After winning five straight games in the Battle at the Beach tournament last weekend, the South Carolina softball team went winless this weekend in the Carolina Classic.
Initially scheduled to play four games, Sunday's game was cancelled due to weather.
Game 1
The Gamecocks lost the opener of the Carolina Classic against Miami (OH) due to struggles in the circle and lack of offense. Miami shutout the Gamecocks, winning 5-0.
Early on in the game against the Redhawks, junior pitcher Karsen Ochs appeared to be settling in until she gave up two back-to-back doubles that ended up scoring two runs. Head coach Beverly Smith decided to pull Ochs and put in senior Rachel Vaughan.
"It was really the match-up with Rachel Vaughan and the left-handed hitter that was coming up next," Smith said. "I thought it was a good time for a change."
Vaughan pitched the longest for the Gamecocks, going for three innings. She faced a total of 12 batters, only giving up one hit and one run.
Sophomore Leah Powell also pitched for South Carolina but gave up two home runs in only seven pitches. The final pitcher of the game was graduate Kelsey Oh, who pitched 1.2 innings with three strikeouts.
From an offensive standpoint, South Carolina could not manage to get going at the plate, leading to the shutout loss in the first game of the weekend.
"I think we're a gritty unit at the plate, and I don't think we showed that tonight," Smith said. "We just weren't able to get it rolling and create our own beginning."
Game 2
The Gamecocks fell 5-3 to No. 7 Virginia Tech in game two of the Carolina Classic after a late start offensively.
The Hokies' offense struck early, scoring three runs in the top of the second inning. Sophmore outfielder Emma Ritter and freshman utility player Bre Peck hit two home runs.
Shortly after, South Carolina re-grouped and made a pitching change, replacing Vaughan with junior pitcher Bailey Betenbaugh in the second inning.
Immediately after being put in, Betenbaugh made things tough for the Hokies. She delivered a solid pitching performance, with five strikeouts and zero earned runs.
Virginia Tech struck again at the top of the seventh after several quiet innings. The team scored two runs, increasing its lead to five.
Just when the game was coming to a close at the bottom of the seventh, sophomore infielder Zoe Laneaux hit a home run to right field. The homer advanced senior infielder Kassidy Krupit and freshman catcher Olivia Cook home, putting 3 points on the board.
"I thought Zoe was fantastic today," said Smith. "She's coming back, looking really strong from injuries, so it's really been nice to be able to work her in the lineup for us."
Unfortunately, the Gamecock offense came to life too late in the game but it looked to turn things around in game three against Ohio State.
"Virginia Tech is a top-ten team for a reason," said Smith. "They've got arms in the bullpen and Roshard was tough today. I think it's gonna be similar to what we face in league play."
Game 3
South Carolina looked to change the momentum for its second game of the day against Ohio State.
Due to yet another slow start, the Gamecocks were unable to come away with the win, losing 6-2.
Early in the game with Oh in the circle, the Gamecocks struggled with defending the bunt. Ohio State loaded the bases and eventually scored multiple runs off of bunts early in the top of the third inning.
"Ohio State's a very balanced team with some speed and power," Smith said. "This is why we play the non-conference season to get some of these things worked out, and it's something we'll certainly be paying attention to."
From an offensive standpoint, the Gamecocks were unable to get going early on in the game once again. An attempted comeback in the bottom of the fifth scored two runs but ultimately fell short.
Sophomore outfielder Carlie Henderson, freshman infielder Emma Sellers and Laneaux all provided game-shifting hits in the bottom of the fifth that gave the Gamecocks two runs and some hope for the rest of the game.
In the seventh inning, South Carolina had the bases loaded with two outs, but sophomore infielder Maddie Gallagher wasn't able to execute at the plate and ended up striking out.
"I like the fight that we had in the seventh," Smith said. "We talked about really being a gritty group and I thought they showed that at the end of the game."
The Gamecocks will be back in action at Beckham Field on Wednesday, March 2 for a doubleheader against Charleston Southern.