Feb. 6, 2016
BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. – South Carolina dropped its spring SEC opener to No. 2 Georgia, 13-7, at One Wood Farm on Saturday. The Gamecocks fall to 3-6 overall and 0-4 in SEC play, while the Bulldogs improve to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in SEC play.
“We had a terrific crowd today for Equifest and as excited as we were to have such a large turnout, we’re disappointed we couldn’t get the win for our fans,” South Carolina head coach Boo Major said. “We just made some uncharacteristic mistakes, and over the course of the meet, they caught up with us and proved to be the difference in the final score. We have some homework to do in practice, but I’m impressed with this team’s work ethic and we’ll get back to work on Monday.”
For the second meet in a row, junior Makayla Clegg won the first point of the meet, as she knocked off Kyndall Harper, 67.5-66. The Bulldogs won the next two points to take a 3-1 lead, but sophomore Bailey Walters evened the score at two apiece when she turned in her second M.O.P. performance of the season in a 72-70.5 victory over Graysen Stroud. Georgia won the final reining point to win the event, 3-2.
The Bulldogs turned in another 3-2 win in the jumping arena to take a 6-4 lead at the halfway point of Saturday’s meet.
Georgia won the first two jumping points to extend its lead to three points, but back-to-back points from sophomore Chloe Schmidt and senior Samantha Kraus cut the Bulldogs’ lead to just one point. Schmidt edged Georgia’s Leylan Gleeson, 77-76, and Kraus posted an 83-80 victory over Alex Maracic. The Bulldogs won the final jumping point to take a two-point lead heading in to the second half of Saturday’s meet.
In the horsemanship ring, the Bulldogs pulled away, winning 4-of-5 points to take a 10-5 lead over the Gamecocks. Megan Overberg was the lone Gamecock rider to win a point in the event, as she posted a 75-67.5 win over Georgia’s Graysen Stroud.
In the flat arena, senior Erin Fry claimed her first career M.O.P. award in an 84-72 victory over Georgia’s Addy Cord. And in her return to the lineup for the first time since November, senior Samantha Smith won her first point 2016 with an 83-81 win over Liza Fineness.
South Carolina returns to action on February 20, when the Gamecocks host Texas A&M at 10 a.m. The meet will be the Gamecocks’ final home meet of the season, and Carolina will recognize its eight seniors in a pre-meet Senior Day ceremony.
