South Carolina rebounds in doubleheader victories against No. 19 Alabama

South Carolina rebounded from a disastrous run-rule loss in Thursday’s series opener by taking both games of a Saturday doubleheader against No. 19 Alabama.

“They found a way to get it done in the back half of the weekend,” Ashley Chastain Woodard said.

In a tale of two games, the Gamecocks followed up their one-hit, two-run win with a seven-hit, five-run win in the afternoon.

With the game three win, Chastain Woodward breaks the program record for a first-year head coach with 39 wins.

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Game 2

South Carolina forced an afternoon rubber match with a 3-1 win as the Gamecocks’ Senior Day festivities were stretched to Saturday. A weather delay occurred after two innings Friday evening, delaying the rest of the game.

The Gamecocks entered Saturday’s action with a three-run head start thanks to a Lexi Winters three-run home run in the bottom of the first. The home run remained South Carolina’s only hit of the game.

Sam Gress ended Friday’s action with a strikeout. 13 hours and two minutes later, she started Saturday with another. Pitchers dominated the third, sitting down all six batters in the inning.

Similarly to Friday’s blowout loss, Giles got things rolling for the Crimson Tide’s offense. Giles plated the Tide’s only run with a single to left field.

Half an inning later, the teams went back to exchanging outs. The Gamecocks and Crimson Tide grounded out nine straight times between the fourth and sixth innings.

The Tide recorded the game’s first hit since Giles’ RBI single in the seventh. However, a double play turned by Gress ended her 12-hour complete game.

Game 3

When the time came for the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, Gress was back out on the mound. Chastain Woodard said post-game she wanted to stick with the hot hand and see how many outs she could get before the staff thought she was “done.”

“I didn’t feel like she threw very much in the restart of game two,” Chastain Woodard said. “I think we played an hour and ten minutes. Her pitch count was really down, she was hot. We kept her hot in the break going into game three.”

Giles sparked the Crimson Tide offense for the third game in a row. Her double led to back-to-back hits for Alabama, scoring the game’s opening run in the second.

After giving up a walk, South Carolina motioned to the bullpen, ending Gress’ day. Across the two Saturday games, Gress threw 92 pitches in 8.1 innings of work.

“Sam obviously is giving us her heart right now,” Chastain Woodard said. “I think she’s throwing better than I’ve seen her throw and I’ve coached her for three years.”

With shades of Thursday’s 10-inning second run for Alabama arising, Lamb made quick work in relief. The right-hander turned a double play, ending the side before Alabama could do any more damage.

In the hole for the first time since Thursday, the Gamecocks worked Briski into three straight walks. With the bases loaded, Emily Vinson knocked a base hit up the middle, quickly scoring two. Quincee Lilio scored the rest with a two-RBI double, forcing an Alabama pitching change.

“She wasn’t throwing that many strikes, obviously three walks before me. So, I wasn’t necessarily eager to hang the first pitch,” Vinson said. “Just hung something I could push through the infield and score a couple runs.”

Vinson entered game three batting .189. She said she was excited to get the hit there to give the Gamecocks the lead.

South Carolina kept the momentum going through the change as Karley Shelton took Alea Johnson’s first pitch up the middle for an RBI single. By the end of the second, the Gamecocks recorded five runs, four hits while batting around.

Alabama got one run back in the third with an RBI single from Lauren Johnson. However, RBI singles from Emily Chancey and Winters in the fourth moved Alabama to bring in its fourth pitcher of the afternoon.

Saturday’s second game brought everything full circle as a 2.5-hour lightning delay turned to calling the game after five innings.

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