South Carolina
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (05/15/2026) — The South Carolina Gamecocks rallied past the Cal State Fullerton Titans 4-2 at Easton Stadium on Friday night, using a two-run fifth inning and an insurance double in the seventh to grab a statement nonconference road win in front of 1,348 fans.
Tate Davis powered the South Carolina offense with a 2-for-3 night and two RBI, including the go-ahead run-scoring double in the seventh that pushed the Gamecocks ahead for good. The win marked a resilient effort from a South Carolina lineup that surrendered an early lead, weathered a two-run Fullerton response, and answered with three unanswered runs.
How It Happened
South Carolina struck first in the top of the third. With runners moving, Davis lifted a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Quincee Lilio, advanced Tori Ensley to third, and pushed Karley Shelton to second for a 1-0 lead.
Cal State Fullerton answered emphatically in the bottom of the fourth. Maggie Paulovich roped a double to left-center to plate Lulu Sanchez, then advanced to third on the throw. Two batters later, Sarah Coccillos lined a single to center to score Paulovich, flipping the scoreboard to 2-1 in favor of the Titans.
The lead did not last. In the top of the fifth, Shelton delivered the equalizer with a double to deep center field that scored Lilio. Moments later, Lexi Winters singled to center to bring Shelton home, while Davis hustled into third. Sandwiched between the South Carolina runs, Sarah Perez was retired at home on a fielder's choice that allowed C. McClinton to advance, keeping the Titans off the board in their half of the inning.
The game stayed 3-2 into the seventh, when Davis delivered the dagger. Her double to deep right-center brought Ensley around to score, giving South Carolina a critical insurance run and a 4-2 cushion that the Gamecocks pitching staff protected through the final out.
Turning Point
The fifth inning swung the game decisively. After Cal State Fullerton seized momentum with back-to-back run-scoring hits in the fourth, South Carolina answered with two runs of its own without surrendering anything in return. Shelton's double to deep center reset the scoreboard, and Winters' single up the middle completed the response. Two batters changed the complexion of the game — the Titans never led again.
Star of the Game
Tate Davis. The South Carolina standout finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and was directly involved in two of the Gamecocks' four runs. Her sacrifice fly in the third opened the scoring, and her seventh-inning double to deep right-center plated the decisive insurance run. In a tight, low-scoring matchup, Davis produced in both situational and impact moments — the kind of two-way contribution that defines postseason-caliber play.
Emma Friedel deserves co-star billing in the circle. The right-hander tossed 3.0 innings of two-hit, scoreless relief while striking out four, shutting the door on a Cal State Fullerton lineup that had just taken its first lead. Friedel followed starter Jori Heard, who logged 3.2 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with one strikeout.
What It Means
For the South Carolina Gamecocks, this is a measured, gutsy win on the road against a quality Big West opponent. Coming back from a deficit in the middle innings, capitalizing in the fifth, and tacking on insurance in the seventh shows the kind of late-inning composure that travels well into May. The bullpen performance from Friedel — four strikeouts and zero runs across three frames — adds another data point for a staff building toward postseason leverage.
For the Cal State Fullerton Titans, the loss stings despite encouraging signs. Paulovich (1-for-3, run, RBI) and Coccillos (RBI single) put together the fourth-inning rally that briefly handed the home side a lead, and Ava Arce reached safely twice with a 2-for-3 effort. The pitching staff, however, surrendered runs in three different innings, and three different arms — Leanna Garcia, Eva Hurtado, and Trisha McCleskey — were unable to keep the South Carolina lineup quiet enough to protect a one-run advantage.
South Carolina leaves Easton Stadium with a road win and another piece of evidence that this group can answer adversity on the fly.
