Rodi’s Homer Lifts No. 10 Gamecocks Past No. 12 Arkansas

FAYETTVILLE, Ark. – A three-run home run by Arianna Rodi in the top of the fifth powered the No. 10/11 South Carolina softball team (32-9, 7-7) past No. 12/10 Arkansas (30-9, 9-8) 5-4 Saturday night (Apr. 12).

Emma Sellers was perfect on the night going 3-for-3 to lead the Gamecocks. The top of Carolina’s lineup (Quincee Lilio, Karley Shelton, and Rodi) finished with six hits and four RBIs.

The Razorbacks jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the first and another in the second. That would be the only runs they would manage as Nealy Lamb and Sam Gress held them without a run the rest of the way.

The Gamecocks got on the board with two runs in the third. After back-to-back singles from Sellers and Emily Vinson led off the inning, a sacrifice bunt by Lilio moved the runners up. Shelton grounded out to second, scoring Sellers. Vinson then scampered home on a wild pitch.

The final blow came in the fifth when Lilio and Shelton knocked back-to-back leadoff singles. With a 1-0 count, Rodi connected on her 12th home run of the season. Rodi extended her on-base streak to 33 games and the home run moves her into a tie for fifth for a single season in program history.

Arkansas loaded the bases in the sixth, but Gress was able to work out of the jam and strand the runners.

Lamb improved to 9-0 on the season, tossing 3 1-3 innings of relief, allowing one run on four hits. Gress earned her fourth save of the season, throwing the final 2 2-3 and scattering three hits. Jori Heard started in the circle allowing three runs, one earned, on two hits in an inning of work.

The rubber match of the series will be tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET.

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.