If South Carolina's softball team wants to take its first regional title since 2007, it'll have to do it the hard way.
The Gamecocks could never solve Liberty pitcher Julia DiMartino on Saturday as they lost 3-1 to the Flames to face elimination at the Columbia Regional of the NCAA Tournament. South Carolina (46-15) will get the winner of UNCG-Hofstra at around 7 p.m.
Liberty (49-12) struck early, with a leadoff single, a two-out, two-base throwing error and a flare RBI single just inside the rightfield line from Sarah Robertson in the first inning. The Flames added an insurance run in the third with a one-out single from Kaitlin McFarland, and nearly added more before stranding the bases loaded.