Softball Drops Series Finale to Gators

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina softball team (23-20, 3-12) fell to No. 6 Florida (40-5, 14-4) 6-1 Sunday (April 12) to close out the series.

Karley Shelton led the Gamecocks offensively with a pair of hits.

The Gators opened the game with a double and scored the runner with a single to get on the board. The Gamecocks answered in the bottom of the third inning when Shelton hit a solo home run down the right field line for her fifth of the year.

Florida reclaimed the lead in the fourth inning, putting up two more runs on a double and an error, and added three more in the fifth.

The Gamecocks had two runners on base in five of the first six innings but were unable to push another run across the plate.

Jori Heard (6-8) started and took the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, in four innings of work while striking out three. Nealy Lamb pitched two innings in relief, allowing one run. Emma Friedal finished the game in the circle, shutting the Gators out in the seventh.

South Carolina travels to the Upstate April 14 for the final game of the Palmetto Series Presented by the SC Education Lottery at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the ACC 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.