May 16, 2015
| GAMECOCK SOFTBALL | |||||
| Highlights | |||||
| Post-Game Press Conference | |||||
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – South Carolina fought through its last at-bat, getting the tying run to the plate, but No. 13/14 UCF (50-8) finished a 5-2 victory in Saturday’s second elimination game in the Tallahassee Regional, ending the Gamecocks’ season.
Junior left fielder Alaynie Page beat out an infield single to start the seventh, and after an out, sophomore designated player Victoria Williams was hit. Sophomore first baseman Kaylea Snaer stepped up and stroked a single up the middle, scoring Page to make it 5-2 and bring the tying run to the plate. But UCF pitcher Mackenzie Audas (24-1) got a ground out and a strikeout, the latter in a seven-pitch at-bat, to close the win.
South Carolina started the scoring in the third on Snaer’s RBI single, scoring junior right fielder Ansley Ard after she drew a walk and stole second.
The Knights used six singles to answer in the fourth, scoring one on Samantha McCloskey’s single and two each on singles by Courtney Rotton and Linnea Goodman.
Audas went the distance, giving up two earned runs on five hits and five walks in the complete-game win. She struck out five. Gamecock sophomore Nickie Blue (20-9) took the loss, giving up 10 hits, five earned runs and a walk with three strikeouts.
Game Changer:
The barrage of singles in the fourth gave UCF the lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.
Key Stat:
The Gamecocks did not commit an error, a day after the Knights scored three unearned runs in the win.
Notables:
• Snaer went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while senior catcher Olivia Lawrence went 2-for-3 to tally four of South Carolina’s five hits.
• Ard and junior third baseman Jordan Bizzell both walked twice, while Bizzell and Williams also were hit by pitches.
• Knight left fielder Linnea Goodman went 3-for-4 with two RBI, and Farrah Sullivan was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
• Kalyn Cenal also had a 2-for-3 day.
• South Carolina loses only its third game this year when keeping its foe without an extra-base hit. Two were to UCF in the Tallahassee Regional.
• Four Gamecock seniors donned the Garnet and Black for the last time: Lawrence, Sarah Mooney, Julie Sarratt and Kristen Struett.
• With a 38-22 record, South Carolina improves its win total for the third straight year, the only SEC team that has done that.
Tweet of the Game:
Well, the season is over but thanks to our @GamecockSoftbll seniors. You’ll be #Gamecocks forever. pic.twitter.com/kE3UuKGGoe
— Charles Bloom (@CharlesBloomSC) May 16, 2015
