The No. 19 South Carolina softball team won its first game away from home on Tuesday night after defeating UNC Charlotte 10-2.
The Gamecocks were the first team to put runs on the board as in the second inning, after senior outfielder Emily Vinson reached on a fielding error by the 49ers to send sixth-year outfielder Abigail Knight home.
In the third inning, South Carolina added two more runs to the scoreboard with junior infielder Arianna Rodi hitting an RBI double and senior infielder Brooke Blankenship hitting a sacrifice RBI.
South Carolina scored four runs in the fifth inning, beginning with sophomore infielder Karley Shelton hitting an RBI double. Rodi would hit her fifth home run of the season to score Shelton and herself. Knight finished the inning by hitting an RBI double to score Blankenship.
The sixth inning featured three more runs scored from the Gamecocks. Redshirt junior utility player Quincee Lilio hit a single followed by a double from Shelton and a walk drawn from Rodi to load the bases. South Carolina then was able to draw several walks, and Blankenship also hit an RBI single.
Charlotte was not be able to get on the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth inning, when redshirt senior infielder Jenna Lord hit a two-run home run, the first given up this season by junior pitcher Jori Heard.
Heard was able to recover though and successfully ended the game off a strikeout to see the Gamecocks claim its 10th straight-run rule victory.
Familiar faces in new places
Head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard was the former head coach of the Charlotte 49ers from 2020 to 2024 before becoming the head coach of South Carolina this past offseason.
While she was at Charlotte, she was able to win the American Athletic Conference regular and tournament championship in 2024 and the Conference USA regular season championship in 2023.
Chastain Woodard is not the only member of the team who used to be a 49er, as six current players followed Chastain Woodard this summer, including Rodi and Knight.
Bats continue to stay hot
South Carolina has been statistically one of the top offenses in all of softball so far this season. Before tonight's game, it has outscored opponents 127-22, and it ranked first in the country in doubles, on-base percentage and walks.
Lilio has been a huge contributor to the teams nation leading on-base percentage, as she alone ranks second in the country in this stat with .700, while also having reached base in every game this season.
Heard earns another win
Sophomore pitcher Nealy Lamb got the start today but was relieved after two innings of work. In her two innings, she was able to strike out four batters and give up zero hits.
In the four innings pitched by Heard, she was able to strike out five batters but did give up five hits that included a two-run home run.
Ultimately, Heard would go on to get her eighth win of the season, and entering tonight's contest, she was ranked fifth in the country in wins and fourth in the nation in shutouts.
What’s next?
The Gamecocks will travel to Durham, North Carolina to take on the Duke Blue Devils this upcoming weekend. The series will be broadcasted on ACCN Extra.