It seems like it's been nothing but struggles for the South Carolina baseball team lately, but Saturday night's 15-12 loss to Texas A&M may have been the most painful yet. After leading 12-2 midway through the game, the Gamecocks surrendered two grand slams in the bottom of the ninth inning, falling in walk-off fashion in one of the most gut-wrenching losses of the season.
For the majority of the game, it appeared that the Gamecocks were headed for their third SEC win of the season, but as the Aggies slowly chipped away at the scoreboard, everything started to unravel.
Benden Sweeney loaded the bases with back-to-back singles and a walk. Pinch hitter Hayden Schott stepped up and delivered a grand slam to cut the lead to just one run. Caleb Jones came in on relief and got two outs, but after the bases were loaded again, Texas A&M shortstop Kaeden Kent launched the Aggies' second grand slam of the game, sealing the deal.
The Gamecocks did not fare well at all in this conference series. On Friday, the Aggies shut out South Carolina 17-0 in a seven-inning run rule. On Thursday, Texas A&M opened the series with a grand slam, giving the Aggies a 6-3 lead before the Gamecocks tied it up late in the game, but fell 8-7 in the 10th inning. Ethan Petry hit his 54th career homerun in the series, moving him within eight of the school record.
The Gamecocks baseball team is now 20-17 overall and 2-13 in the SEC.
Softball upset in Fayetteville, series tied
The 10th-ranked South Carolina softball team bounced back Saturday night with a 5-4 win over No. 12 Arkansas. Arianna Rodi had a three-run homer in the fifth inning, Emma Sellers went 3-for-3 at the plate, and the top of the order combined for six hits and four RBIs. Arkansas took the opener on Friday, 6-2.
South Carolina softball team is 32-9 and 7-7 in the SEC.
Gamecock men's tennis makes history
South Carolina men's tennis closed out the regular season with a 4-1 win over Florida on Saturday night, setting a program record with an 11th SEC win. After losing the doubles point, the Gamecocks swept the singles matches. South Carolina will finish their regular season 17-6 overall, 11-3 in the SEC, and will host the SEC Tournament beginning Wednesday.
South Carolina women's tennis falls to SEC rival
The Gamecocks women's tennis team, ranked 21st, was shut out 4-0 by No. 2 Texas A&M on Friday. This loss followed a 5-2 defeat by No. 13 Vanderbilt last Sunday.
South Carolina women's tennis is now 13-9 overall and 8-6 in the SEC. They will head into their regular season finale at No. 14 Texas.
Gamecock Track & Field dominates at home
South Carolina track and field recorded 15 event wins on Saturday in their final home outdoor meet. The men's team claimed 10 wins, including a 1-2-3 finish in the 400 meters by Jasuana Dennis, Josiah Wrice, and Devan Crumpton. Elijah Poore won the steeplechase, and the men's 4x100 relay team took the gold as well. Nate Figgers won the high jump for the second time this season. Additional victories came from Theo Mudzengerere in the triple jump, Parker Samuelson in the pole vault, and Ellis Neighbors in javelin.
For the women's team, JaMeesia Ford led the way with a personal best of 11.06 in the 100 meters, the third fastest time in program history and second best in the East Region. Ford also won the 4x100 relay. Eliza Brand and Elle Mehltretter won the 1500m and 5000m races, respectively. Cameron Gist won the long jump.
Gamecock beach volleyball splits at LSU event
The South Carolina beach volleyball team split a pair of matches on Saturday in an event hosted by LSU. The Gamecocks fell 3-2 to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. However, the team was able to bounce back with a 3-2 win over Houston Christian. On Friday, South Carolina won both matchups, defeating Stephen F. Austin and Tulane by identical 4-1 scores.
The Gamecocks beach volleyball team are now 11-4 overall and 0-3 in conference play.
South Carolina equestrian All-Americans honored
The South Carolina equestrian team had several honors, including Natalie Jayne as First Team All-American by the NCEA after going 12-3 on the Flat this season and earning five MOPs. Amira Kettaneh and Mary Hunter Millet were both named to the Second Team for their performances in Fences and Flats, respectively.
South Carolina women's basketball tops attendance charts again
The Gamecocks women's basketball team led the nation in attendance for the 11th straight year. The team averaged 16,437 fans per game at Colonial Life Arena during the 2024-25 season. The Gamecocks topped the charts by nearly 1,500 more fans than the second-best team and surpassed the 16,000 mark for the second consecutive year.
From heartbreak to highlights
Despite the frustration with South Carolina baseball, overall Gamecock sports had plenty to celebrate this weekend. From historic wins in tennis to dominate performances in track and field to breaking more records for women's basketball, there is a lot to be proud of. As spring sports enter postseason play and fall sports approach quickly, the Gamecocks are showing determination across the board.