USC Sumter Splits Doubleheader with USC Union; Anderson Delivers Walk-Off in Game Two

SUMTER, S.C. - USC Sumter softball split a Saturday doubleheader against USC Union, falling in the opener before bouncing back with a dramatic walk-off victory in extra innings in game two.

GAME ONE: USC UNION 14, USC SUMTER 3

In game one, USC Sumter fell 14–3 as USC Union used a big offensive push late to pull away. The Lady Bantams opened the scoring in the second inning when Ava Gainey singled to bring in a run. USC Sumter responded in the bottom half of the inning when Emma Gaulden launched a home run to left field, and another run crossed the plate following a USC Union error to give the Fire Ants a brief lead.

USC Union tied the game in the third inning on a sacrifice fly from Leah Taylor before breaking the game open in the fifth. The Lady Bantams scored seven runs on eight hits in the inning to take control, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Kyla Downs-Paprocki.

USC Union added five more runs in the sixth inning to extend the lead. Downs-Paprocki delivered another two-run single, while additional runs scored on a groundout, a triple, and another groundout.

Whitney McElveen and Emma Gaulden each recorded two hits for USC Sumter in the loss, while Gaulden and Kaitlyn Anderson each drove in a run. USC Union finished with 15 hits in the game, led by Downs-Paprocki with four RBIs and Paige Carruthers with three hits.

GAME TWO: USC SUMTER 1, USC UNION 0 

Despite the setback in game one, USC Sumter bounced back in a tightly contested pitcher's duel in game two, earning a 1–0 walk-off win in eight innings.

Both teams traded scoreless frames throughout the game as the pitching dominated. USC Sumter's staff recorded 10 strikeouts, while USC Union struck out seven.

Abigail McManus delivered an outstanding performance in the circle, pitching a complete-game shutout. The right-hander allowed just three hits over eight innings while striking out 10 and walking two.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the eighth inning, when Kaitlyn Anderson delivered the game-winning hit. Anderson doubled to bring home the lone run of the game and secure the walk-off victory for the Fire Ants.

Anderson led USC Sumter offensively, going 3-for-4 with the game-winning RBI. Whitney McElveen added two hits in three at-bats.

USC Union collected three hits in the game, with Ariana Evans, Jenna Kay Avant, and Skyler Brown each recording one. The Lady Bantams also turned in a clean defensive performance, committing no errors.

The split showcased USC Sumter's resilience, as the Fire Ants rebounded from a tough first game to secure a hard-fought extra-inning victory to close the day.