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South Carolina

No. 13 South Carolina sweeps Kentucky in weekend series

by: Peyton Butt04/22/25
lexi-winters_54337147354_o-South Carolina Gamecocks softball vs North Carolina-Feb 18 2025-Credit Katie Dugan GamecockCentral

The Gamecocks rebounded after a mid-week loss to Clemson with a SEC series sweep over the Kentucky Wildcats. Throughout the series, the Gamecocks dominated, allowing just one Wildcat run.

Here’s how the weekend went in the SEC matchup.

Game One

The Gamecocks outshone the Wildcats, pulling together a 14-1 win in just five innings. Kentucky got on the board first with one run in the top of the 2nd, but South Carolina responded by putting up three runs in the 3rd.

Following, the Gamecocks continued to build momentum with 11 runs in the 4th. Lexi Winters finished the night 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs. In addition, Abigail Knight went 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI.

Quincee Lilio, a veteran in the locker room, has struggled a bit at the plate later in this season but was able to go 2-for-3 in game one.

One key to the game was the strength of South Carolina’s pitching compared to the struggling bullpen of Kentucky. South Carolina’s bats were able to capitalize off of Wildcat pitchers who struggled to find the zone.

Game Two

In a much closer competition, South Carolina scraped by with a 1-0 win over the Wildcats. The Gamecocks’ only run came late in the 5th off a fielder’s choice.

Kentucky pulled together much stronger pitching in game two, something reflected by the score. Sarah Haendiges pitched a complete game for the Wildcats, allowing just five South Carolina hits.

Despite that, South Carolina continued to perform on the mound with strong pitching of their own. Nealy Lamb went 4.2 innings with just one allowed hit and no runs. Replacing her, Sam Gress finished the game by throwing 2.1 innings while allowing just one hit.

Game Three

A close game through the first six innings, the Gamecocks completed the weekend sweep with a 7-0 win in game three. South Carolina led 1-0 until late in the 6th inning when they were able to add some insurance.

Ella Chancey scored the first run off a fielder’s choice after originally being walked. Chancey, going 2-for-2, followed that run up with an RBI triple to get momentum building in the 6th.

Emily Vinson also hit a three-run homer in the 6th to finalize South Carolina’s victory. Vinson finished the night 1-for-2. Knight had another successful showing at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

Next Up

The Gamecocks will host Winthrop University (25-20, 7-7 Big South) on Wednesday at Beckham Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. with streaming available on SECN+.

Then, over the weekend, South Carolina will hit the road for Auburn, AL to face the Auburn Tigers (27-20, 4-17 SEC) in a Friday-Saturday-Sunday series. The Tigers are coming off a low, having been swept by the Tennessee Volunteers this past weekend.

  • Game 1: Friday, April 25th (6:00 p.m.) streamed on SEC Network+
  • Game 2: Saturday, April 26th (3:00 p.m.)streamed on SEC Network+
  • Game 3: Sunday, April 27th (2:00 p.m.) broadcast on SEC Network+

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