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No. 22 Softball Hosts Charleston Southern for Doubleheader Wednesday
Softball  . 

No. 22 Softball Hosts Charleston Southern for Doubleheader Wednesday

#22 South Carolina Gamecocks 22-10
#22 South Carolina Gamecocks 22-10
vs.
Charleston Southern Buccaneers 14-15
Charleston Southern Buccaneers 14-15
Columbia, S.C. | Carolina Softball Stadium
ONLINE:

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The 22nd ranked South Carolina softball team welcomes to Carolina Softball Stadium Charleston Southern for a doubleheader Wednesday (March 27). First pitch for game one is scheduled for 3 p.m., with game two beginning 45 minutes after the conclusion of game one.

Series Information
Series History: South Carolina leads 26-2
Last Meeting: South Carolina 11, Charleston Southern 2 (5) | April 19, 2023 | Columbia, S.C.
Last 10 games
4/18/2017 – H – W – 12-0 (5)
4/18/2017 – H – W – 7-1
5/2/2018 – H – W – 14-0
2/21/2019 – H – W – 9-1
4/7/2021 – H – W – 9-2
4/7/2021 – H – W – 8-0 (5)
3/2/2022 – H – W – 16-2 (5)
3/2/2022 – H – W – 5-2
4/19/2023 – H – W – 5-0
4/19/2023 – H –  W –  11-2 (5)

#22 South Carolina Gamecocks 22-10, 0-6 SEC
Coach: Beverly Smith | 14th Season
AVG Leader: .365 | Carlie Henderson
RBI Leader: 22 | Riley Blampied
Home Run Leader: 4 | Reganne Bennett
ERA Leader: 0.68 | Reganne Bennett
Strikeout Leader: 68 | Sage Mardjetko
Wins Leader: 8 | Alana Vawter

Charleston Southern Buccaneers 14-15, 1-2 Big South
Coach: Christi Musser | 4th Season
AVG Leader: .352 | Lee, Madelyne
RBI Leader: 9 | Madelyne Lee and Charlee Yourman
Home Run Leader: 1 | Gracie Prince and Carsten Sandvig
ERA Leader: 2.34 | Nealy Lamb
Strikeout Leader: 72 | Nealy Lamb
Wins Leader: 7 | Nealy Lamb

LEADING OFF

  • The 2024 season will be the 51st season for the Carolina Softball team.
  • Carolina received votes in one poll this week. They moved up in the NFCA/USA Today poll and are now ranked No. 22.
  • The Gamecocks and Buccaneers have played 28 times, with 21 of those coming in Columbia. Carolina has won the last 15 meetings.
  • Carolina is 20-1 all-time at home, with the lone loss coming in 2012.
  • The Gamecocks are coming off a win over in-state rival Clemson 6-4 in 12 innings.
    • It was the longest game for Carolina since a 4-3 loss to Arkansas on April 15, 2000.
    • It was Carolina’s first win in the series since 1979.
  • Carolina combined to shutout then-No. 24 Boston U, earning a 3-0 victory in eight innings.
    • It was the first time the Terriers had been shut out this season.
  • The Gamecocks recorded three straight shutouts during the Garnet & Black Invitational.
  • Jori Heard threw a perfect game in the 4-0 win over Bethune-Cookman on March 2. It was the first 7-inning perfect game in Division I this season.
    • Heard’s perfect game is the 11th in program history, as she becomes the seventh Gamecock pitcher to earn perfection.
    • It was the first perfect game for South Carolina since Melissa Hendon against Pittsburgh on March 4, 2007.
    • Six of Carolina’s 10 previous perfect games came between 1995 and 1997 and were thrown by either Trinity Johnson (5) or Darlene Gareis (2).

VAWTER ON THE NATIONAL STAGE

Alana Vawter joined the Gamecocks after an outstanding four-year career at Stanford. Her awards list in long, but she also ranks among the nation’s active career leaders in a myriad of pitching categories:

  • She ranks first in not only Division I but among all NCAA players in:
    • Game started: 115
    • Innings pitched: 762 2-3
  • Ranks third in DI and fourth overall in wins (86)
  • Ranks third in DI and fifth overall in complete games (77)
  • Ranks third in DI and sixth overall in shutouts (28)
  • Ranks fourth in DI and NCAA in appearances with 147
  • Ranks 17th in DI in ERA with a 1.80
  • Ranks 16th in DI and 34th overall in strikeouts at 582

OUCH…THAT HURT!

  • Jen Cummings ranks 3rd in DI with 47 career high by pitches.
  • She also ranks 5th among all divisions.

IT’S GOOD TO BE HOME

  • For the fourth straight season, South Carolina is set for over 30 home games.
  • Carolina will host 33 home contests, including the Gamecock Invitational, Garnet & Black Invitational, and Carolina Classic.
  • They will play just two true non-conference road games and seven neutral site games. The schedule also includes 12 road SEC games.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

  • South Carolina is 257-123 (.676) at home during the Beverly Smith era, which includes a 4-1 record at home while hosting a regional at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
  • Carolina has finished .500 or better at home 10 of Beverly Smith’s 13 years.
  • Prior to 2021, South Carolina had not lost double digit games at home in seven years and has won 20 or more seven of the past eight seasons (2020 included).

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS IS NOTHING NEW FOR SC

  • South Carolina is 266-69 (.794) over the past nine years in games outside the SEC. Notable wins include Clemson, Boston U, Utah, Texas, Penn State, Houston, Arizona State, North Carolina, Florida State, California, Virginia Tech, USF, Long Beach State, Hofstra, Liberty, and UCF.
  • Carolina had won 26-straight non-conference games (regular season) before a loss to Texas Tech in the second weekend of the 2020 season.

CAROLINA RUNS THIS STATE

  • Under the direction of head coach Beverly Smith, Carolina owns an 87-12 mark against other Palmetto State schools.
  • That mark includes a 31-game winning streak that stretched over five seasons before Coastal Carolina snapped the streak in 2017.
  • South Carolina went 7-2 last season against in-state foes.

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.

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