Gamecocks Sweep Gardner-Webb
Carolina moves to 2-0 on week filled with six games
COLUMBIA, S.C. —- No. 24 South Carolina softball swept a pair of games Tuesday in its doubleheader against Gardner-Webb at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field. The Gamecocks took the first game in five innings with a 12-4 run-rule before closing the day with an 8-0 run-rule victory in five innings.
Carolina (15-6) outscored the Runnin Bulldogs (1-10) 20-4 in 10 innings with 14 hits and 18 free bases. The Garnet and Black drew 10 walks in the opening game and five hit by pitches in the second on its way to a .593 on-base percentage between the two games.
Karsen Ochs (3-2) and Leah Powell (4-0) earned the wins in the circle. Ochs went 2.1 innings with four strikeouts and no hits allowed in the opening game while Powell went 4.0 innings with a career-best six strikeouts and just two hits.
Kassidy Krupit’s grand slam in the second game propelled her to a team-best five RBI in the two games while she tied Kenzi Maguire with a South Carolina-best three hits.
SOUTH CAROLINA 12 | GARDNER-WEBB 4 (5 INNINGS) – RECAP
The Gamecocks bounced back from the weekend results in commanding fashion as they run-ruled Gardner-Webb 12-4 in five innings of work. Mackenzie Boesel and Kenzi Maguire combined for a 5-for-7 game with four runs scored and five RBI as Carolina posted double-digit runs in a game for the first time since March 5.
Carolina scored in every inning, including a five-run first on its way to the victory. Boesel (2), Maguire (3), Katie Prebble (1), Kassidy Krupit (1) and Chooch Carroll (4) were responsible for the the runs produced in the opening game.
Carroll shined at the plate, posting a 2-for-3 performance with a career-best four RBI.
SOUTH CAROLINA 8 | GARDNER-WEBB 0 (5 INNINGS) – RECAP
Kassidy Krupit’s grand slam in the bottom of the fourth proved to be the deciding factor in South Carolina’s 8-0 run-rule win over the Runnin Bulldogs in five innings to close the day. Leading 4-0 in the frame, Krupit’s four-run blast followed three-consecutive hit by pitches as the Gamecocks earned their 10th run-rule win of the season.
Krupit posted a 2-for-3 game with a run scored and four RBI. Katie Prebble and Jordan Fabian posted RBI, as well. Aaliyah White was 1-for-1 with a walk and hit by pitch while Kylee Gleason was 1-for-1 with a walk, too.
NOTABLE
- Carolina drew 10 walks in the first game, which tied the school record for walks in a game in the Beverly Smith era.
- As a team, Carolina hit .412 in the two games with five-extra base hits.
- Kassidy Krupit’s grand slam in the second game broke a streak of four-straight games without a home run for South Carolina. The previous longest drought this season was one game.
- The Garnet and Black has been patient at the plate this year and won’t move when the ball is coming its way. It’s posted at least one free base (walk or hit by pitch) in 20 of the first 21 games.
- South Carolina has flashed the wheels on the bases this year as it has at least one stolen base in 13 games so far and two or more eight times. It has 18 games with at least one double and seven games with at least one triple.
