South Carolina softball completes opening weekend with four more wins in Gamecock Invitational

South Carolina softball’s 2025 season started with a bang. Down four runs heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Gamecocks kicked off the Ashley Chastain Woodard era with a 7-6 come-from-behind victory against Virginia on Thursday.

South Carolina carried that momentum through the rest of its opening weekend. Subsequent victories over Virginia, Providence, Saint Francis, and East Carolina pushed the Gamecocks’ record to 5-0 to start the season.

Here’s how the Gamecocks completed a perfect showing at the Gamecock Invitational.

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Game two versus Virginia

South Carolina’s first game of the weekend was not the only one that ended in walk-off fashion. The Gamecocks manufactured another dramatic comeback in a 5-4 win over the Cavaliers on Friday.

South Carolina faced an early 3-0 deficit after Macee Eaton launched a three-run home run in the first inning. The Gamecocks provided a quick response in the bottom of the frame, cutting Virginia’s lead to two runs on a sacrifice fly by Brooke Blankenship.

Both team’s offenses stayed off the scoreboard until the fifth inning when the Cavaliers tacked on another run. But the Gamecocks’ bats would explode in a big way when they needed them most.

Ella Chancey led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a six-pitch walk. Blankenship then singled down the right-field line, bringing Lexi Winters to the plate. Facing a 3-1 count, Winters launched a three-run homer 239 feet over the left-field fence to tie the game.

One, two, three innings for both South Carolina and Virginia sent the game to extra innings, where the Cavaliers failed to take advantage of having a runner in scoring position with one out. 

The Gamecocks, meanwhile, needed just one at-bat to clinch a second-straight victory. Blankenship capped off a 2-for-3, two-RBI performance with a walk-off solo home run that traveled 258 feet.

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Game three versus Providence

South Carolina’s strong play to open the season carried into its Saturday doubleheader. Across two contests that day, the Gamecocks outscored opponents by a combined score of 15-0.

Providence was the first victim of South Carolina’s explosive offense, which lifted the home team to an 8-0 run-rule victory.

The Gamecocks broke open the game with a five-run first inning. Quincee Lilio led off the game with a triple, which proved to be the team’s lone hit of the frame. South Carolina scored one run on a sacrifice fly, two on bases-loaded walks, and two more on hit batsmen with the bases loaded.

The Gamecocks added three more runs in the bottom of the second inning and finished the game with seven total hits. But the team did not just excel on offense – it also saw positive individual performances in the circle.

Kadie Becker, making her first appearance in garnet and black, started for South Carolina. She went four innings, allowing four hits and two walks. Olivia Kotowski also made her collegiate debut in the contest, closing out the game with a scoreless bottom of the fifth and limiting the Friars’ offense to one hit.

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Game four versus Saint Francis

The Gamecocks’ pitching prowess continued in their nightcap against the Red Flash. Backed by a strong individual display from Nealy Lamb – and more offensive exploits – South Carolina captured a dominant 7-0 win.

Lamb allowed a leadoff single to Savannah Nash to begin the contest. But she would go on to retire the next eight batters she faced, including three via strikeouts in the second inning. When it was all said and done, Lamb compiled seven punchouts and allowed just three hits across five scoreless innings.

Sam Gress took the mantle afterward and closed the game in spectacular fashion. Pitching the final two innings, Gress allowed one hit and zero walks, while striking out two batters.

The Gamecocks’ offense got off to a slower start than it had in previous games. South Carolina did not muster a hit until the third inning, where it gained a 1-0 lead on a solo home run by Karley Shelton.

Much of the team’s offensive production came during its six-run fifth inning. The Gamecocks logged five hits in the frame, including a two-run triple by Winters that brought their advantage to seven runs.

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Game five versus East Carolina

After a weekend full of offense, South Carolina recorded just one run against the Pirates. That score would be enough for the Gamecocks to clinch a perfect opening weekend.

Jori Heard’s contributions on the mound played a large part in South Carolina’s 1-0 win. Starting her first game of the season, Heard hurled a seven-inning complete game shutout, allowing just four hits in the process. She also recorded a single-game career-high 10 strikeouts to just one walk.

The Gamecocks’ offense mustered just six hits of their own across seven innings, but the three most important ones came in the sixth inning. After Arianna Rodi lined out to lead off the frame, both Chancey and Blankenship singled. Winters then made it three straight singles, bringing Chancey home to score for South Carolina’s lone run of the contest.

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Next up

South Carolina will resume regular season action with the Carolina Classic over an extended Valentine’s Day weekend. The Gamecocks will play five games over four days against three different opponents. All five matchups will be held at Beckham Field and made available for streaming on the SEC Network Plus.

Below is South Carolina’s full schedule for the tournament:

• Thursday, Feb. 13 vs. Georgia State (6 p.m.)
• Friday, Feb. 14 vs. Georgia State (3:30 p.m.)
• Friday, Feb. 14 vs. Miami-Ohio (6 p.m.)
• Saturday, Feb. 15 vs. Miami-Ohio (3:30 p.m.)
• Sunday, Feb. 16 vs. Appalachian State (3 p.m.)

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