South Carolina softball moves back into top 10 after series victory
South Carolina softball won another ranked series this weekend, though the three-game set against the Texas Tech Red Raiders came with its share of controversy. The Gamecocks won the first two games of the series on Friday and Saturday, but Sunday’s contest was cut short. Despite USC being the home team, Ashley Chastain Woodard’s team didn’t get the opportunity to bat in the bottom of the 7th inning in a one-run game. Texas Tech had a plane to catch, ending the game prematurely and giving them the victory.
Even so, South Carolina earned the big series win. The two triumphs moved the Gamecocks’ overall record to 24-6 overall. Their SEC record remains 2-4.
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The four major college softball rankings all moved the Gamecocks up a bit or held them steady in their updated polls.
According to D1Softball, South Carolina is still the country’s No. 10 team. The 10th spot has belonged to the Gamecocks for two weeks in a row.
Softball America also ranked Carolina at No. 10. That marks a one-spot improvement from last week’s No. 11 spot.
The USA Softball and ESPN.com poll was the only one to keep USC out of the top 10. Carolina occupied the No. 11 spot when the updated ranking dropped on Tuesday. The poll was also the only one to drop the Gamecocks, as they were 10th last week.
The NFCA and USA Today poll ranked South Carolina softball 10th. The Gamecocks were 11th in last week’s top-25.
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Chastain Woodard’s squad has a huge week in front of them. First, Carolina will play a rivalry contest at home before hitting the road for three SEC contests against a top-5 foe. Per reports from last week, star slugger Arianna Rodi should return this week after missing the Texas Tech series.
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On Tuesday, South Carolina will face off against the rival Clemson Tigers at Beckham Field. With a 6:00 p.m. first pitch, the rivals will play game one of two mid-week contests this season (the second will come in April). Fans can tune in to watch the showdown via streaming on SEC Network+.
Then, the Gamecocks will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for a top-10 tilt against the LSU Tigers. All three games will be on television.
Game one will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and will air on SEC Network. Fans also can stream the contest on the ESPN app.
Saturday’s game two will start at 7:00 p.m. SEC Network and the ESPN app also will handle the broadcasting and streaming for the contest.
First pitch for Sunday’s series finale will be at 2:00 p.m. ESPN2 will broadcast the game, while the ESPN app makes it available for streaming.
