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Under new head coach, Ashley Chastain Woodard, the Gamecocks’ softball team had an incredible season in the coaches’ first year. Unfortunately, it came to an end against the UCLA Bruins despite the Gamecocks having a one game to zero lead after Friday. The Gamecocks’ softball team was actually only three outs from punching a ticket to the Women’s World Series on Saturday, but things took a turn for the worst.
The series started on Friday with the Gamecocks winning game one without much push back from the Bruins by a score of 9-2. Entering Saturday, the Gamecocks’ softball team looked like they were poised to make an appearance at the Women’s College World Series for the time since 1997. The Gamecocks were leading by three runs, 4-1, in the bottom of the seventh with a runner at first base, but that’s when things started to change. A left swinging hitter came to the plate hitting a scorcher through the infield past a diving second baseman. The questionable defensive alignment of the outfield allowed the ball to go all the way to the wall scoring the runner from first to make the score 4-2. UCLA would plate another run to make it 4-3, and Ashley Chastain Woodard made a pitching change as well. The final hitter of the game would come in to hit a walk off two run homerun to even the series at 1-1. That set up a winner take all match on Sunday, but the game was never really in doubt with UCLA winning to punch their ticket to the Women’s College World Series.
Despite their postseason run ending sooner than we hoped, this season for the Gamecocks’ Softball team was nothing short of magical. They were picked to finish dead last in the SEC and I cannot believe that Ashley Chastain Woodard was not named SEC Coach of the Year. Oklahoma head coach, Patty Gasso, won that award, but Coach Chastain Woodard did get her recognition as National Coach of the Year. I will never understand how she didn’t win conference coach of the year, but National Coach of the Year has a better ring to it anyways. Congratulations Coach and players on a fantastic season and we can’t wait to watch you again next year!
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