The NCAA's postseason is all about finding your moments. For South Carolina softball senior Quincee Lilio, that moment came at the bottom of the sixth inning during the Gamecocks' first-round game against Cal State Fullerton in the NCAA Regional in Los Angeles.
With South Carolina and Cal State tied at 4-all, Lilo came to the plate with two outs, but had two runners on. The Gamecocks redshirt senior hadn't hit a home run all season, but delivered at the perfect time. Her solo shot scored three runs, and lifted South Carolina to a 7-4 victory over Cal State Fullerton.
B6 | Quincee Lilio for the lead!!! The California native with her first home run of the season is a three-run 💣
— South Carolina Softball (@GamecockSoftbll) May 16, 2026
USC 7 | 4 CSF
🎥 https://t.co/9VVL8oWkbi pic.twitter.com/OxHh5COweG
The moment is a special one for Lilio, who is a California native. She is from Oceanside Calif., and had several family members in the stands to see her shine on one of softball's biggest stages.
“I always dreamed of this moment,” Lilio said postgame via Gamecock Central. ” … "It was just awesome to see my mom in the stands, my brother … I have nine people here.”
Friday night's first-round game was a back-and-forth thriller, as the two programs met for the first time since 2003. South Carolina trailed 2-0 in the second inning, but tied it with a Tate Davis homer in the same inning.
The Gamecocks took a 3-2 lead in the third off consecutive doubles from Tori Ensley and Karley Shelton. The Titans tied it up at 3-all in the fourth with an error and a single, and took the 4-3 lead in the fifth with a Gamecock error and single. South Carolina tied things up in the sixth, setting up Lilio's monumental home run over the left center wall.
South Carolina will now face the winner of Cal Baptist-UCLA on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.
“Really gritty win as a team. Just found a way to win,” Gamecocks head coach Ashley Chastain said via GC. ” … Hope it propels us through the rest of the weekend.”
The win just might be just what the Gamecocks need to propel themselves through the weekend.Per ESPN, 97% of teams that win game one advance to the Super Regionals.
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