#15 South Carolina Defeats #2 Lady Vols, 15-5, To Sweep Series

Sunday, March 25

Columbia, S.C.

1 pm

University of Tennessee

30-4, 0

#16/15 South Carolina

28-4, 0

Tennessee

South Carolina

Photo by: Alison P. McNabb\Tennessee Athletics

#15 South Carolina Defeats #2 Lady Vols, 15-5, To Sweep Series

March 25, 2018 | Softball

Box Score

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- No. 2 Tennessee entered the bottom of the third inning with a 5-2 lead, but the Lady Vols gave up 13 unanswered runs to fall to No. 15 South Carolina, 15-5, in five innings on Sunday at Carolina Softball Stadium. The Gamecocks completed the series sweep.

The loss marked the first time the Lady Vols (30-4, 3-3 SEC) had been swept in a series since Mar. 18-20 of 2016 against then No. 1 Florida. South Carolina (28-4, 5-1 SEC) batters combined for 11 hits and the UT defense committed four errors in the loss.

UT got on the board in the first inning when senior Meghan Gregg hit a single to left field that scored leadoff batter Aubrey Leach from second.

South Carolina answered with one run in the bottom of the first. Mackenzie Boesel reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a groundout and came around to score via two wild pitches.

Senior Scarlet McSwain put the Lady Vols back in front in the second inning with her seventh home run of the year, a solo shot over the left field fence.

The lead did not last long as South Carolina's Jana Johns hit a solo homer of her own in the bottom of the second to knot it up at 2.

In the third inning, freshman Ashley Morgan hit a three-run home run to give the Lady Vols a 5-2 lead. It was Morgan's second home run of the weekend and fourth of the season.

It would prove to be all Gamecocks from there, as they scored eight runs in the bottom of the third to claim the lead and five more in the fourth to put the game out of reach. In the third, South Carolina hit three doubles that brought in a combined seven runners, including one from Krystan White with two outs that made it 10-5.

In the fourth,Tiara Duffy stepped in with runners on first and second and no outs and lifted a three-run homer to right field as the Gamecocks' offense continued to roll.

Caylan Arnold's record fell to 13-2 with the loss. She allowed four runs without recording an out. Starter Gabby Sprang gave up two runs over two innings.

Dixie Raley (8-1) earned the win after allowing three runs over three relief innings. South Carolina starter Kelsey Oh gave up two runs in two innings.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols return home next weekend for a three-game series against Georgia. Game 1 will take place on Saturday, Mar. 31, at 5 p.m. at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.