Carolina Splits First Day In Norman
March 10, 2018
NORMAN, Okla. –No. 17 South Carolina softball split its games in its first day at the OG&E Tournament in Norman, Okla., at the OU Softball Complex on Saturday. Carolina overwhelmed Illinois State in a 9-0 win in five innings before dropping a hard-fought 4-2 game to No. 5 Oklahoma.
The Gamecocks extended their season-long winning streak to 17-straight games with the win over ISU before it was snapped at the hands of the Sooners. Carolina moved to 20-2 on the season following Saturday’s action.
Illinois State Recap —
No. 17 South Carolina started the day with a commanding 9-0 win over Illinois State in five innings. The Gamecocks jumped on ISU early and often, including a five-run fourth inning to earn the victory via run rule.
Carolina started the scoring effort in the first with Alyssa Kumiyama‘s RBI single to right to score Mackenzie Boesel to make it 1-0 Gamecocks after one.
The scoring continued in the second thanks to Cayla Drotar‘s home run to left field to make it 2-0 Carolina. The Gamecocks added two more in the second thanks to Kenzi Maguire‘s RBI single and a catcher’s interference at the plate two batters later.
Five more runs in the fourth thanks to Kennedy Clark, Jana Johns and Kumiyama RBIs made it 9-0 Gamecocks before Kelsey Oh closed things out in the fifth.
Drotar (10-0) earned the victory in the circle, going four innings while allowing just two hits and striking out two. Kumiyama led the way at the plate going 3-for-3 with four RBI.
Oklahoma Recap —
South Carolina never backed down or let the moment get too big in a tough 4-2 loss to No. 5 Oklahoma.
The Sooners relied on the long ball, as one swing changed the course of the game with Nicole Pendley’s two-out grand slam in the bottom of the first to give Oklahoma an early 4-0 lead.
Carolina refused to go down without a fight, as Alyssa VanDerveer blasted a ball over the fence in centerfield to cut the deficit to 4-1 after two innings. The Gamecocks also earned a run in the top of the fifth thanks to Kenzi Maguire‘s RBI hit to score Krystan White after White started the inning with a powerful double down the line in left.
After Oklahoma’s four-run first, the Gamecock pitching duo of Dixie Raley (5-1) and Kelsey Oh held the Sooners scoreless the next five innings.
NOTES —
The Gamecocks moved to 121-293 all-time against ranked opponents following the game with Oklahoma.
The Gamecocks have scored at least one run in all 22 games this season. Dating back to last season, Carolina has done so in 23 of its last 24 games.
Kenzi Maguire has now reached base in all 22 games to start the season.
Carolina has still reached base in all 22 games to start the season via a hit by pitch or walk (or both).
Head coach Beverly Smith moved to 247-180 following Saturday’s action. She is the second-winningest coach in school history.
UP NEXT —
Carolina returns to action Sunday with a pair of games against Indiana and No. 5 Oklahoma starting at 12:00 PM ET. Live stats for both games will be on gamecocksonline.com while the Oklahoma game will be televised by Fox Sports Oklahoma.
