It fell apart immediately, and never got back on track.
South Carolina softball opened its crucial home series against Alabama with an early meltdown on the mound. The Crimson Tide scored 10 runs in the second inning and cruised to a 13-1 victory, dropping the Gamecocks back to .500 in conference play with two games to go in the regular season.
"Pretty awful performance on our part," South Carolina head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard said. "Obviously just when it comes down to it, we jut have to perform better."
Alabama (36-18, 12-10 SEC) struck first thanks to some help from the Gamecock defense. Kali Heivilin drew a two-out walk, then came around to score when South Carolina (37-14, 11-11 SEC) starter Jori Heard airmailed a throw to first off a comebacker.
"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."
Far worse followed, though, as Alabama all but ended the game with one inning. A 10-run frame on nine hits and another error saw South Carolina run through three different pitchers just trying to stop the bleeding. Audrey Vandagriff’s two-run double to left was the first big blow, but far from the last. Lauren Johnson added an RBI double moments later, Heivilin drove in a run and it teed up catcher Marlie Giles. She crushed a three-run home run out to left, putting an exclamation point on the inning.
"I just thought we were so demoralized," Chastain Woodard said of the inning."There was nothing on our end to be able to grab on to and leave it there until we could score."
Emma Sellers put the Gamecocks on the board with an RBI single in the bottom half of the frame, but there was not much else to speak of offensively against Alabama starter Jocelyn Briski. The visitors added another two runs on a pair of bases loaded free passes in the fourth, and Alea Johnson finished out the remainder of the game.
Alabama’s 13 runs were the most allowed in any game by the Gamecocks this season, and the second time they have been run-ruled along with the opener of the March series at LSU.
It was a series the Gamecocks came back to win, though.
"They're [players] walking out of this building really upset and really pissed about the performance, which is what you want," Chastain Woodard said. "They're a bunch of competitors."
The series continues at 6 p.m. ET Friday on SEC Network+.
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