March 15, 2008
ATHENS, Ga. – Dodging rain in both games of the doubleheader did not help the Gamecocks, as they fell, 3-0, to No. 22/20 Georgia in the second game at UGA Softball Stadium this afternoon. South Carolina’s record moves to 13-11, 2-3 in Southeastern Conference play, while the Bulldogs bring their marks to 25-8 and 2-3.
Georgia got on the board in the fourth, as they loaded the bases against Carolina starter Krystle Robinson (5-5) with three straight singles. The fourth by Taylor Schlopy brought home Alisa Goler, giving Georgia all the runs it needed. After a force at the plate got one out, Robinson hit pinch-hitter Kristen Thomas with a 1-0 pitch to bring home another run. Senior Kate Pouliot came on and got out of the jam, striking out Kristin Schnake before snagging a liner from Victoria Sanders to escape the inning.
The Bulldogs tacked on another insurance run in the sixth, stringing together another trio of singles to load the bases. A grounder to shortstop Lindsay Walker got the first out at the plate. Pouliot induced another grounder, but first baseman Jacqueline Wetherbee tagged first before going home after being turned around on the Schnake strike, allowing Schlopy to score. Pouliot got another grounder back to her to get out of the frame.
Georgia sophomore starter Kate Gaskill (11-3) was brilliant, sitting down all 21 Gamecock batters she faced in order in the victory that included a 1:34 rain delay after the fifth inning. Gaskill fanned 13 batters in the game. Robinson (5-5) allowed two earned runs on six hits in the 3.1 innings she threw. She collected one strikeout in the loss.
Junior Ashton Payne, moved to the cleanup spot in the order for the game, saw her hitting streak snapped at 18 games after just two at bats in the contest. Payne and senior Jessica Josker were the only Gamecocks to avoid a strikeout in the game.
The Gamecocks look to salvage the final game of the series on Sunday against the Bulldogs, with first pitch set for 2 p.m. in Athens, Ga.
