The South Carolina softball team opened its 2023 season with a 2-1 run at the Charlotte Invitational, an event that lasted from Thursday to Saturday.
After suffering a blowout loss in the opening game of the tournament, the Gamecocks regrouped and emerged victorious in its remaining matchups.
Game One
On Thursday, South Carolina started its 2023 campaign suffering a 9-1 loss to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
In the top of the first inning, the Gamecocks snagged the lead off of a two-out home run from junior infielder Riley Blampied. Blampied led the team last season with a .313 batting average.
It was the 49ers' offense in the bottom of the first, however, that set the tone for the rest of the game. Charlotte led off with two back-to-back home runs during its first turn at the plate.
The second home run came from graduate student infielder and former Gamecock Kassidy Krupit, who went on to lead the charge against her old team, going 3-for-3.
Krupit and the 49ers maintained their hitting momentum into the bottom of the second inning, when a single from Krupit and a South Carolina defensive error brought three runners home for the 49ers.
Krupit was also responsible for another single in the third inning, notching her fourth RBI of the contest, making up for almost half of Charlotte’s nine runs.
The Gamecock offense managed just two hits past the first inning, singles from sophomore infielder Brooke Blankenship in the third and sophomore catcher/infielder Giulia Desiderio in the fifth.
In addition to a struggling offense, South Carolina also went through three pitchers in the contest.
Senior pitcher Bailey Betenbaugh started the game but faced just four batters and recorded one out before she was relieved by fifth-year pitcher Rachel Vaughan. Senior pitcher Karsen Ochs replaced Vaughan in the third inning and pitched the remainder of the contest. All three Gamecock pitchers left the matchup with double-digit ERAs.
Per NCAA softball’s “eight-run rule," which allows for a game to end if the winning team has a lead of eight or more runs through five innings, the game was called halfway through the fifth inning.
Game Two
On Friday, South Carolina assumed the role of the home team to play Miami (Ohio) and managed a 5-4 victory for its first win of the 2023 season.
Junior infielder Zoe Laneaux and sophomore outfielder Marissa Gonzalez led the offense with two RBIs each in what was a back-and-forth contest between the teams.
In the circle, Ochs worked into the third inning and allowed just one run before being relieved by senior transfer Donnie Gobourne. Gobourne lasted the remainder of the game, allowing three runs but striking out nine RedHawks.
Game Three
The Gamecocks wrapped up the Charlotte Invitational with a 10-9 victory over Campbell on Saturday.
South Carolina was dominant on the mound and behind the plate early in the game. Junior pitcher Leah Powell held the Camels scoreless through three innings, and the Gamecock offense capitalized off of a pair of hits and a pair of errors to put itself up by seven runs going into the top of the fourth.
Campbell supplied three runs in the top of the fourth, which South Carolina answered to with three of its own runs in the bottom of the sixth.
It was not until the top of the seventh and final inning that the Camels posed a real threat, tallying six runs before Ochs secured the Gamecock win.
What's next
The South Carolina softball team was scheduled to play additional games against East Tennessee State University and Charlotte on Sunday, but both were cancelled due to inclement weather. The Gamecocks will return to action for its home opener against the College of Charleston on Wednesday at 6 p.m.