The South Carolina softball team lost its final regular season game to No. 4 Alabama by a score of 4-3 on May 2.
The close loss marks the end of the regular season for South Carolina, which now holds a record of 30 wins and 25 losses overall, with a conference record of seven wins and seventeen losses. The result is significant as it sets the stage for the team’s participation in the upcoming Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Arianna Rodi led South Carolina offensively with two hits, including her eleventh home run of the season. This home run was also her twenty-eighth career homer at South Carolina, moving her into sixth place on the program’s all-time list. Her eleven home runs this season tie her for eighth place in single-season history at South Carolina.
In addition to Rodi’s performance, Jordan Lilio drew her eighty-third career walk during the game, placing her tenth all-time among Gamecocks players. Karley Shelton contributed both offensively and defensively; she drove in a run with what was initially ruled a double and later hit her seventh home run of the year in the sixth inning.
Alabama took control during the third inning by scoring three runs through bases loaded walks and a single, then added another run after an error in the fourth inning. Jori Heard started for South Carolina and took the loss after pitching three-and-a-third innings, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out five batters but walking five as well.
Looking ahead, South Carolina will face Ole Miss in their opening round matchup at the SEC Tournament scheduled for May 5. The time for that game has not yet been determined.
