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Gamecocks Use Patience, Power in 13-0 (5) Win vs. UNC Greensboro
A patient approach paid
off for South Carolina (3-1) in the Carolina Classic finale on Sunday,
as the Gamecocks downed UNC Greensboro 13-0 in five innings at Carolina
Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
Junior catcher Sarah Mooney
went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI to lead South Carolina.
Freshman third baseman Taylor Williams cranked her first career homer
and drove in three runs as well. Senior designated player Ashlyn
Masters had a double, and RBI and two runs scored, while three other
Gamecocks (Williams, Kaylea Snaer and Dana Hathorn) also scored two
runs. Snaer also drew two of the five walks the Gamecocks recorded in
the win. The Spartans (1-3) got hits from Lindsay Thomas, Katelyn
Bedwell and Dominique Madruga in the loss.
Ten Gamecocks came to
the plate in the first inning, with each of the first five batters
reaching base. Sophomore centerfielder Ansley Ard singled ahead of
Hathorn reaching on an error. A walk to Masters loaded the bases for
the freshman Snaer, and she drove in two of those runners with her
single to center. Mooney followed with a double down the third-base
line, plating Masters and Snaer, while Mooney scored on freshman third
baseman Victoria Williams’ single.
South Carolina topped their
first in the home half of the third with eight runs with 12 players
coming to the plate. A pitch hit Ard with the bases loaded to start the
scoring, and Hathorn drove in the seventh run of the game with a
groundout. Masters’ double sent home senior shortstop Codee Yeske, and
Hathorn scored on a wild pitch two batters later. Mooney scored Masters
with her second hit of the day. With two runners on, Taylor Williams
lined the eighth pitch of her at-bat off the new protective screen
protecting the track complex in left center for her first career homer,
a three-run shot to cap it at 13-0.
All the while, the Gamecock
pitchers shut down UNC Greensboro’s offense, holding them to three hits
and two walks. Freshman pitcher Nickie Blue (3-0) allowed the three
hits in three innings of work for her third win of the year. Redshirt
junior Julie Sarratt came on and fanned three in two innings, walking
two. Spartan starter Nicole Thomas (0-1) took the loss, giving up 10
runs, eight earned, on five hits and four walks. She struck out two.
In
the earlier action on Sunday, Ohio (4-0) defeated Iowa (3-2) by a score
of 9-6, and UNC Greensboro came back for a 5-4 victory over
Presbyterian (0-4).
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