April 13, 2007
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina softball will begin a seven-game home stand as they return to SEC action Saturday and Sunday and host the Georgia Bulldogs in a three-game series at Beckham Field. Due to forecasted inclement weather, Saturday’s doubleheader start time has been changed to Noon (ET). Sunday’s single game is still scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET). The Gamecocks are 26-15 and 4-10 in the SEC, while the Bulldogs are 33-19 and 5-9 in the SEC.
This will be only the second home conference series of the season for the Gamecocks as they team is looking for its first SEC win at home. The Bulldogs are slightly ahead of the Gamecocks in Eastern Division standings. Georgia is third, while South Carolina is fourth. The Bulldogs are coming off of a three-game sweep to No. 1 Tennessee, and the Gamecocks went 1-2 against No. 5/6 LSU in their last outing.
For the series, South Carolina has a slim lead with a 20-18 record. The Gamecocks are looking for their first win against Georgia since 2004 and the Bulldogs have won the last six consecutive meetings. The last time South Carolina won a series against Georgia was in 2004, and the last time South Carolina swept a three-game series against Georgia was 1999. The Gamecocks won a two-game series in 2001.
Kellie Middleton is the Bulldogs’ leading hitter with a .365 batting average. She leads the team in hits with 57 and runs scored with 38. She is second on the team in RBI with 31 and is tied for doubles with 10. In the circle, Kasi Carroll leads in victories with a 19-5 record and a 1.76 ERA. She leads the team in strikeouts with 145 in 139 innings pitched. Balancing out the Bulldogs pitching is Christie Hamilton with a 12-10 record and a 2.71 ERA in 136.2 innings pitched.
The Gamecocks are led by Ashton Payne and McKenna Hughes at the plate as the only players hitting above .300 for South Carolina. Payne is hitting .320 with 40 hits and Hughes has a .301 average with 37 hits and a team-leading, 25 RBI. Hughes is just two home runs shy of tying the school record for home runs in a single season. She has eight for the year and the record is 10. In the circle, Melissa Hendon leads the team in strikeouts with 174 and is 11-10 on the year, including her last victory over No. 5 LSU last weekend.
The Gamecocks are hoping to grab their first conference series win since its season opener against Arkansas. All three games can be followed live via audio broadcast or Gametracker online at www.uscsports.com.
