South Carolina softball walks off No. 11 Texas A&M for series win

South Carolina (29-22, 7-14) softball earned the comeback walk-off victory Sunday afternoon (Apr. 26) as the Gamecocks took down No. 11 Texas A&M (35-14, 15-6) 2-1 for its second straight SEC series win. (FROM USC MEDIA RELATIONS)

Jori Heard took to the circle for the rubber match. Heard held the Aggies to just one run in 5 1-3 innings of work, striking out five along the way and scattering five hits.

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Texas A&M got out to an early lead in the second inning when Heard gave up two singles and a bases loaded hit-by-pitch. Heard settled down from there, allowing just two hits the rest of the way.

South Carolina responded in the bottom half of the fourth when Tori Ensley led off the inning hitting her 12th home run of the season to even the score at one. The home run to left field extends her team lead and continues to extend her career-high for a single season.

In the bottom of the seventh, back-to-back leadoff walks by Quincee Lilio and Ensley set up Karley Shelton. She laid down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw from the TAMU pitcher Grace Sparks hit Shelton as she was running to first. The ball hit off her back and went into right field, allowing Lilio to score the winning run for South Carolina.

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Emma Friedel (9-5) pitched the final 1 2-3 innings in relief without allowing any hits and only one base runner to earn the win.

The four runs allowed in the series are the fewest the Aggies have been held to in an SEC series since the Gamecocks held them to two runs during a Carolina sweep in April of 2023.

The Gamecocks will be back home for the final time this season April 28 to face South Carolina State at 6 p.m. Admission will be free.

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