Gamecocks cap historic weekend with series victory over No. 4 Alabama

It was a weekend to remember for the No. 17 South Carolina softball team.

The program retired its first jersey Saturday when pitching great Trinity Johnson was honored. The Gamecocks then earned their first series win over Alabama under coach Beverly Smith and their first since 2009 with a victory over the No. 4 Crimson Tide on Sunday.

USC lost the series opener 9-1 Friday before closing out the weekend winning 5-1 Saturday and 2-0 Sunday at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.

Three batters into the game Sunday, Jana Johns hit her eighth home run of the season to give the Gamecocks a 2-0 lead they wouldn’t surrender.

Dixie Raley (10-2) went five innings in the circle with no runs. She started and won the Saturday and Sunday games, holding one of the best offensive teams in the country to one run over 12 innings.

It was USC’s first SEC series victory of the 2019 season and the team’s second series win at home over a top-five team in as many seasons.

The Gamecocks (28-11, 5-9 SEC) host Furman at 6 p.m. Wednesday before a road series against Auburn that starts Friday.

This story was originally published April 7, 2019 at 5:52 PM.