South Carolina during the bottom of the first. Another single by junior infielder Karley Shelton put Lilio in scoring position, but the Gamecocks left both runners stranded.
Texas A&M managed to load the bases once more in the second inning, with the Aggies earning one run. The Aggies continued to lead with momentum, earning three quick outs to end the second inning and take a 1-0 lead.
Both Lilio and Shelton hit singles once more in the third. A walk from senior infielder Arianna Rodi then led to the bases being loaded. However, a groundout by MacKay ended the inning.
The top of the fifth ended in only a matter of a few minutes, with Heard earning another strikeout on top off a pop-up and line out. It brought up Ensley in the fifth, who opened it up with a solo home run, her 12th on the season, to tie the game at 1-1.
Heard earned her final strikeout of the game in the sixth inning before Friedel took over. The third out came after an Aggie runner tried to steal second base, sending the Gamecocks back to the dugout. The two teams remained in a standstill until the bottom of the seventh.
Both Lilio and Ensley walked to start off the inning. Shelton then hit a bunt and reached first base off a throwing error, allowing Lilio to score at home and end the game with a South Carolina 2-1 win.
"(This win) fuels our momentum. We are getting hot at the right time," Friedel said. "It just makes me really excited for what the rest of the season is gonna look like. This is such a special group. We feel that within one another all day whenever we're here, and it gives us a lot of fire. We're excited."
What's next?
South Carolina (29-22, 7-14 SEC) will remain home to face the South Carolina State Bulldogs on Tuesday night at Beckham Field. First pitch is at 6 p.m.