No. 20 Gamecocks Explode for 24 Runs in Sweep
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – The No. 20 South Carolina softball team capped off the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge with a sweep, defeating UC Davis 6-4 in eight innings and UC San Diego 18-1 in five innings. The Gamecocks now stand at 8-1 on the season.
Aniyah Black and Sage Mardjetko were named to the All-Tournament Team.
GAME 1
South Carolina scored first in the top of the second against the Aggies. Karley Shelton doubled and Zoe Laneaux walked to put runners on the corners. A double steal brought Shelton home and gave Carolina the lead. UC Davis responded in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out single to tie the game.
In the third, Brooke Blankenship led off with a double down the left field line and Riley Blampied scored her on a single up the middle. Kianna Jones followed with a home run to right field. It initially looked like the right fielder would make the catch, but she ran into the fence and the ball fell over the wall for her third home run of the season.
The Aggies would tie it in the fifth, scoring three runs, two of which were unearned.
The game remained tied and went to extra innings, where the international tiebreaker was used. Starting with Kyye Ricks on second base, Cummings laid down a sacrifice bunt to move her to third. Ricks would score when the UCD shortstop tried to throw her out at home on a groundball by Marissa Gonzalez. After a walk to Laneaux, Giulia Desiderio was hit on the first pitch to bring home pinch runner Carlie Henderson.
Sage Mardjetko sat the Aggies down in order in the bottom of the eighth, getting a strikeout to end the game. She earned her third win of the season, throwing four innings of relief, scattering two hits, and striking out four. Jori Heard starting for Carolina in the circle, allowing four runs, two earned, over four innings of work.
GAME 2
South Carolina scored 11 runs in the fourth inning as it scored multiple runs in four of the five innings. The 18 runs are the most for Carolina since scoring 21 against Tennessee Tech last season on February 25.
Reganne Bennett was 3-for-4 with a pair of homers and three RBIs while picking up the win in the circle. She improved to 2-0 on the season as she went the distance, scattering three hits and an unearned run while walking two and striking out four.
Riley Blampied was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored to lead the 15-hit attack for the Gamecocks. Aniyah Black added two hits and drove in three.
Aniyah Black’s two-run double in the first gave Carolina an early 2-0 lead.
Bennett hit a moon shot to deep left to lead off the second for her the first home run of her career. Black added an RBI single later in the inning.
Blampied had a two-run single and an RBI single in the fourth as the Gamecocks scored 11 times in the inning to blow the game open. Zoe Laneaux and Denver Bryant added RBI singles while Jen Cummings had a two-run single. Carlie Henderson also brought in a run on a bases loaded walk. Regan Marchant and Natalie Heath each recorded their first career RBIs on a walk and a fielder’s choice.
Bennett capped off the night with a two-run home run on a 1-1 pitch in the fifth.
The Tritons got on the board in the third on a hit by a pitch, before the runner stole second and third, and scored on an error.
South Carolina returns home to host Furman February 21 at 6 p.m.
For the latest on South Carolina Softball, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockSoftbll, Facebook /GamecockSoftball, and Instagram @GamecockSoftball.
