Carolina Run Rules Kansas To Highlight Split

CLEARWATER, Fla. —- No. 18 South Carolina split its Friday games at the 2020 St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational at the Eddie C. Moore Complex. Carolina closed the day with a 10-0 run-rule victory in six innings over Kansas after dropping the opening game, 8-6, to Virginia Tech.
 
Carolina now sits at 1-2 in the tournament with two games left and holds a 5-2 overall record for the 2020 season.
 
VIRGINIA TECH 8 SOUTH CAROLINA 6 – RECAP
No. 18 South Carolina softball dropped an 8-6 game to Virginia Tech on Friday at the Eddie C. Moore Complex (Field 8). Mackenzie Boesel blasted a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth to give the Gamecocks a 5-3 lead but a four-run sixth for the Hokies proved to be the difference in the back-and-forth contest.
 
Cayla Drotar (1-1) took the loss in the circle in 5.1 innings of action as Virginia Tech improved to 5-2.
 
The Gamecocks fought back the whole morning, starting in the first after the Hokies took a 2-0 lead in the top frame with a two-run home run. Drotar cut the lead in half in the bottom frame with a single down the line in left to make it 2-1 after the first full inning.
 
Virginia Tech pushed the lead to 3-1 in the top of the third before Boesel’s first home run of the season, a grand slam, gave the Gamecocks a 5-3 lead through three full.
 
The four-run sixth for the Hokies would be the final difference in the game even though Carolina scored in the bottom frame thanks to Haley Simpson’s second triple of the game before Kenzi Maguire doubled her home to make it 7-6, Hokies, heading to the seventh.
 
Boesel, Drotar, Lauren Stewart, Madison Owens and Simpson were responsible for the seven Carolina hits. With two triples, Simpson became the first Gamecock since 2005 to achieve the mark.
 
Karly Heath came on in relief, as well. She went 1.2 innings in her first action in the circle in 2020.
 
SOUTH CAROLINA 10 KANSAS 0 (SIX INNINGS) – RECAP
No. 18 South Carolina softball posted its first shutout victory of the season in a commanding 10-0 run-rule win in six innings to close its day at the Eddie C. Moore Complex (Field 9). The Gamecocks posted a seven-run sixth highlighted with Katie Prebble’s three-run walk-off home run to end the day with a pop.
 
Carolina never trailed in the victorious effort as both teams traded scoreless frames through the third. Prebble opened the scoring in bottom of the fourth with a one-out single to score two and give the Gamecocks a 2-0 lead through four.
 
The scoring continued in the fifth as Lauren Stewart singled home a run to push the advantage to 3-0 through five full.
 
South Carolina’s seven-run sixth inning was highlighted with Kassidy Krupit, Jana Johns and Prebble RBI. Five of the seven runs in the sixth came with two outs.
 
Prebble led the way with a 2-for-4 performance highlighted with the three-run home run as she finished with five RBI. Krupit had two RBI on one hit while Johns and Stewart had an RBI, as well.
 
Kelsey Oh (4-1) was stellar once more in the circle, going all six innings with just two hits allowed and a season-best 11 strikeouts. She’s finished with eight or more strikeouts in four of her five outings this season.
 
UP NEXT
The Gamecocks continue on in the tournament Saturday night at 8:00 PM on ESPNU against No. 1 Washington. Live stats will be provided on gamecocksonline.com.
 
For more information on the Gamecocks, continue to check with gamecocksonline.com.