Redshirt senior ace Madi Norman gave up three solo home runs in the first three innings, but allowed just one hit over the last four frames, allowing her team to get to work on offense and post an eventual 4-3 victory over No. 16 South Carolina in walkoff fashion.
The Tigers (32-22, 12-12 SEC) were fresh off an 8-0 blanking of University of Missouri-Kansas City on Wednesday, but came out flat against the Gamecocks (36-16, 9-14 SEC), a squad that has struggled in SEC play after dominating nonconference opponents.
Down 3-0 heading into the bottom of the third, the Tigers used small ball to start to cut into the deficit. Senior left fielder Regan Nash led off the inning with a walk and freshman shortstop Jazmyn Rollin singled. Later in the inning, sophomores Kimberly Wert and Kara Decker drove both Nash and Rollin in with run-scoring singles. After three innings, Missouri trailed 3-2.
As Norman got into a groove on the mound, the Tiger offense continued to chip away. In the fifth, after a double by Wert, senior first baseman Kolby Romaine drove her in with a triple that was almost caught by the right fielder on a diving attempt.
In the sixth, the Tigers loaded the bases with one out, but sophomore catcher Hatti Moore hit an inning-ending double play to end the threat.
Norman shut down the Gamecocks once again in the seventh, and ended the frame with her career-best tenth strikeout.
Wert walked to lead off the home half of the seventh. Then, Romaine shot a ball into the right center field gap that allowed Wert to score the winning run all the way from first, on a close play at the plate, to win 4-3.
_Edited by Emily Leiker | eleiker@themaneater.com_
