RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
In one of the more unusual endings you’ll ever see in a game, South Carolina Softball walked-off No. 16 Tennessee in a 3-2 victory on Saturday night in the series opener in the bottom of the 8th inning at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 8th, South Carolina’s Riley Blampied popped the ball up behind home plate, which was caught by Tennessee first baseman Ashley Morgan for the out. However, Morgan and catcher Josie Willingham collided on the play as both players fell to the ground.
The play still live, the Gamecock’s Maddie Gallagher raced home to score the winning run.
Here’s a clip of the play:
Soak it all in. pic.twitter.com/rwg3xc1iY3
— Gamecock Softball (@GamecockSoftbll) April 18, 2021
Maddie Gallagher said after the game on the final plate at the plate.
“I was told when I got in to pinch run to slide in hard and I saw them fall over, so I said, ‘Let’s try to make something happen’ and I got there and made something happen.”
The Gamecocks have now won four-straight games in the series over the Lady Vols with three coming in walk-off fashion.
Maddie has a .410 on-base percentage and knows how to pick her spots on the base paths; in addition to her gutsy scoring play last night, the freshman is 4-for-4 in steals.
Here are several articles we did on the New York native prior to her heading to the SEC…
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Photo Gallery: Maddie Gallagher’s Official Visit to the University of South Carolina
Originally published Sept. 17, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball
Maddie Gallagher has had quite the accomplished softball career and last weekend’s official campus visit to South Carolina was up there with some of her great accomplishments.
An Extra Inning Softball 2019 1st Team All-American, Maddie is a 2020 shortstop/outfielder from New York who most recently was named as one of the members of the USA Softball U-17 team that will play next month in the Pan American Softball Championship in Colombia.
We profiled Maddie last year and asked why a New York standout softball player would play for a Florida club team; the decision looked pretty smart when she helped lead her Tampa Mustangs team to a PGF 16U Platinum National Championship!
A member of the 2020 Extra Elite 100, she took her official campus visit last weekend to her future SEC school home and graciously shot some pics and detailed her fun three days with her fellow commits and future Gamecock coaches and teammates.
“It is crazy that this dream is closer and closer to becoming reality!” she said as she was spent time with Head Coach Beverly Smith and her coaching staff.
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I was welcomed to Columbia with a box of themed Gamecock cookies and a handwritten note signed by the coaches and current players…
Our first scheduled activity was attending class with one of the players. I got to attend class with senior pitcher Cayla Drotar. This me and her later in the weekend at the softball party.
Next, we got sized for all of our apparel and continued with a photo shoot in the locker room.
Then our host took us to the Escape room where we raced against other commits and players to escape first.
Day 2 started with some free time, and then we went to the football stadium where we had a catered tent to tailgate.
Me and all of my future Gamecock softball coaches:
This is me and Kenzi Maguire. She is the current short stop for the Gamecocks and has spent a lot of time mentoring me to help prepare me for playing at the next level:
Prior to kickoff, we had field access which allowed the recruits to be inches away from the players and for photo opps including one with the National Champion Women’s Basketball Coach and head coach of the USA Women’s National Team, Dawn Staley.
One of a kind entrance to the football game:
After a hot day at the football game, we were able to cool off on the huge water slide the coaches put in right field for us:
Even Coach Bev went down the water slide!
Bonding with future teammates at the Gamecock softball party on the field was a great way to end my official visit!
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My official visit brought to life again the numerous reasons why I chose the University of South Carolina to call home.
The coaches & current team made us all feel so welcome and had planned activities that they knew would bring us together.
Coach Bev even had all of us and our families at her house for dinner. It was a time to bond and get excited for our future together.
This weekend was just a preview of all the great times ahead and I could not be more excited to be a part of the Gamecock family!
— Maddie Gallagher
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What Does an Extra Inning Softball High School All-American Look Like? Meet New York’s Maddie Gallagher
Originally published June 26, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball
Earlier today, we announced our schedule for the 2019 Extra Inning Softball High School All-American Teams…. click here to check it out! We’ll profile top players up to and during the team “reveal.”
If the name Maddie Gallagher sounds familiar, it’s because the 2020 grad who is committed to South Carolina has been starring on the club and high school levels for several years now.
Last season, for example, Maddie was selected as a member of the 2018 Extra Inning Softball All American Team as an infielder in 2018 when the then-sophomore at Schreiber High School in Port Washington, New York hit .638 with a .724 on-base percentage.
The speedy shortstop/outfielder also stole 15 bases.
*** Scroll down to read more about Maddie and her great club and high school careers!…