SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Thunderbird softball team opened play at the Gaucho Classic on Friday, hosted by UC Santa Barbara.

In their first game of the day the T-Birds suffered a tough loss at the hands of South Carolina, who knocked off the Thunderbirds 21-4, in a game that ended in five innings.

The Thunderbird's late game against Georgia Tech wasn't concluded, as the conditions didn't allow the two teams to wrap up the competition. Play was suspended was the game knotted up at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning.

“I was very pleased with the way we competed against Georgia Tech,” SUU head coach Tom Gray said. “We came out with a great approach, especially defensively. It would have been easy to hang our heads, but we avoided feeling sorry for ourselves. The Tech game was suspended due to darkness and will be finished prior to the start of our game with them tomorrow.”  

South Carolina 21, SUU 4

The Gamecocks jumped out of the gate hot, putting up seven runs in the first inning alone. In the top of the second inning South Carolina put five more runs up, followed by eight more in the top of the third.

“There's really not much to say about the South Carolina game,” Gray said. “They are a solid team that executed very well offensively while we gave them far too many opportunities early. Things then just snowballed on us. At that point we need to learn to continue to compete and play for the name on the front of the uniform.”    

SUU put their first run up in the third inning, before putting up three more in the bottom of the fourth.

Kylee Wolf had two hits for the T-Birds, which was the team high. Kendall Kapitzke had one hit in one at bat for the T-Birds, which resulted in an RBI.

In the fifth inning the Gamecocks up another run up, and the T-Birds didn't score again with the game ending in five innings 21-4.

The Thunderbirds will continue play tomorrow with another game against South Carolina, along with another one scheduled against Georgia Tech including the conclusion of today's game.