FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Fifth-year player Jordian Fabian connected on a two-run home run in the top of the seventh with two outs to help the 10th seeded South Carolina softball team to a 3-2 win over the #2 seed Auburn in the SEC Tournament semi-finals.
With the win, Carolina becomes the lowest seed to advance to the SEC Tournament Championship.
South Carolina scored its only other run of the game in the first inning, taking advantage of a leadoff walk and throwing error followed up by Aniyah Black’s RBI line out for the 1-0 lead.
The Tigers scored what would be their only runs of the game in the second inning as an RBI single by Makayla Packer along with an RBI sac fly by Rose Roach gave Auburn a 2-1 lead.
Auburn came into the SEC Tournament ranked as high as 15th nationally and had come to Columbia two weeks ago and taken two of three from the Gamecocks at Beckham Field.
On the same day she was named First Team All-SEC, pitcher Donnie Gobourne (7-4) picked up the win. She pitched the final 3.1 innings, allowing two hits and striking out six batters.
The Gamecocks will face the top-seed of the SEC Tournament, fourth-ranked Tennessee Saturday at 5:00 p.m. at Bogle Park. South Carolina and Tennessee met less than a week ago in the final series of the regular season. After dropping the first two games, Carolina recorded a 4-2 victory in Sunday’s series finale. The Gamecocks will look to make it two straight over the Volunteers and in the process, secure the program’s third SEC Tournament Championship and the first since 2000. Carolina’s first SEC Tournament title came in 1997.