Gamecocks Take Series at No. 22/25 Georgia with 6-2 Sunday Win
April 30, 2017
ATHENS, Ga. – South Carolina (30-21, 6-14 SEC) picked up a critical SEC series win on the road, downing No. 22/25 Georgia (31-20, 4-17 SEC) by a 6-2 final on Sunday afternoon at Turner Softball Stadium.
South Carolina claimed the lead for good with a two-out rally in the fifth capped by junior Krystan White’s two-RBI single, set up by a double from senior Victoria Williams and a walk to junior Alyssa VanDerveer. South Carolina extended that advantage to 6-2 in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk by Williams and a bases-loaded grounder by freshman Mackenzie Boesel.
The Gamecocks took the initial 2-0 lead in the first when junior Tiara Duffy scored on Boesel’s single up the middle. Senior Kaylea Snaer, who singled earlier in the frame, scored a batter later on a Georgia wild pitch.
Georgia tied the contest in the third on Alyssa DiCarlo’s two-out, two-RBI double, scoring Jordan Doggett and Cortni Emanuel.
Gamecock senior Jessica Elliott (14-9) pitched four shutout innings in relief, scattering two hits and two walks to pick up the win. Georgia starter Brittany Gray (17-10) took the loss, allowing six runs, two earned, on eight hits and five walks in 5.2 innings. She struck out six.
Game Changer
South Carolina’s hitters drew walks and put the ball in play on the ground, which forced four Georgia errors.
Key Stat
The Gamecocks drew five walks and forced Gray to throw 130 pitches in her 5.2 innings of work.
NOTABLES
Both Williams and Boesel had two hits in the game, while Boesel and White both tallied two RBI.
Duffy scored twice in the contest while reaching twice on errors out of the leadoff spot.
A sixth-inning walk drawn by Snaer tied her for South Carolina’s career record with 113 career bases on balls, joining former All-American Tricia Popowski (1988-91), while her single in the first brought her even her with Debralee Troesh (2000-03) in 12th in program history for hits.
Senior Victoria Williams’ double in the fourth joined her with four others for 15th in program history with her 33rd career two-base hit, and her walk in the sixth tied her for 11th at South Carolina.
Doggett went 2-for-3 and scored one of the Bulldogs’ runs to top their offense.
The Gamecocks pick up a road series win for the fifth-straight season and its first road series win at a ranked team since taking two at No. 14 Kentucky in 2015.
It’s South Carolina’s first series win at Georgia since the Gamecocks swept a doubleheader in Athens on March 28, 2001.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Great series Win for @GamecockSoftbll at #25 UGA! Way to go ladies. Nice job..continue that momentum. Go Gamecocks! #ForeverToThee #Softball
– Andy Bailey (@uscrealfan) April 30, 2017
Up Next
South Carolina hosts LSU in the final regular season weekend. Friday’s game is slated for a 7 p.m. first pitch, with Saturday’s game set to start at 6 p.m. Sunday’s first pitch is scheduled for a 12 noon start. All three games will air on the SEC Network, with Friday’s game a part of the network’s Bases Loaded wrap-around coverage.
