No. 23 Gamecocks Fall to No. 7 Volunteers in 10 Innings

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The 23rd ranked South Carolina softball team (22-8, 0-4) dropped its SEC home opener Saturday night (March 23) to No. 7 Tennessee (24-4, 4-0) 2-1 in 10 innings.

Jen Cummings led the Gamecocks with two hits on the night, including a double, and drove in Carolina’s run. Four other players each recorded a hit.

Jori Heard started in the circle for South Carolina, throwing three innings, allowing one run on one hit and striking out four. Sage Mardjetko (5-3) took the loss, tossing the final seven innings, striking out five while scattering five hits.

Carolina jumped out to an early lead, scoring in the first inning for the ninth time this season. Denver Bryant led off with a single up the middle before moving to second on a wild pitch, and third on a groundout. She scored easily when Jen Cummings brought her home on a deep sacrifice fly to center.

The Lady Vols tied it in the third after a leadoff walk and a single through the right side.

The score would stay that way for a while as the game went into extra innings for the sixth time this season for the Gamecocks. After neither team scored in the eighth or ninth, the Volunteers broke through in the 10th.

A single, wild pitch, and groundout put the runner on third. A flyout to Riley Blampied in center initially looked to be a double play as the runner was thrown out at home. However, upon further review, the call was overturned, and the runner ruled safe. Carlie Henderson led off the bottom of the 10th with a single, but the Gamecocks were unable to bring her home.

It was the second straight multi-extra inning game for Carolina, the first time they’ve done that since March 13, 2004, against LSU. It was the first time in program history playing back-to-back 10-plus inning games.

Game two of the series is tomorrow at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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.