Gamecocks Earn Opening Day Walk Off Win

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina softball earned head coach Ashley Chastain her first victory in dramatic fashion Thursday night (Feb. 6). The Gamecocks came back from four runs down in the bottom of the seventh to earn the walk-off win over Virginia 7-6. The game was the first of the Gamecock Invitational.

Quincee Lilio shined for Carolina in the leadoff spot, finishing the night 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a walk. Abigail Knight also finished 3-for-4 with an RBI. Jori Head earned the win in relief, tossing four innings, allowing three unearned runs on two hits while striking out six.

The Cavaliers jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the top of the first. UVA added two more in the fifth and another in the sixth.

 Carolina got one back in the second after a single from Sam Gress, a Virginia error, and a single to center by Lilio that scored Gress.

The Gamecocks scored one in the bottom half of the fifth. Arianna Rodi led off with a double to right center and advanced to third on a fly out. Rodi would score when Knight singled to left.

Trailing 6-2 in the bottom of the seventh, South Carolina rallied back. Ella Chancey reached on an error and Brooke Blankenship walked. One out later, Knight loaded the bases with a single to right. Pinch hitter Emma Sellers plated the first run of the inning with a full-count walk. Shae Anderson followed suit with a bases loaded walk of her own.

Lilio would tie the game with a single back up the middle, scoring Sellers and Knight. With the winning run on third, Karley Shelton hit a groundball to the Virginia first baseman. She attempted to throw home, but the ball bounced in the dirt, allowing Anderson to score and send the Gamecocks into celebration mode.

For Carolina, it was the program’s first walk-off win at home since taking down Winthrop on April 3, 2022. It’s their largest 7th inning or later comeback when trailing by four-plus runs since defeating Missouri 7-4 on May 11, 2016, in eight innings after trailing 4-0 in the seventh.

The two teams will meet in a rematch tomorrow (Feb. 7) at 2:30 p.m. during day two of the Gamecock Invitational.

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.