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South Carolina

Ashley Chastain Woodard explains questionable out ruling on Karley Shelton vs. UCLA

Danby: Daniel Hager05/24/25DanielHagerOn3
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May 7, 2025; Athens, GA, USA; South Carolina infielder Karley Shelton (33) reacts to the strikeout during a game against Alabama at Jack Turner Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

South Carolina suffered an extremely disappointing loss to UCLA Saturday night in the second game of the Columbia Super Regional, as it had the Bruins down to their final strike before UCLA third baseman Jordan Woolery belted a walk-off two-run home run to give them the 5-4 win.

If they could have finished off the win, the Gamecocks would be heading to the Women’s College World Series but will instead now be clashing in game three of the Super Regional against UCLA. Two of their four total runs were scored in the top of the sixth inning, an inning cut short by a mental mistake on the bases by second baseman Karley Shelton.

With the bases loaded, Shelton grounded into a fielder’s choice at home but abandoned first base thinking that UCLA had recorded the final out of the inning. Bruin first baseman Megan Grant then tagged first base, finishing off the double play to get out of the bases-loaded jam. South Carolina head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard defended Shelton postgame.

“Once the player enters the dugout they’re automatically out so unfortunately Karley’s version was that she thought there were two outs,” Woodard said. “She thought there were two outs and that was the third out of the inning. That was an unfortunate mental mistake on her part but I’ll stand behind her on sometimes those things happen.”

Following Shelton’s mistake to end the top of the sixth inning, UCLA rallied and scored four of its five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to steal the win in Columbia. If Carolina had kept the bases loaded with just two outs, who knows if the Bruins would even be in position to win the game.

“We had some momentum there,” Woodard said. “Who knows if we would’ve scored some more but she knew the play went home that she thought was the third out of the inning and that’s why she vacated.”

With the Columbia Super Regional now tied at 1-1, the Gamecocks and Bruins will clash in the deciding game on Sunday. South Carolina has made three appearances in the Women’s College World Series, but haven’t made it to Oklahoma City since 1997. UCLA has made 33 appearances in the event with wins coming in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2004, 2010 and 2019. The Bruins are seeking their ninth appearance in Oklahoma City in the last 10 years.