South Carolina lets 3-run 7th-inning lead slip away in crushing loss to UCLA

One out. That’s all that stood between South Carolina and the next step in its ultimate goal.

Despite UCLA gaining some momentum and trimming a three-run deficit down to one, the Gamecocks were still in front with a chance to punch their ticket to Oklahoma City. But to do that, they’ll have to wait one more day to try again.

On a first-pitch offering from Sam Gress, who had just re-entered the game after pitching four shutout innings to start the day, UCLA’s Jordan Woolery smacked a walk-off two-run homer over the left field wall.

Just when it looked like South Carolina was going to celebrate a trip to the Women’s College World Series, the Bruins fought back to score four runs in the seventh and won 5-4 in game two of the Columbia Super Regional.

“We talked before the game about just no lead is ever enough, and we want to score a lot. We want to keep going and keep going,” head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to bat last, and that was the situation that we’re in.”

The Gamecocks (44-16) led for virtually the entire game on Saturday and looked to be the team bound to advance. But some critical mistakes, even before the seventh-inning meltdown, kept that from happening.

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With the bases loaded and one out in the sixth, South Carolina was on the verge of blowing the game open with its three-run cushion. With Karley Shelton up at bat, she grounded into a fielder’s choice as UCLA got the force out at home plate for the second out of the inning.

However, Shelton thought this was the final out. Chastain Woodard explained that the sophomore second baseman went back to the dugout, and once she did that, she was automatically out. This subsequently ended the threat and left the Gamecocks without a chance to do more damage.

“That was an unfortunate mental mistake on her part. I’ll stand behind her on sometimes those things happen,” Chastain Woodard said. “But we had some momentum there. Who knows if we would have scored some more? But she knew the play went home, and she thought that out at home was the third out of the inning, and that’s why she vacated.”

With how the game turned out, it was an even costlier blunder on Shelton’s part. But South Carolina had a three-run lead, which slipped away as the Gamecock fans at Beckham Field were counting down UCLA’s remaining outs.

To begin the final frame, Jori Heard issued a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Taylor Stephens. After getting a strikeout for the first out, UCLA’s Kaitlyn Terry ripped a triple that rolled to the wall, scoring the runner from first base to make it a two-run game.

South Carolina’s outfield defense, primarily with centerfielder Quincee Lilio, shifted more to the left side in preparation for Terry to hit to the opposite field. It didn’t work out in its favor, though.

“We trust our shifts 100 percent,” Lilio said. “It is rare for teams to beat our shifts, especially with Jori and Sam on the mound. We’re not going to change our shifts. We’re still going to challenge the hitters, because that’s just how much confidence we have in our pitchers and in our defense in general.”

Even after another run scored to bring UCLA within one of tying the game, the Gamecocks were still an out away. But given what happened next, they’ll have to start over on Sunday, now back to being one win away from moving on.

“It really tests who you are,” Chastain Woodards said on having to play a game three. “It tests this kind of feeling, this adversity, really tests who you are as a team. It’ll test my leadership for them tomorrow. It’ll test everything about who we are, and that’s just postseason, and that’s how it goes.”

Up next: It’ll be win or go home time for both South Carolina and UCLA on Sunday. The series will come down to a winner-take-all third game in the Super Regional. First pitch is at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.

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