The No. 13 South Carolina softball team (35-11, 10-8 SEC) swept the Kentucky Wildcats (27-20, 6-12 SEC) in three games in the weekend series at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
The sweep gives the Gamecocks a winning percentage above .500 in conference play.
The Gamecocks won the first game of the series 14-1 after a busy fourth inning that saw 11 runners score on Saturday afternoon. Commanding pitching helped secure a 1-0 victory on Sunday afternoon before completing the sweep on Monday night with a 7-0 win.
Here's a recap of the weekend series:
Gamecocks take series opener after big fourth inning
In the first game of the series on Saturday, the South Carolina Gamecocks took down the Kentucky Wildcats by a score of 14-1.
The Wildcats scored its first points of the day by hitting a home run in the top of the second inning, making the score 1-0 after the Gamecocks were unable to score any runs in the first inning.
In the bottom of the third, outfielder freshman Nia McKnight scored on a wild pitch after a walk from sixth-year outfielder Abigail Knight.
Building off of that momentum, the Gamecocks scored two more times after senior utility Emma Sellers hit a two run RBI single to send Knight and senior infielder Brooke Blankenship home and make the score 3-1 after the third inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, junior infielder Arianna Rodi doubled, allowing redshirt junior utility Quincee Lilio to score. Junior Lexi Winters and Knight then built off this momentum with the pair both hitting RBI singles.
After redshirt junior infielder Natalie Heath was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Lilio singled, the Gamecocks scored two more runs to bring the score to 9-1. Sophomore infielder Karley Shelton then tripled to allow Lilio, Sellers and senior outfielder Emily Vinson to score.
Rodi flied out for the second out of the inning but was able to send Shelton home. The final run of the inning came when Winters hit an RBI double to make the score 14-1 before heading into the fifth inning.
The Gamecocks’ busy fourth inning lead to a total of 11 runs off of eight hits. Shelton, who had two hits in fourth, finished the day with a .377 batting average, and Lilio finished with a team-high batting average of .406.
"Things finally clicked for us offensively, and then we started to really stack at bats together," head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard said. "Scoring runs does not come without really good base running, so I also thought they ran the bases really well."
The Wildcats were unable to respond in the fifth inning, leading to the Gamecocks run-ruling Kentucky and ending the game with a final score of 14-1.
Pitching helps South Carolina add series win on Sunday
Sophomore pitcher Nealy Lamb started for the Gamecocks on Sunday and held the Wildcats to one hit over 4.2 innings. Sixth-year pitcher Sam Gress later followed in relief and earned her ninth win of the season, giving up one hit and posting two strikeouts over 2.1 innings.
"What a stellar performance from Nealy Lamb to Sam Gress," Chastain Woodard said. "To give up two hits combined on the night is massive against a good offense. Every offense in this league is good, so really proud of them."
The two teams combined for seven hits in game two, including five by the Gamecocks. South Carolina scored the game's only run in the fifth inning.Vinson opened the inning with a walk, then Lilio singled. Sheton later grounded into a fielder's choice, but Vinson scored on the throw to second base, giving the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead.
"Being at second with the top of our lineup up, I know there's always going to be a chance I can score from second," Vinson said.
The Wildcats looked to tie the game in the seventh when senior catcher Hallie Mitchell singled with two outs. Gress ended the game when she struck out junior utility player Madyson Clark, clinching the series for the Gamecocks.
"I'm in a really good, competitive space," Gress said. "Just relying on my preparation, on my training. The defense, they make it really easy out there for me, the way they talk to me."
Gamecocks use late six-run inning to earn series sweep
The Gamecocks earned the series sweep against the Wildcats on Monday evening following a 7-0 victory. The Gamecocks struck early and used a dominant late inning to secure the first SEC series sweep of the season.
After making a relief appearance the day before, Gress made her ninth start for the Gamecocks and pitched seven shutout innings. Gress had three strikeouts and one walk on four hits in the win.
"Heck of a series for us, really proud of the team," Chastain Woodard said. "Any time that you can win a series and sweep a series is really tough in our league, so really proud and really excited for the program."
The Gamecocks struck first in the bottom of the second inning following a walk from senior infielder Ella Chancey and a single from Winters. Chancey scored on a groundout from Knight to take a 1-0 lead.
Knight singled to open the fifth inning, reaching third on back-to-back groundouts. Knight was left stranded at third after Lilio struck out to end the inning.
A leadoff single from Shelton looked to give the Gamecocks some much needed insurance in the sixth inning. The Gamecocks took a 2-0 lead following an RBI triple from Chancey. The Gamecocks added two more runs off of a sacrifice bunt from Blankenship and an RBI single from Knight.
The Gamecocks added more insurance in the sixth inning after Vinson blasted her first home run of the season, giving the Gamecocks a 7-0 lead and securing the win.
The Gamecock offense had seven runs on seven hits, including Chancey's triple and Vinson’s home run in the sixth inning.
"Just the way I think we are playing on the defensive side of the ball and pitching is giving us an opportunity just to be really relaxed and free in the box," Chastain Woodard said. "I think this time of the year we can't buy that feeling."
What's next?
South Carolina continues its season on Wednesday at home against the Winthrop Eagles (25-20, 7-7 Big South). First pitch is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be streamed on SEC Network+.