New era, new energy: Gamecock softball opens season with walkoff win over Virginia
Opening Day always carries a certain electricity — the anticipation, the buildup, the sheer energy buzzing within a dugout.
Throw in a brand-new coaching staff, a retooled roster and the dawn of a new era — and the moment feel even brighter.
“There’s just a lot of anticipation, especially this year in particular, because it’s a new staff, a new team — it’s a new era,” first-year South Carolina head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard said after practice Wednesday.
The new era for USC softball couldn’t have started with a more dramatic finish. The Gamecocks’ season opener Thursday looked like it was heading toward disappointment — until it wasn’t.
Down 6-2 entering the bottom of the seventh at Carolina Softball Stadium, the Gamecocks stormed back with a five-run explosion to beat Virginia, 7-6, in a walk-off win in Chastain Woodard’s debut.
Prepping for Opening Day
The Gamecocks’ final preseason practice hinted at what was to come. It had the locked-in energy of a championship game, not just a tune-up.
Every rep had meaning. Infielders shouted their routines in unison, their eyes locked in on every pitch. “Here we go!” echoed from the dirt before nearly every swing of the bat. Other than that, there was seldom a sound outside of the crack of the bat on the ball.
Associate head coach Katie Browder was in the thick of it, while Chastain Woodard was on the side watching closely — both calling out reminders and keeping the team engaged. The emphasis was clear: Executing the small details has to become second nature. A well-executed bunt from Natalie Heath drew applause from teammates, reinforcing the idea that no play was too small.
“The game is in the details; that’s how you win the games,” Chastain Woodard said. “If you cannot execute the small-ball type of play or the action play, you cannot give yourself a chance to win at a high level, which is what we’re trying to do. That’s how you win championships.”
Yet, amid the focus on execution, keeping the team loose is just as critical. The practices in the lead-up to Opening Day were crisp but relaxed — good reps, good vibes. Players laughed between drills, the dugout full of energy. That’s exactly what Chastain Woodard wanted.
“We don’t want them to be nervous,” she said. “We want them to manage their emotions really well and have a ton of fun and keep them really loose.”
Chastain Woodard, hired in June 2024 as South Carolina’s 11th head softball coach, wants to focus on keeping the standard and expectations high. She felt like her team was prepared this week because they worked hard in the months before Opening Day.
Pitcher Sam Gress, who followed her coach from the Charlotte 49ers, has seen this approach work before.
“Coach Ash is just so consistent,” Gress said. “You know who she is every single day, the energy that she brings towards us. So, not much has honestly changed. I think her energy and excitement just feeds into us.”
The sole focus was feeling good ahead of Thursday’s game against Virginia. They just wanted to get to Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field and “have a little fun.”
And what’s more fun than a walk-off win in the season opener?
A thrilling finish under the lights
The Gamecocks found themselves in an early hole Thursday, trailing 3-0 after the first inning. A few well-placed hits by Virginia and an error by senior shortstop Brooke Blankenship set the Cavaliers up early.
USC struggled to find an offensive rhythm, leaving 10 runners stranded through six innings. But Chastain Woodard believed the game would turn.
“I felt like we were really in it at the plate the whole time,” she said. “I thought our swing decisions were really good all game. And I thought that really showed at the end.”
That patience paid off in the seventh. It started with a one-out single from senior Charlotte transfer Abigail Knight to load the bases. Two walks later, and the deficit was down to two. The dugout could feel the momentum shifting.
“It was really electric — the feeling, the confidence we all had in each other,” junior pitcher Jori Heard said. “We knew each person, whoever was up, whoever was in that moment, was going to get the job done. ... It’s the best feeling ever.”
It had to feel just as good that the Gamecocks were at the top of the lineup too.
Leadoff hitter Quincee Lilio delivered, singling up the middle to bring home Knight and senior Emma Sellers, tying the game at six. Moments later, freshman Shae Anderson sprinted home on a fielder’s choice from sophomore Karley Shelton that resulted in a Virginia throwing error.
The Opening Day comeback was complete. And just like that, South Carolina softball was back — with a bang.
‘Sometimes it’s not pretty’
This wasn’t just an ordinary win. It was proof of concept. Chastain Woodard has emphasized staying relaxed, trusting the preparation and controlling the little moments. That mindset kept the Gamecocks composed Thursday, even when things weren’t going their way.
Like when USC committed three errors in the fifth inning and Virginia extended its lead to 5-1.
“I don’t know the percentages of games that you end up winning when you make five defensive errors in the box score,” Chastain Woodard said. “It just goes to show that sometimes it’s not pretty. ... There were definitely a lot of moments where we beat ourselves during the game.”
But they figured out how to win. Heard, who entered the circle in relief and earned the victory, shut Virginia down in the final innings, finishing with six strikeouts and allowing just two hits.
Gress started for USC, pitching three innings, striking out one and giving up six hits and two earned runs.
“(Heard) kept giving us a chance to win, every inning that she threw,” Chastain Woodard said. “Which takes a lot of guts to come in that situation and be able to finish up.”
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 11:34 PM.
