Columbia S.C. – No. 12 South Carolina scored 10 unanswered runs, including six in the bottom of the second inning, to down Furman, 10-2, in non-conference softball action Tuesday evening at Carolina Softball Stadium.
With the victory, the Gamecocks improved to 37-13 overall on the season. The Paladins dropped to 15-34.
Furman jumped on top of the Gamecocks with two runs in the top of the first inning.
Sylvia Burroughs reached base on a one-out single and
Kiley Perry followed with a double off the center field wall. Freshman
Rachel Hawkins put Furman in front by lining a double past the second baseman and into the right-centerfield gap to plate both runners.
South Carolina answered with their own rally in the bottom of the second. Consecutive four-pitch walks opened the frame and Emma Sellers loaded the bases with a single. Emily Vinson reached on a fielder's choice to get the Gamecocks on the board and Quincee Lilio tied the game with a single through the left side. South Carolina took the lead on Karley Shelton's line drive double to left-center to plate Vinson and Lilio before Arianna Rodi chased starter
Emme Buzhardt with an RBI single to give the Gamecocks a 5-2 advantage. Reliever
Lily O'Bryan issued walks to the first two batters she faced and Brooke Blankenship added to the South Carolina rally with a sacrifice fly to right field to cap the six-run inning.
Leading 7-2 in the bottom of the sixth, South Carolina's Ella Chancey worked a one-out walk and Audrey Wilson added to the Gamecock advantage with a two-run blast to left field to send the Paladins back to the bullpen. Nia McKnight greeted reliever
Lauralee Scott with a double and Mya Flindt lined an RBI double to left to trigger the mercy rule.
Jori Heard (15-2) picked up her 15
th win in the circle for the Gamecocks after retiring all eight batters she faced in relief of starter Nealy Lamb. Heard fanned four batters without allowing a walk.
Shelton and Rodi each totaled a pair of hits for the Gamecocks, who managed 11 safeties in six innings.
Buzhardt took the loss for Furman to fall to 6-12 on the year. She was charged with six runs on five hits in 1.1 innings of work.
The Paladins return home on Saturday to celebrate Senior Day with a 1 p.m. doubleheader versus the Mercer Bears at Pepsi Stadium. Furman and Mercer conclude the regular season with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.