South Carolina earns run-rule win over Furman in final midweek matchup of season
Midweek contests have given the South Carolina softball team opportunities to get itself into rhythm before taking on SEC opponents during the weekend.
The Gamecocks have performed well in these games, too. Heading into this week, they had accumulated a 5-2 record in midweek contests this season, with losses to Coastal Carolina on March 12 and Clemson on April 15 as the lone blemishes keeping them from a perfect mark.
South Carolina played its final midweek game of the 2025 season Wednesday night when it took on Furman. The result of this contest strongly resembled that of the Gamecocks’ midweek games earlier in the year, as they picked up a 10-2 run-rule victory in six innings.
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The Paladins jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. After Nealy Lamb recorded a groundout to lead off the game, she allowed three straight hits, including a two-run double by Rachel Hawkins.
Furman would not muster any more offense after that. No Paladins player reached base for the remainder of the contest, which served as a testament to South Carolina’s pitching prowess. Lamb struck out two batters, allowing three hits and two runs, while Jori Heard threw 2.2 hitless innings and recorded four punchouts. Kadie Becker, who recorded the final out of the game, did not allow any baserunners.
The Gamecocks, meanwhile, started their offensive surge with a six-run second inning. With the bases loaded and no outs, Emily Vinson grounded into a fielder’s choice that brought Brooke Blankenship home to score. South Carolina then strung together three run-scoring hits in a row – a single by Quincee Lilio, a double by Karley Shelton and another single by Arianna Rodi – to make the score 5-2.
Later in the frame, Blankenship hit a sacrifice fly to drive in South Carolina’s sixth run of the inning. The Gamecocks could have potentially caused more damage, but Emma Sellers grounded out with the bases loaded to end the threat.
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The Paladins kept the Gamecocks off the scoreboard for the next two innings. But South Carolina added to its lead in the fifth inning when Shae Anderson drove in one run on a pinch-hit single.
In the sixth inning, South Carolina scored the three runs it needed to clinch a run-rule win. Rodi began the frame with an infield pop-up, proceeded by a four-pitch walk drawn by Ella Chancey. Audrey Wilson made Furman’s pitching staff pay for its lack of control, as she launched a two-run home run down the left-field line for her first collegiate hit.
Nia McKnight, pinch-hitting for Blankenship, also recorded her first collegiate hit (a double) before Mya Flindt hit a double of her own to end the game in walk-off fashion.
Up next
South Carolina will contest its final SEC series of the season when it takes on Alabama in a three-game tilt.
All three games of the series will take place at Beckham Field in Columbia. First pitch for game one of the series is set for 6 p.m. on Friday. Game two will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, followed by a series finale at noon on Sunday. The first two games of the series will be available for streaming on the SEC Network Plus, while the third will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
