The South Carolina softball team recovered from a winless Carolina Classic over the weekend by sweeping Charleston Southern in a doubleheader Tuesday evening at the Carolina Softball Stadium.
A season high-scoring display and two complete games from the pitching staff helped South Carolina improve its overall record to 10-5.
Game One
The Gamecocks earned a blowout victory in the first game of the doubleheader, defeating Charleston Southern 16-2 in five innings.
South Carolina’s offense came out in full force early in the game, scoring five runs in the first inning and nine runs in the fourth.
The Gamecocks’ offensive contributions were spread throughout the lineup, with no individual player registering more than three RBI or runs scored.
Head coach Beverly Smith praised the team’s ability to rely on each other, rather than on one key contributor.
“That’s going to be one thing we lean on this year,” Smith said. “We just don’t have one superstar that we’re looking to in every at bat, it’s ‘next man up, pass the bat,’ and I think we got a lot of production out of our offense.”
South Carolina’s offense reached its pinnacle in a fourth inning that saw the team score nine runs and 10 batters get on base.
“It gives us energy,” sophomore outfielder Zoe Laneaux said. “We had a rough weekend, so really coming back from that weekend and scoring all these runs and getting hits together is really building for us.”
In the circle, pitcher Leah Powell threw her second complete game in one of her best performances of the season. Powell gave up two runs and five hits over five innings, striking out two batters in the process.
Powell gave up hits early in multiple innings but always found a way to prevent the Buccaneers from cutting the Gamecocks’ lead. Smith said she was impressed with Powell’s ability to power through when facing difficulties.
“(Powell and graduate student pitcher Kelsey Oh) worked through a couple tough innings and then they had a few really short, efficient innings, so it was good for them to get that midweek work,” Smith said.
Game Two
The scoreline in the second game was much narrower, with the Gamecocks winning 5-2 to complete the midweek sweep.
In a close game, South Carolina’s pitching prevailed, with Oh similarly delivering one of her better performances this spring to keep the Charleston Southern offense in check.
Although the team’s offensive dominance did not carry over from the first game, Smith said it was important for them to return to winning ways.
“For us, it was really important to come out and have just a clean game,” Smith said. “We pitched the ball well, be effective from the mound and come out and have quality at bats.”
Like Powell in the first game, Oh went the distance, registering her third complete game of the season. Oh allowed two runs, four hits and one walk and threw two strikeouts in a 96-pitch performance.
“I thought it was good,” Oh said. “I think we can definitely build on that performance, and as a team, I think it’s really great to get two wins while heading into this weekend.”
After three innings, the Gamecocks held a 3-0 lead, with run-scoring contributions from senior first baseman Kassidy Krupit, senior catcher Jordan Fabian and junior designated player Hannah Kumiyama.
The Buccaneers clawed back into the game during the top of the fourth, coming within one run of South Carolina’s lead. With two runners in scoring position, senior outfielder SeaEnna Satcher hit a double to left-center field that brought both home to score.
With the score at 3-2, Oh demonstrated her toughness by not allowing a hit for the rest of the game and said “having complete trust” in her teammates helped her keep her composure over the final three innings.
“I wasn’t really scared to throw the ball because I know the defense behind me is extremely strong and will get anything they can,” Oh said.
South Carolina got the offensive boost it needed in the sixth inning when Laneaux launched a home run that crept over the left field wall, doubling a lead the Gamecocks did not relinquish.
“I was really thinking ‘I have nothing to lose,’” Laneaux said. “I mean, we’re up already, so you might as well get a good swing off on a good pitch and just barrel it up.”
Smith said the team needs to continue performing at this level throughout the season.
“We’re going to face some great opponents, and for us, it’s just ‘all games count one,’” Smith said. “And we’ve got to come out every game and play our best softball.”
South Carolina returns to action this weekend in Orlando, Florida, where it will face off against UCF and Florida Golf Coast two times each from March 4 to 7.