The No. 10 South Carolina softball team (32-10, 7-8 SEC) dropped the series against the No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks (30-9, 9-8 SEC) over the weekend at Bogle Park in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Arkansas took the first game on Friday night 10-2, before the Gamecocks got its own win on Saturday, winning 5-4 in comeback fashion. The Razorbacks claimed the series victory on Sunday afternoon in its own 5-4 comeback win.
Here's the recap of the weekend series:
Razorbacks take series opener
On Friday night, South Carolina was defeated by Arkansas 10-2 in six innings in the second run rule loss this season for the Gamecocks.
The Gamecocks scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning, with redshirt junior outfielder Quincee Lilio scoring the run after junior catcher Lexi Winters got the RBI after reaching on a fielder's choice.
Just an inning later, South Carolina added another run to go up 2-0. Senior infielder Ella Chancey led the inning off with a double, and after advancing to third, off a wild pitch, she then stole home to score the run.
Arkansas responded in the third inning with freshman infielder Ella McDowell driving in junior outfielder Reagan Johnson for the run after junior pitcher Jori Heard was replaced by sixth-year pitcher Sam Gress.
After a scoreless fourth inning, South Carolina put up an empty frame while the Razorbacks scored five runs in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead.
McDowell was able to get a three RBI double after the previous three batters had all been walked. Senior utility Courtney Day got her own RBI double to send McDowell home. To cap off the scoring, Atlayia Rijo hit an RBI triple for the fifth run of the inning.
South Carolina once again scored zero runs in the top of the sixth while Arkansas scored four runs to end the inning, run-ruling the Gamecocks 10-2.
McDowell continued to shine as she hit her fifth RBI of the game to score Johnson again. Junior utility Kailey Wyckoff then hit an RBI double before Day ended the game with a two RBI single.
Heard got the start for the Gamecocks but only pitched 2.1 innings before Gress took over on the mound. In that time she had three strikeouts, gave up one hit and allowed one run.
Gress pitched for 2.2 innings and was able to strike out four batters but did give up five runs on three hits from the Razorbacks. She was given the loss, putting her record at 8-5 this year.
Rodi home run is the difference in comeback win
The Gamecocks took the second game of the series on Saturday night in comeback fashion, as junior infielder Arianna Rod's homerun brought in the game-winning runs in the late stages of the 5-4 victory.
Heard got the start for South Carolina, but only lasted one inning as the Arkansas bats got to her early. Johnson and senior outfielder Reagin Kramer hit back-to-back singles, and the bases loaded after senior infielder Bri Ellis reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop. McDowell drew a walk to give Arkansas the 1-0 with no outs in the first inning.
After striking out Day, two more runs came in because of a throwing error by sophomore infielder Karley Shelton after getting an out at second base in a fielder's choice. The Gamecocks got out of the first inning down 3-0. Heard finished with three runs allowed on two hits in one inning pitched. Only one run was earned.
Sophomore pitcher Nealy Lamb came in relief for Heard, but the Razorbacks quickly got another run. Sophomore catcher Kennedy Miller hit a single with one out, and Kramer drove her home two batters later to extend the leader to 4-0.
The Gamecocks got some runs back in the third inning, beginning with a pair of singles from senior utility player Emma Sellers and senior outfielder Emily Vinson. Lilio sacrifice bunted the runners into scoring position for Shelton, who hit a ground ball to second, scoring Sellers. Vinson scored on the next at-bat, advancing home on a wild pitch. The Gamecocks cut the Arkansas lead in half at 4-2.
The score remained the same until the Gamecocks entered the fifth inning, trailing the Razorbacks 4-2 with the top of the order due up.
Lilio drove a single to center field and Shelton drove a single up the middle, quickly putting two Gamecocks on base for Rodi. Rodi parked a home run to center field on the second pitch of the at-bat, suddenly giving the Gamecocks a 5-4 lead.
Gress came in relief for Lamb in the bottom of the fifth after 3.1 innings pitched with one run allowed on four hits. Gress finished the game out in 2.2 innings, allowing three hits but minimal damage. Lamb picked up the win in the 5-4 victory over the Razorbacks, as Lamb moved to 9-0 on the season.
Razorbacks steal series
The Razorbacks defeated the Gamecocks 5-4 in comeback fashion on April 13 in the final game of the series, handing the Gamecocks its first series loss since getting swept by No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners in early March.
After a scoreless first inning, Chancey opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the top of the second inning. The Razorbacks were quick to respond as junior infielder Atalyia Rijo matched the Gamecocks with a two-run home run of her own in the bottom half of the second inning, tying the game 2-2.
The second inning put an early end to Heard’s start on the mound as she allowed four hits and two runs in 1.2 innings. Lamb came in to pitch the following three outs for the Gamecocks and recorded her 200th career strikeout in the process.
After the Gamecocks loaded the bases with one out in the third inning, junior catcher Lexi Winters and Chancey knocked in a run each on back-to-back singles to extend the Gamecock lead to 4-2. The bases loaded rally came to an end after senior infielder Brooke Blankenship grounded into a double play.
The bottom of the third inning saw the Razorbacks cut into the lead after McDowell rounded the bases after Lamb threw two wild pitches and a passed ball. The Razorbacks later tied the game 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning after junior infielder Karlie Davidson hit a solo home run.
After the Gamecocks left two base runners stranded in scoring position in the top of the sixth inning, the Razorbacks claimed its first lead of the afternoon in the bottom of the sixth inning. Arkansas rallied with two outs to load the bases, which eventually brought in a run after Gress hit Ellis with a pitch giving the Razorbacks a 5-4 lead.
Arkansas’ insurance run was enough to seal the series, as the Gamecocks failed to score a tying run in the final inning. Razorback junior pitcher Robyn Herron threw a complete game to close out the series while striking out seven Gamecock batters.
What's next?
South Carolina softball (32-10, 7-8 SEC) will travel to Clemson, South Carolina, to take on its in-state rival, the Tigers (33-11, 13-4 ACC) on April 15. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on the ACC Network.