Columbia, SC—-Alabama softball delivered a commanding performance Thursday night, overpowering South Carolina 13-1 in a five-inning rout at Carolina Softball Stadium.
The 13th-ranked Crimson Tide exploded in the second inning, sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring 10 runs on nine hits to build an insurmountable 11-0 lead. The offensive onslaught left the 14th-ranked Gamecocks reeling and without a response.
“It was a pretty awful performance on our part,” admitted South Carolina head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard postgame. “Really disappointing, obviously. When it comes down to it, we just have to perform better.”
Marlie Giles and Salen Hawkins powered Alabama’s offense with three hits apiece. Giles punctuated the second-inning surge with a three-run homer — her fifth of the season — to cap off a dominant frame. Freshman Audrey Vandagriff also made a significant impact, driving in three runs while reaching base three times and scoring once.
In the circle, Jocelyn Briski notched her 15th win of the season, allowing just one run on four hits over four innings, with three strikeouts and a single walk. Aleah Johnson closed out the fifth inning in efficient fashion, retiring the side on just 12 pitches.
South Carolina struggled from the start, committing a costly error in the second inning when pitcher Jori Heard overthrew first base on a bunt, allowing the floodgates to open.
“We made a mistake defensively on an overthrow from a pitcher on a bunt, and it’s just like we lost the game from there, to be honest,” Chastain Woodard said. “We had no momentum from there. We did not communicate. We did not play well.”
The Gamecocks will look to regroup and even the series in Game 2, set for Friday at 6 p.m. ET.
