Gamecocks Win Opening Game Of SEC Tournament
Carolina takes down Auburn 3-1 to start week in Tuscaloosa
TUSCALOOSA, AL. —- South Carolina softball opened the 2021 Southeastern Conference Tournament with a 3-1 victory over Auburn on Tuesday afternoon at Rhoads Stadium on the campus of Alabama. Carolina scored a run in each of the first two innings and added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to move on in the tournament.
Making her postseason debut, Leah Powell (10-6) posted a complete-game performance in the circle. She allowed just one run on four hits with two strikeouts. Including the final out of the first inning, she retired 13-straight Tiger batters in the game and 19 of the final 20 in order.
Kenzi Maguire continued to shine against SEC competition as she produced a 2-for-2 afternoon with two runs scored with two walks.
South Carolina will move on to face LSU 35 minutes after the conclusion of the first game of the day on Wednesday (which starts at noon ET between Ole Miss and Mississippi State) on SEC Network.
The Gamecocks (26-25) started the scoring in the top of the first as Jordan Fabian’s sacrifice fly out scored Maguire from third to put Carolina on top, 1-0. Auburn later scored in the bottom frame to tie the game at 1-1 through the first inning.
With bases loaded in the top of the second, Maguire drew a base-loaded walk to push across the second run of the game to give the Garnet and Black a 2-1 lead it wouldn’t surrender.
Cayla Drotar plated an insurance run in the top of the seventh to push the lead to 3-1.
Maguire, Mackenzie Boesel, Drotar, Riley Blampied, Carlie Henderson and Kylee Gleason posted hits in the game.
