Gamecocks Earn Fourth-Run Rule Victory In Last Five Games On Thursday

COLUMBIA, S.C. —- No. 14 South Carolina softball scored runs in four of its five plate appearances on its way to a 9-1 victory in five innings over Charleston Southern on Thursday night at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field. The Gamecock offense was balanced from top to bottom as seven different batters recorded a hit and seven scored on their way to the run-rule win. 
 
Carolina jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead through one as Cayla Drotar, Kennedy Clark and Mackenzie Boesel knocked home runs and never looked back as the squad earned its fourth-run rule victory in its last five games. 
 
With the victory, the Gamecocks extended their season-high winning streak to five games. The Gamecocks have outscored their opponents 49-14 during the stretch of play. 
 
South Carolina (8-2) sparked an offensive showing early with four runs in the first. After Drotar, Clark and Boesel drove home runs a Charleston Southern error as Boesel looked to steal second gave the Gamecocks a 4-0 lead through one. 
 
The teams traded a scoreless second before the Buccaneers (4-9) put a run on the board in the top of the third to make it 4-1 in favor of the Gamecocks. Carolina quickly got the run back in the bottom frame as Boesel’s second hit of the night brought home a run to make it 5-1 in favor of the home team. 
 
South Carolina added to its lead in the fourth as Jana Johns blasted a two-out triple to score two and extend the lead to 7-1, Gamecocks. 
 
Carolina closed the game via run rule in the fifth thanks to Boesel’s third hit of the evening and Kenzi Maguire’s second to end the contest at 9-1. 
 
Dixie Raley (4-0) earned the win in the circle going three innings with just one run and five strikeouts. 
 
Johns and Boesel both shined at the plate, going 3-for-3 as Boesel brought home three RBI and Johns scored two runs. 
 
Drotar also looked solid in the circle on top of her 2-for-3 day at the plate, going 2.0 innings in relief with one hit and three strikeouts. 
 
 
NOTES: 

• South Carolina is 5-0 since returning home last week with four wins in the Gamecock Invitational and the other tonight. The Gamecocks have scored 49 runs during the stretch with a .438 batting average and a .800 slugging percentage. Mackenzie Boesel has led the way at the plate during those games with a .667 batting average, 10 hits and six RBI. 
• 10 games in, the Gamecocks have been led by Cayla Drotar at the plate. The most recent SEC Player of the Week has batted .462 with 13 RBI and a .846 slugging percentage. In the circle, Drotar and Dixie Raley have combined for a 7-1 record with 36 strikeouts. 
• With the victory, the Gamecocks improved their season-high winning streak to five games. 
• South Carolina improved to 286-198 under head coach Beverly Smith with the win on Thursday.