April 8, 2016
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Behind a record-setting night at the plate, South Carolina (29-9, 3-7 SEC) picked up a 14-0 win in five innings at Arkansas (15-24, 0-10 SEC) on Friday night at Bogle Park.
The Gamecocks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second, sparked by freshman Kenzi Maguire’s blast to left to start the frame. An error on Alexis Mack’s high hopper up the middle let senior Ansley Ard score, while freshman Kennedy Clark drove home senior left fielder Alaynie Page with her two-out hit to right.
Ten Gamecocks came to the plate in the fourth, scoring four more runs. Juniors Kaylea Snaer and Taylor Williams had RBI singles, while Maguire plated two with her hit in the frame.
Seven more runs came home in South Carolina’s fifth. Snaer’s three-run shot in the fifth made it 10-0 Gamecocks, while junior Victoria Williams followed later in the inning with a two-run double. Two more runs crossed, the first on Ard’s sacrifice fly and the final on a strike-three passed ball with two outs and the bases loaded.
Gamecock junior Nickie Blue (13-7) tossed a three-hit shutout, walking two and striking out two. Arkansas starter Claire Clark (4-2) took the loss, allowing three runs, one earned on five hits and a walk in 1.1 innings.
Game Changer:
Maguire’s home run started the Gamecocks scoring, and they never looked back.
Key Stat:
South Carolina set new records in the program’s Southeastern Conference play for both runs (14) and hits (19).
Notables:
• The 14 runs tops the 13 scored in a 13-5 (6) win over Mississippi on March 29, 2014, while the 14-run margin is the best in the Gamecocks’ SEC play as well, bettering the 12-1 (5) win against Auburn on March 29, 2003.
• The 19 hits is the most for a Gamecock team since posting 20 on March 2, 2013 in a win over Alabama State. That’s also more than 16 hits knocked against Kentucky on March 27, 1998, the previous best in an league outing.
• Every Gamecock starter had a hit as well as two of the three pinch hitters.
• Maguire tied her career best with a 3-for-3 night, also posting a career-high three RBI to go with her second homer of the year.
• Snaer went 3-for-5 with a season-best four RBI, tallying her third career homer at Bogle Park as part of the night.
• Three other Gamecocks had two hits: Ard, Page and Mack, with Ard scoring twice and knocking in a run and Page and Mack both scoring once. Ard and Mack both had stolen bases, while Page had a double.
• Page’s double tied her for 14th in Gamecock history with four others, while her three total bases tie fellow All-American Kim Pietro (1996-99) in sixth.
• Snaer’s round-tripper ties her for sixth in program history with Sarah Mooney (2014-15), while her four RBI tie her with former teammate Dana Hathorn (2011-14) for 14th with 99.
• Ard’s swipe of second ties her for 14th with two others.
• Blue’s win joins her with Jana Zimmerman (1990-92) in a tie for 10th, while the shutout brings her even with three others in 13th.
Tweet of the Game:
Has anyone checked if that homerun ball from Kaylea Snaer is still going? #HolyHit @GamecockSoftbll
– sarah jaynes (@sejaynes) April 9, 2016
Quotable:
Head coach Beverly Smith
Nickie Blue threw an excellent game tonight, becoming only the third team to shut out Arkansas this season. Offensively, it was really a great team win. Some standouts were Kenzi Maguire and Kaylea Snaer both getting three hits. I could go on and name several other players, but I was certainly proud of our players coming off the bench in pinch-hit opportunities posting productive at bats tonight. We take pride in our team offense.
Up Next:
The two teams continue the series tomorrow with a 1 p.m. CDT first pitch.
