For just the second time in school history and the first time since 2007, the No. 9-seeded South Carolina softball team advanced to a super regional after capturing the Columbia Regional Championship on Sunday with a pair of wins over Liberty.

The Gamecocks defeated Liberty 2-0 in the first game to force a game 7 before closing the regional with a 5-0 victory.

After watching the season come down to their last out just 24 hours before, Carolina (49-15) jumped on Liberty early with a run in the bottom of the second to take an early 1-0 lead in the winner-take-all game.

From there, the teams showed some great defense and pitching as they traded three straight scoreless innings before the Gamecocks blew open the game in the bottom of the sixth.

Krystan White, the hero from the night before, opened the scoring up once more in the sixth with a double to left, scoring Jana Johns to make it 2-0 Gamecocks. Just a few batters later, Mackenzie Boesel tripled to score two more and extend the lead to 4-0 in favor of the Gamecocks. Cayla Drotar (21-6) plated the final run with a single to left, making it 5-0 Gamecocks.

Drotar earned the victory in the circle, going seven innings with just four hits allowed and four strikeouts.

The Gamecocks opened the day with a 2-0 win over the Flames, as Drotar plated the only runs of the game with a two-run home run in the top of the third to help the Gamecocks to victory. Dixie Raley (14-4) earned the victory in the circle, going the distance to force the winner-take-all game Carolina would eventually win.

FROM USC MEDIA RELATIONS