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No. 17 South Carolina makes statement, clinches series at No. 8 Duke

Screenshot 2024-07-31 at 7.46.34 PMby: Brady Vernon03/01/25BradyVernon
Screenshot 2025-03-01 at 1.16.31 PM
Courtesy of South Carolina Athletics

No. 17 South Carolina is certainly earning respect this weekend. The Gamecocks took a punch and fought back to beat No. 8 Duke 4-2, clinching the series win in Durham.

The Gamecocks’ win on Saturday was much different than their series opening victory. South Carolina never had its big inning but found ways to score against Dani Drogemuller and Cassidy Curd.

The Gamecocks responded quickly after Duke tied the game on a KK Mathis flare in the sixth. They put two runners on after working full counts against Curd, earning a walk and single. Curd lost the handle on a pitch, moving the runners up a base, which proved to be costly. Karley Shelton got enough to bloop one into the outfield for the go-ahead RBI. South Carolina scored another to increase the lead to two.

Arianna Rodi didn’t wait long to make an instant impact. She batted back from a 1-2 count against Drogemuller, to fill up the count after fouling off a few. Rodi cashed in on a changeup on the payoff pitch for a two-run homer in the first. The All-American tacked on another insurance run in the seventh with a sacrifice fly. She went 2-for-2 with a walk and three RBIs.

Drogemuller gave the Blue Devils a quality outing. She settled in after allowing a single to Ella Chancey following the home run. Drogemuller induced seven straight groundouts before Rodi hit a double but Drogemuller left her there by striking out Chancey. She ended her day going five innings, allowing two runs on four hits and retiring 12 of the last 14 batters she faced. Duke fans should be optimistic about Drogemuller’s outing.

South Carolina was bound to use a committee again on Saturday. Ashley Chastain used a combination of Jori Heard and Sam Gress. Heard started the game and didn’t run into much trouble for the first three innings. She re-entered to face Mathis in the sixth. While Duke tied the game, she ended the damage there and closed out the seventh inning against the heart of the Blue Devils’ order.

Gress’ final line of 2.2 innings pitched, two hits and one run allowed look fine in the box score. However, she toyed with damage with three free passes. In the biggest moment in the fifth inning, she stranded runners at second and third despite facing Ana Gold and D’Auna Jennings.

Gold had a big day for Duke and nearly had a bigger day. She homered against Heard and had a diving play that negated a run. She nearly gave Duke the lead in the fifth, smoking a ball right at Chancey at third base.

The two teams close out the series on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET. They’ll go their separate ways to start conference play as South Carolina heads to Norman to face Oklahoma and Duke goes to Clemson

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