South Carolina softball returns to winning ways with series victory over Georgia

After starting the season 19-0 and then suffering a four-game losing streak, South Carolina needed to find a way to rebound. The team’s efforts did not yield results right away.

The Gamecocks extended their winless run to five after falling in the first game of their series against Georgia. But they went on to pick up two more one-run victories over the Bulldogs before the weekend was over.

Here’s how South Carolina clinched its second top-15 series win in three weeks.

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Game one

The Gamecocks faced an early deficit in its series opener against Georgia. It proved to be too big of a hole for them to climb out of, as they suffered a 9-3 defeat.

Nealy Lamb started in the circle for South Carolina, but her outing lasted just 18 pitches due to command issues. She faced four batters in the contest – one flew out, while the other three reached base via walks. Jori Heard entered the game to remedy the situation but ultimately could not get the Gamecocks out of the jam unscathed. Georgia picked up an early 1-0 advantage on a bases-loaded, run-scoring groundout by Lyndi Rae Davis.

Heard struggled through the rest of her pitching appearance, despite pitching for 3 2/3 innings. During that time frame, she allowed six hits and five earned runs, while striking out one batter and walking three.

Kadie Becker, who relieved Heard, also suffered some damage after pitching a scoreless fifth inning. She allowed a solo home run to Sarah Gordon, which plated the Bulldogs’ seventh run of the game in the sixth.

Even though Randi Roelling threw a 125-pitch complete game, South Carolina showed some offensive flair and equaled Georgia on hits (seven). The Gamecocks generated two runs in the bottom of the second on a sacrifice fly by Lexi Winters and a solo shot by Natalie Heath before scoring another in the seventh on an RBI triple by Emma Sellers.

Game two

South Carolina and Georgia’s second game served as a foil of the first. The Gamecocks came out on top early and, despite a late comeback from the Bulldogs, won in walk-off fashion by a 4-3 score.

Winters stepped up to the plate with two runners on and two outs and began the scoring with an RBI single into right field, bringing Karley Shelton home to score. Abigail Knight followed suit with a run-scoring single of her own, which doubled South Carolina’s early advantage.

The Gamecocks made the score 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Winters, who finished 2-3 on the day, hit a sacrifice fly that scored Shelton.

Georgia’s bats, which combined for just three hits heading into the sixth, had been silenced throughout the game by Sam Gress, who went on to have her longest outing of the season. Those bats lit up in the frame and would eventually erase South Carolina’s lead.

After Gordon grounded out to begin the inning, Jaydyn Goodwin launched a solo home run over the right-center-field fence to make it a 3-1 game. Gress allowed a full-count walk to Davis, was relieved by Lamb, and quickly re-entered the game after Lamb also gave up a free base. The next hitter Gress faced, Marisa Miller, delivered a game-tying blow with a two-run double into left-center field.

The Gamecocks did not allow the game to get out of hand, though, and eventually won the game in dramatic fashion. With one out and two runners on base, Winters singled to bring Knight into the batter’s box. Knight reached base on a fielder’s choice and scored Arianna Rodi, but Georgia challenged the play at the plate. The umpires, after conferring, upheld the call, and South Carolina won the game.

Game three

Both teams’ series finale proved to be less dramatic than game two, but the Gamecocks still got the outcome they desired. With a 3-2 win over the Bulldogs, South Carolina officially clinched its series win.

The two squads stayed off the scoreboard until the third inning when Georgia opened the scoring on a solo home run by Mua Williams. The Bulldogs added to its lead with another home run by Miller one frame later.

South Carolina, on the other hand, got all the offense it needed in the fifth inning. During that frame, the Gamecocks took a 3-2 lead and never let it go.

Both Mya Flindt and Quincee Lilio drew walks and Emily Vinson hit a double before Shelton came up to bat with the bases loaded. Shelton proceeded to hit a single that scored Shae Anderson, who pinch-ran for Flindt, from third. Rodi then drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game, and Ella Chancey drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly.

Next up

South Carolina will remain at home this weekend when it hosts Texas Tech for a three-game series. Below are the first pitch times for each game:

• Game 1: Friday, March 21 (6 p.m.)
• Game 2: Saturday, March 22 (3 p.m.)
• Game 3: Sunday, March 23 (noon)

All three contests will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.

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