Gamecocks hit season-high four home runs in win over USC Upstate Wednesday

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — No. 13 South Carolina softball hit a season-high four home runs in a 7-1 win over USC Upstate on Wednesday night at Cyrill Stadium. The Gamecocks hit three in the top of the fifth to take the 4-1 lead it wouldn’t surrender to earn win No. 38 on the year.

For the second-time in three games, Cayla Drotar and Alyssa VanDerveer hit back-to-back home runs, this time in the top of the fifth to break the 1-1 tie. Alyssa Kumiyama got in on the home run action with a deep shot a couple batters later to make it 4-1 Gamecocks through five.

Tiara Duffy homered in the sixth for home run No. 4 on the night to give the Gamecocks a 5-1 lead after six. Dating back to last Wednesday’s game, Carolina has hit 11 home runs in its last five games.

The win improved the Gamecocks to 38-11 on the season, which is tied for the most wins under head coach Beverly Smith.

South Carolina (38-11, 11-7 SEC) got on the board first with VanDerveer’s double to score Mackenzie Boesel in the third to make it 1-0 Carolina through three. USC Upstate’s lone run of the night came an inning later in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at 1-1 after four.

The fifth inning proved to be the inning of difference as Carolina scored three runs on three home runs to take the 4-1 lead it wouldn’t give up.

After Duffy’s home run in the sixth, the Gamecocks tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh thanks to Jana Johns’ two-run double to make it 7-1, Carolina.

Cayla Drotar (17-4) earned the victory in the circle going five innings with just two hits on her way to the win.

No. 13 South Carolina starts a key three-game series against Mississippi State on Friday at 6:00 PM ET on SEC Network Plus. Live stats will also be on gamecocksonline.com.