Skip to main content

No. 10 South Carolina sweeps doubleheader, takes series versus No. 3 LSU

by:Cooper Taylor•03/30/25
Screenshot 2025-03-30 at 5.31.44 PM
Courtesy of South Carolina Athletics

Game Two: South Carolina 5, LSU 3

South Carolina capitalized on a multitude of LSU miscues to hand the Tigers their first home loss of the season. Sam Gress went the distance for the Gamecocks, twirling eight innings and striking out seven in the upset over LSU.

A pair of LSU errors opened the scoring for South Carolina. Lexi Winters drove in the first run of the game on a two-out errant throw from third basemen Danieca Coffey. Gress then earned the shutdown inning, working around two walks on an inning-ending double play.

Sydney Berzon, earning the start for the Tigers, retired the side in the second. Gress followed with a clean frame of her own. In the third, Berzon escaped a jam after a third error put runners in scoring position with nobody out for the Gamecocks. LSU responded with situational softball in the home half. A leadoff single by Savanna Bedell, a sacrifice bunt from Avery Hodge and an RBI single from Coffey tied the game at one.

A scoreless exchange in the fourth kept the game tied heading into the fifth inning. Back-to-back strikeouts from Berzon punctuated a clean fourth and LSU grabbed its first lead of the game on Savanna Bedell’s first career home run. No action in the sixth inning set this game up for a classic finish.

Down to their final two outs, Quincee Lilio laced a double to right field. Karley Shelton then followed with a game-tying double of her own. After inducing a groundout from Arianna Rodi, the Tigers were an out away from sending it to the home half tied. Ella Chancey had other plans though, driving in Shelton from second on single to right field, giving the Gamecocks the lead.

However, the Tigers responded in the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff, four-pitch walk to Sierra Daniel put the tying run on first. Then, Bedell’s third hit of the game moved Daniel to third with no outs. With one out, a sacrifice fly from Coffey tied the game at three and Gress induced a pop out to send the game into extras.

A leadoff single by Abigail Knight started the eighth. An 0-2 hit-by-pitch then put runners on first and second with no outs and Brooke Blankenship delivered with an RBI single. Another free pass from Berzon loaded the bases with one out. The trend continued when Berzon plucked her second batter of the inning, giving South Carolina a 5-3 lead.

A one-out double from Tori Edwards brought the tying run to the plate for LSU, but Gress stepped up in the clutch. The senior pitcher induced a pair of flyouts to end the game. Berzon was handed just her second defeat of the season, surrendering five runs and striking out four.

Game Three: South Carolina 4, LSU 1

The Gamecocks carried their momentum into the rubber match. For the second straight game, South Carolina scored in the first inning. Three free passes from Jayden Heavener loaded the bases. Then, a fourth one on a full count to Abigail Knight gave the Gamecocks their lone run in the first. Heavener had three strikeouts in the inning but struggled to locate her pitches. Jori Heard got the nod in game three, working a 1-2-3 inning in the first.

Heavener’s control issues continued in the second. After a one-out walk and a wild pitch put a runner at second with one out. Quincee Lilio then drove in the Gamecocks’ second run on a single to right. LSU answered back immediately, though. After a leadoff walk, Mckenzie Redoutey singled to right field. Bendell then earned an RBI in the next at-bat on a groundout to short.

The first clean inning for Heavener came in the third, sitting down the Gamecocks in order. Heard helped herself out a jam in the home half. After a pair of one-out baserunners reached, Heard caught a line drive and fired over to first for the inning-ending double play.

No action in the fourth for either side gave the Gamecocks a 2-1 lead heading into the fifth. A leadoff double in the fifth by Arianna Rodi though put more pressure on the freshman pitcher. Lexi Winters came through with a single to right to give the Gamecocks some insurance. An outfield assist ended the inning, but LSU couldn’t carry any momentum into the home half, failing to cut into the 3-1 deficit.

A pinch-hit home run from Mya Flindt in the sixth, her first career home run, extended the Gamecocks’ lead. Heard continued to command the circle, sending the game to the seventh with a three-run lead.

Heavener’s 1-2-3 inning kept the lead at three in the seventh. For the Gamecocks, Sam Gress returned to the circle in the home half to finish the game. After retiring the first two batters, LSU’s Jadyn Laneaux and Avery Hodge singled, bringing the tying run to the plate. However, a clutch strikeout of Danieca Coffey ended the game.

For South Carolina, it was the team’s first SEC series win of the season, and the Gamecocks won the series in Baton Rouge for the first time since 1997. Heavener gets the loss for LSU, going the distance and striking out 10 but issuing seven free passes to aid South Carolina’s cause. Heard gets the win in the circle after six innings of one-run ball and Gress earned the save with just an inning of relief.

You may also like