April 9, 2002
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina softball team (29-11, 10-5 SEC) will host 23rd-ranked Georgia (42-8, 10-8 SEC) and Kentucky (18-19, 3-9 SEC) in two key SEC East matchups this week.
The Gamecocks look to continue their eight-game winning streak first against the University of Georgia Bulldogs with a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 10, and another game on Thursday, April 11. The Bulldogs come into the series having won their last five games, including a three-game sweep of Arkansas and a doubleheader against North Carolina. USC’s eight-game winning streak came by way of a three-game sweep of Auburn last weekend, a two-game sweep of ETSU last week, and a three-game sweep of Tennessee in Knoxville.
USC currently occupies the first place spot in the SEC East division, but right behind the Gamecocks is Georgia in second place. Carolina leads the series with Georgia 15-5 and has a perfect 8-0 record at Beckham Field. The series will feature both SEC Players of the Week. UGA’s Nicole Barber was voted Offensive Player of the Week after hitting .533 with 10 stolen bases in the series against Arkansas. She has a streak of 62 consecutive stolen bases. USC’s Aleca Johnson was voted Pitcher of the Week after leading the Gamecocks to a perfect record last week. Johnson went 3-0 as she pitched 8.2 innings in relief, struck out 13, and allowed no runs.
Megan Mathews, another USC standout pitcher, will try to break the all-time Carolina strikeout record this week. She needs 18 strikeouts to tie and 19 to beat Gamecock pitching legend Trinity Johnson, who holds the current record with 1,032.
Wednesday and Thursday, April 10-11 are “Family Days”, where children 18 and under get in free when accompanied by a parent. The games are both scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m.
The second series for the Gamecocks in their homestand will be against the University of Kentucky Wildcats with a doubleheader on Saturday and another game Sunday, April 13-14.
The Wildcats play a mid-week series with Louisville before traveling to Columbia. Last weekend the Wildcats snapped a seven-game SEC losing streak by taking two of three games from Mississippi State in Lexington.
Carolina is 15-7 all-time versus Kentucky, but the series is even at 4-4 the last two years.
Saturday is “Youth League Day” where members of youth league teams will gain admission for $1 when wearing their team jersey. Saturday is also “Banner Day” where Carolina will hold a contest for the best decorated banner supporting Carolina Softball.
The Kentucky games are scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.
