Prebble Homers Twice as Gamecocks Split Doubleheader
ORLANDO, Fla. – The South Carolina softball team split the second day of the UCF Round Robin, as the Gamecocks defeated Florida Gulf Coast 16-1, before falling to No. 24 UCF 5-4. Carolina’s record now stands at 12-6.
In the first game, Katie Prebble went 4-for-4 with two home runs, four RBIs and four runs scored. She’s the first player to have two home runs in a game since Jana Johns on May 3, 2019, and the first with 10 total bases and three extra-base hits since Cayla Drotar did so Feb. 16, 2019.
For the day, Riley Blampied led the way with five hits to go along with three RBIs and three runs scored. Emma Sellers and Maddie Gallagher each collected three hits. Jordan Fabian finished with four runs and four RBIs.
GAME 1
The Gamecocks jumped out to an early lead in the second inning when Prebble led off the inning with her sixth home run of the season, a blast to center on a 2-2 pitch. Blampied followed with a single, and after an FGCU error, she scored on a single by Gallagher. Later, with two on and two outs in the inning, Fabian connected on a 2-0 pitch and put it nearly into the street beyond left field, for her third home run of the season.
Carolina added to its lead in the third. Hannah Kumiyama led off the inning with a single to right and Prebble stepped in and with a 1-1 count, clobbered her second home run is as many innings down the left field line. Blampied followed with a double and later scored on another single by Gallagher.
Starting pitcher Kelsey Oh pitched out of jams in the third and fourth innings, as the Eagles put two runners on in each frame.
South Carolina exploded in the fifth inning, scoring eight runs on six hits. The scoring started with RBI singles by Aaliyah White and Carlie Henderson. Fabian was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring home another run. Sellers followed with an RBI single, Kumiyama brought home a run on a sacrifice fly to center, Prebble brought in another on a single, and Blampied doubled to score the final two runs.
FGCU scored their lone run of the game in the bottom of the fifth.
Oh threw four innings to earn her fourth victory of the season. She did not allow a run as she scattered four hits and struck out three. On her birthday, Bailey Betenbaugh came in for the final inning, allowing a run on one hit and struck out the final batter of the game.
GAME 2
South Carolina jumped out to an early lead, scoring runs in each of the first two innings. In the first, Fabian and Sellers drew back-to-back walks to start the game. Two outs later, Blampied hit a rope just over the first baseman’s head, scoring Fabian.
Giulia Desiderio led off the second with a single and Gallagher followed with a single of her own. A groundout by Henderson allowed Desiderio to score from third to extend the lead.
In the fourth, UCF took the lead on a three-run home run. The Gamecocks would bounce back, tying the game in the fifth on an infield single by Kumiyama and a Knight’s error. UCF had an answer of their own in the bottom half of the inning, scoring on a two-out single.
Heading to the seventh and trailing by one, Fabian led off with a single up the middle and stole second. She moved to third on a single by Sellers and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Kumiyama.
In the bottom of the seventh, UCF got a pair of one-out walks and a single to left-center that scored the game-winner.
In the circle, Karsen Ochs took the loss in relief, allowing one earned run on one hit and two strikeouts in an inning of work. Leah Powell got the start and went four innings, allowing three runs, two earned, striking out two and scattering three hits. Rachel Vaughan also pitched 1 1-3 innings of relief, giving up one run on two hits.
The Gamecocks wrap up the round robin tournament tomorrow, March 6, in a rematch against FGCU at 9 a.m.
For the latest on South Carolina Softball, visit GamecockSoftball.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockSoftbll, Facebook /GamecockSoftball, and Instagram @GamecockSoftball.
