Gamecocks Sweep Tuesday Night Doubleheader
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina softball team heads into SEC play on a high note, as the Gamecocks swept a doubleheader Tuesday (Mar. 8), defeating Youngstown State 12-7 and Michigan State 4-1. Carolina now stands at 15-6 on the year.
Aaliyah White led the team with three hits on the day, while also scoring two runs. Hannah Kumiyama led the way with four RBIs and Riley Blampied drove in three. Jordan Fabian scored a team-high three runs.
Game 1
The Gamecocks struck first after getting a trio of walks in the bottom of the first to load the bases. Blampied delivered a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Fabian from third. In the second, the Penguins scored three runs to take a lead, albeit short lived.
In the bottom of the second, Carolina loaded the bases again. All three runs would come across to score on Kumiyama’s bases-clearing double to right field. The Gamecocks added a run in the third on a sacrifice fly by Fabian that scored Maddie Gallagher.
Youngstown State again took a short-lived lead in the fourth, when they scored four runs. South Carolina answered back in the bottom half of the frame. Kumiyama led off with a single, and with a 2-0 count, Katie Prebble delivered on her eighth home run of the season to left field.
Carolina put the game away in the fifth, batting around en route to scoring five more runs. With the bases loaded, Emma Sellers singled to bring home a run. The Gamecocks added another on a walk to Kumiyama. Blampied doubled to the right-center gap, plating two more runs. The final run came on an infield RBI single by Giulia Desiderio.
Bailey Betenbaugh earned the victory in relief, improving her record to 3-0 on the year. She threw 2 2-3 innings, allowing no hits while striking out five of the eight batters she faced. Karsen Ochs started in the circle, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in three innings of work. Rachel Vaughan pitched 1 1-3 innings of relief, allowing one hit.
Game 2
The second game of the day was a pitcher duel, as the two sides combined for seven hits. Michigan State took the lead in the fourth, scoring a run on a sacrifice fly that the Gamecocks turned into a double play.
South Carolina scored all four of their runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Gamecocks loaded the bases following a double by Fabian, a walk to Sellers, and Kumiyama reaching on a fielder’s choice. A groundball off the bat of Prebble resulted in a throwing error by the Spartan shortstop, allowing two runs to score. One out later, a groundout by Gallagher scored pinch runner Olivia Cook. Prebble then scrambled home on a wild pitch.
Kelsey Oh earned her fourth victory of the season, throwing two innings of relief, retiring all six batters she faced. Leah Powell started for the Gamecocks, allowing one run while scattering four hits in five innings of work.
South Carolina opens SEC play when it hosts Georgia March 11-13, with Friday’s opener set for 6 p.m.
For the latest on South Carolina Softball, visit GamecockSoftball.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockSoftbll, Facebook /GamecockSoftball, and Instagram @GamecockSoftball.
