COLUMBIA, S.C. - The South Carolina softball team (32-12) swept a doubleheader from Charleston Southern (17-24) Wednesday afternoon (Apr. 19) to close out non-conference play, winning game one 5-0 and earning an 11-2 run-rule victory in game two.

Aniyah Black led the Gamecocks on the day, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Jen Cummings and Brooke Blankenship each collected a pair of hits. Marissa Gonzalez led the way with four RBIs, while Cummings drove in three.

GAME 1

The Gamecocks finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs. After a Marissa Gonzalez walk and a Giulia Desiderio fielder's choice, Jordan Fabian layed down a perfect sacrifice squeeze, scoring Gonzalez. Two outs later, Aniyah Black singled up the middle, scoring Desiderio. Fabian scored on a double steal and pinch runner Kyye Ricks came around to score on throwing error but the catcher, after she stole third.

South Carolina's final run came in the sixth when Marissa Gonzalez brought home Blankenship on a sacrifice fly.

Rachel Vaughan started in the circle for Carolina and tossed three scoreless innings, allowing three hits, and striking out two. Bailey Betenbaugh relieved Vaughan and threw three scoreless to earn the win and improve to 7-1 on the season. She retired all nine batters she faced, three coming via the strikeout. Jori Heard came on in the seventh to close the door and retire all three batters. The Carolina staff on the day earned its third straight shutout, allowing three hits, and striking out six Buccaneers.

GAME 2

Carolina didn't wait to score in the second game, as it put up seven runs in the first. The Charleston Southern starting pitcher walked the first six batter of the inning, bringing home three runs. Two more runs came home on a fielder's choice off the bat of Gonzalez. One out later, Emma Sellers tripled to the right-center gap, scoring Gonzalez. Sellers capped off the inning when she scored on a wild pitch.

CSU got a run back in the second, but the Gamecocks added to their lead in the third when Seller's suicide squeeze bunt scored pinch runner Aaliyah White.

South Carolina put the game away in the fourth, scoring three more times. A walk and an infield single to start the inning allowed Cummings to bring home Riley Blampied and pinch runner Haley Simpson on a single through the right side. Gonzalez followed with an infield single, scoring Blankenship, putting the run-rule into effect.

The Bucs tacked on a run in the top of the fifth, but reliver Karsen Ochs got a strikeout to end the game.

Starting pitcher Leah Powell earned her second win of the season, throwing three innings and allowing one run on two hits. Ochs threw the final two innings, allowing one run on three hits and striking out a pair.

Up Next

The Gamecocks travel to Georgia for an SEC series with the 12th ranked Bulldogs beginning April 21 at 6:30 p.m.