March 21, 2005

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina softball team returns to action Tuesday after a six-day break. USC will travel to Conway, S.C. to take on the Coastal Carolina Lady Chanticleers at 4 p.m. for a non-conference series. This marks the third meeting between the two teams so far this season and both teams are 1-1. USC hosted Coastal in the Gamecock Invitational back in February.

USC claimed victory in the first meeting 8-2 but then fell in the championship game of the tournament 3-2 to Coastal.

The Gamecocks are 20-12 overall and 5-3 in the SEC, while Coastal is 12-12 and 1-1 in the Big South after splitting a doubleheader with Texas A&M – Corpus Christi. Since their last meeting, Coastal has gone 9-11 while the Gamecocks have posted a 17-11 record.

For the overall series between the two teams, USC leads 37-3, including this year’s two earlier meetings. 2003 was the last time the teams met in Conway and the doubleheader was split. Coastal won game one 6-7 and the Gamecocks took game two 8-0.

Allison Cantrell and Sara Hostetler lead the Lady Chants in hitting with .311 and .310 batting averages, respectively. The teams leading RBI leaders are Hostetler and Britany Nelson with 10 apiece. Nelson is also Coastal’s leading pitcher with an 8-3 record and a 1.75 ERA.

Meghan Cornett and Jessica Josker lead the Gamecocks with .390 and .362 averages and 41 and 42 hits respectively. Cornett and Josker are the only Gamecocks to have over 40 hits so far this season. McKenna Hughes leads the team with 25 RBIs followed by Lisa Longo with 24.

In the two games prior, USC hit .283 while Coastal hit .200. Josker went 4-for-8 and had four hits while Cornett led with four RBIs.

USC will return to SEC play this weekend when they continue on the road and head to Auburn for a three game series on Saturday and Sunday.