Gamecocks Drop Series Opener to Tigers

AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 13/11 South Carolina (35-12, 10-9) softball team fell at Auburn (29-20, 5-17) 8-7 Friday night (Apr. 25).

Vinson finished with a career night, going 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored. It was the third three-hit game of her career, with her first hit of the night being the 100th of her career. Quincee Lilio, Ella Chancey, Lexi Winters, and Abigail Knight all collected two hits on the night. Karley Shelton and Knight led Carolina with two RBIs.

The Gamecocks took the lead in the top of the first. Lilio singled and Shelton was hit by a pitch, and then one out later, Chancey singled to load the bases. Winters brought home Lilio on a single down the left field line and Brooke Blankenship scored Shelton on a sacrifice fly to center. The sac fly was Blankenship’s seventh of the season, moving her into a tie for third all-time in a season.

Carolina added two more in the second. Emma Sellers and Vinson led off with back-to-back singles. One out later, Shelton singled down the right field line, scoring both runners.

The Tigers scored two runs in the bottom of the second.

Vinson capped off her night with a solo home run to left center for her second homer of the season.

South Carolina extended the lead in the top of the seventh when Chancey and Winters reached on back-to-back singles before scoring on a single from Knight.

The teams had to wait through an 88-minute weather delay just as the bottom of the seventh began. After play resumed, Auburn scored six runs in the inning to earn the walk-off.

Sam Gress (10-8) took the loss, tossing 3 1-3 inning of relief, allowing six runs, five earned, on four hits.

Game two of the series will be tomorrow at 2 p.m. CT

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.