March 21, 2006
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina scored six runs in the sixth inning to charge back from a 6-2 deficit and claim an 8-7 victory over College of Charleston in game one of a doubleheader Tuesday. Lisa Longo led the rally with a leadoff home run in the inning, her third of the season. The Gamecocks managed its eight runs on 10 hits, five of those hits came in the sixth. Kate Pouliot (3-1) recorded the win while Jessica Barnes picked up her second save of the year.
The Gamecocks gave up seven runs on 15 hits, a season high, and had two errors. Melanie Henkes made the start for USC and gave up the first three runs to the Cougars. Pouliot entered in relief with one out in the second inning. In 5.1 innings, she gave up four runs on 11 hits and recorded eight strikeouts.
The Cougars strung together back-to-back three run innings to jump out to a 6-2 lead against USC. C of C led off the second with three straight hits, including back-to-back doubles to drive in its first two runs. Amber Shifflett then hit a one out bunt single to score Renee Francis and gave the Cougars a 3-0 lead. In the third, Jennifer Golden belted a home run and Shifflet had a two-RBI single for three more runs.
After the Gamecocks put two on the board with a home run by Chrissy Schoonmaker in the bottom of the second inning, USC found its offense in the sixth. Longo hit her sixth career home run in the sixth and cut C of C’s lead in half, 6-3. Schoonmaker added her second hit of the game when she followed with a single and advanced on a wild pitch and eventually came home on an error. Carolina scored six runs on five hits and two errors in the inning to jump into the lead, 8-6.
The Cougars continued to battle in the top of the seventh as Francis, who led off with a double, scored on an RBI single by Shifflett to come within one. C of C followed with another hit and with runners at the corners, Carolina was in a close jam once again. USC then made a pitching change and brought in Barnes to get the final out of the game. Barnes entered and struck out Jayme Durand to clinch the win and gave the Gamecocks their 20th win of the season.
Shifflett led the Cougars as she went 3-for-5 with three RBI and Francis scored three runs and went 2-for-4. Longo led USC as she went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Schoonmaker went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs, while Margaret Person went 3-for-3 with one run.
