Gamecocks Drop Series Opener To Arkansas

COLUMBIA, S.C. —- No. 20 South Carolina softball had six freshmen make their Southeastern Conference debut as the Gamecocks dropped a 4-1 game to No. 19 Arkansas on Friday in its SEC opener at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field. Arkansas scored three runs on two home runs on its way to its 17th-straight win.
 
Carolina (13-4, 0-1 SEC) scored its lone run of the evening in the bottom of the fifth off Aaliyah White’s two-out single to score Jordan Fabian. The RBI hit cut the deficit to 2-1 through five innings of play.
 
Arkansas (18-2, 1-0) responded with three runs in the top of the sixth to seal the series-opening victory.
 
Fabian and Kassidy Krupit each posted two-hit nights as the Garnet and Black finished with six hits.
 
Mary Haff (11-1) earned the win in the circle. One of the toughest pitchers to face in the country, she went all seven innings with 10 strikeouts and no extra-base hits allowed. Kelsey Oh (1-3) took the loss in seven innings of work. She had three strikeouts.
 
White and Cayla Drotar posted hits, as well, for the Gamecocks.
 
NOTABLE

• Carolina had six freshmen (Aaliyah White, Skylar Trahan, Maddie Gallagher, Zoe Laneaux, Carlie Henderson and Chooch Carroll) make the SEC debut on Friday night. Three (White, Laneaux and Henderson) earned their first conference start.
• South Carolina has not yet dropped back-to-back games this season. It is 3-0 in games immediately following a loss.
• The Gamecocks moved to 16-11 all-time in the series against Arkansas in Columbia.
• Kassidy Krupit produced her seventh multi-hit game of the year while Jordan Fabian posted her fourth.
• Krupit currently has a South Carolina best three-game hitting streak after the Friday night game.