Betenbaugh Tosses Complete Game Shutout To Close Weekend
Carolina takes down Elon with 4-0 win
COLUMBIA, S.C. —- In her first career start and appearance, No. 22 South Carolina softball’s Bailey Betenbaugh tossed a complete-game shutout to lead the Gamecocks to a 4-0 win over Elon on Sunday night to close the Gamecock Invitational at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field. She didn’t allow the lone Phoenix hit until there was one out in the top of the seventh and finished with nine strikeouts on her way to earning her first result.
At the plate Katie Prebble, Hannah Kumiyama and Haley Simpson produced RBI while six different Gamecocks finished with hits. Lauren Stewart finished with two of the four runs while Mackenzie Boesel and Madison Owens crossed the plate, as well. Boesel went 1-for-1 at the plate with a walk and hit by pitch.
With a perfect 4-0 weekend, Carolina improved to 28-0 in the Gamecock Invitational over the past six years and 48-1 in its past 49 home tournament games.
South Carolina (10-3) faced pressure in the first as Elon found a way to load the bases with just one out before Betenbaugh avoided giving up a run thanks in part to Jana Johns’ running glove flip to catcher Anna Vest who stepped on home for the force out at home.
Carolina started its scoring in the bottom frame as Stewart scored from third on an errant throw from the Elon catcher attempting to back-pick her and gave the Garnet and Black a 1-0 lead through the first inning.
The scoring continued in the third as Prebble singled home a run to make it 2-0, Gamecocks, through three. Kumiyama’s pinch-hit single to score Owens and Simpson’s sacrifice flyout an at-bat later gave Carolina the 4-0 lead through six it wouldn’t surrender.
Carolina finished the week with a perfect 5-0 record, having outscored teams 34-6. Two different freshmen pitchers, Betenbaugh and Karsen Ochs, tossed complete-game shutouts during the week.
UP NEXT:
South Carolina continues its home tour on Wednesday with a mid-week game against Georgia Southern on SEC Network+ at 5:30 PM. Live stats will be on gamecocksonline.com, as well.
