South Carolina takes series over No. 12 Texas Tech in 1-0 defensive win

South Carolina clinched a series win over No. 12 Texas Tech on Saturday at Beckham Field in a defensive contest that resulted in a 1-0 win.

Offenses struggled on the whole of the afternoon’s contest with teams combining for four total hits.

“A lot of respect for NiJaree, specifically a lot of her and her talent for sure,” head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard said. “And, you know, she doesn’t get beat often.”

Arianna Rodi once again missed Saturday’s contest. Previously, Rodi suffered an injury in the opening game of South Carolina’s series against Georgia. She is expected back as early as Tuesday.

“She is just going to be out for this series, and it is medical. We expect her to be back next week,” Chastain Woodard said post-game. “You know, we’re really pushing for Tuesday. So she’s getting better every day. She’s a good spirit … Never want to lose someone like that, but it’s good to see the team win. You know, when you got someone like that out of order, I think that’ll be really powerful for their confidence and their belief later on, and you can’t control those things.”

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Offense was seemingly impossible to come by for the Gamecocks in the game’s opening innings. Five of South Carolina’s first six batters sat down on strikes as the Gamecocks failed to reach base.

When the time came, the Gamecocks’ first hit was one worth waiting for. Natalie Heath knocked a home run down the left field line, breaking the seal on the scoreboard in the third.

Heath said she didn’t even know the ball had gotten that far when she took off for first base.

“I kind of just put my head down and started running,” Heath said. “But we were looking for that inside, low rise kind of pitch, and we have been working on it all week, and we have a very passive bat mentality. So honestly, whenever I went up, I was looking to pass it back on to the next person, not even, like, just get on base.”

Heath said she’s been through a lot in her career, and to be able to do something like that means the world to her.

“I might get emotional,” Heath said. “I’ve been through a pretty rough surgery, and it took a lot to come back, like it is truly the people around me that has kept me going, and the belief this team has in one another and the love, it’s overwhelming. It’s just like my biggest blessing. So, wasn’t for this team. I wanted to be out here.”

Heath’s home run was the first given up by Tech’s NiJaree Canady all season. South Carolina only recorded one more hit in the contest after a Karley Shelton base hit.

“Tough pitcher, if not the toughest that you know, we might face all year,” Chastain Woodard said. “…I think everyone learning from everyone else’s at bats is really important, especially off an arm like that. So, you know, just trying to keep them in the game … keep your emotions in a manageable place there, but I think they’re really mature. You know, got a ton of experience on the team at this point. So just just trying to manage emotions through striking out, just waiting for us to manufacture one run was really the plan.”

Clutch defense was prominent for the Gamecocks in the game’s opening innings. Despite the Red Raiders putting three runners on base in the opening two innings, double plays to end the first and second got the Gamecocks through facing only three batters each.

“I thought that that was huge,” Chastain Woodard said. “We missed the lead off out in innings one and two, but it didn’t affect the game, because we turned the double play both of those innings. So the middles got a shout out for that.”

Chastain Woodard had challenged her team to do better in recording the lead off outs in innings after yesterday. After completing the out in four of the seven innings on Friday, the Gamecocks completed five Saturday.

Texas Tech only recorded one more hit in the contest after the game’s opening two innings, coming in the top of the seventh.

Jori Heard’s day on the mound ended after three innings. Heard allowed two hits as her defense lead the way to no earned runs.

Saturday was her second day of starting in a row.

“Really proud of Jori today, though,” Sam Gress said. “The last two days, she’s just been lights out, confident, just doing her thing, getting people out. So just super proud of her for what she’s been doing.”

South Carolina’s defense remained dominant as the Gamecocks changed pitchers, with the first three batters Sam Gress faced in relief being sat down. She also recorded South Carolina’s first strikeout of the day in the fourth.

Chastain Woodard said starting Heard back to back days is typically not something they try to do. She said while Gress is a good matchup for Texas Tech’s entire lineup, Heard is really good with the top of their order.

Gress’ day continued through the end of the game, pitching a shut-out four innings of work. Gress allowed only one hit, coming with two outs in the seventh, and walked one batter.

“I think Sam Gress is turning in the right direction. I love what Jori Heard is doing,” Chastain Woodard said. “And we’ve got fresh arms in the dugout here going into game three, which is rare and, you know, a blessing at this point. So we’ll take it.”

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