March 11, 2015
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Alaynie Page’s two-out, seventh-inning triple with a runner on sends South Carolina (18-8) to a 2-1 comeback win over Western Kentucky (8-4) on Wednesday night at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
Ard drew a walk with two outs, and the junior Page stepped up and drove the 2-2 pitch off the wall in center, just to the side of the WKU centerfielder, letting Ard score from first to give the Gamecocks the win.
South Carolina tied the contest with a two-out rally in the sixth. Hits by freshman Tiara Duffy and junior Jordan Bizzell preceded a walk to sophomore Kaylea Snaer, loading the bases. Redshirt sophomore Lauren Masters hit a grounder to short, and Bizzell ran by the defender just as the ball got there. The shortstop bobbled the ball, allowing Duffy to score to tie the game.
The Lady Toppers got on the board first with a run in the second. Jacqueline McGill drove home Dani Pugh with a single to left center with two outs.
Gamecock sophomore Nickie Blue (9-4) picked up the win, giving up one unearned run on four hits and two walks in the complete game. She struck out three. After a leadoff single in the fourth, Blue didn’t give up another hit to the Lady Toppers. WKU’s Miranda Kramer (6-3) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and two walks. She struck out 12.
Game Changer:
The Gamecocks stayed in and fought in the batters box in the final two frames, with four of their seven hits and both walks coming with two outs in the sixth and the seventh.
Key Stat:
Masters went 2-for-3 with the RBI single in the sixth.
Notables:
• Duffy went 2-for-3 with a run scored, the second-straight two-hit game for the freshman, who earned consecutive starts.
• Sophomore Victoria Williams doubled in the fifth for the Gamecocks.
• The four Lady Topper hits came from Larissa Franklin, Pugh, Brooke Holloway and McGill.
• South Carolina won for the first time this year when striking out over 10 times, while it’s now 3-5 when walking twice or less.
Tweet of the Game:
Masters hits it to short, Bizzell runs past right as the ball gets there, SS bobbles, Duffy scores! #Gamecocks and Lady Toppers tied 1-1 E6.
— Gamecock Softball (@GamecockSoftbll) March 11, 2015
Quotable:
Junior left fielder Alaynie Page
On the game-winning hit
“I saw an inside pitch that I could drive. My first two at-bats, I couldn’t see her, so Coach Cal (Beamon) said my goal was to make an adjustment and see her better.”
Up Next:
The Gamecocks host No. 9/15 Tennessee for a three-game series scheduled to begin on Friday at 6 p.m. All three games from Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field will be shown on SEC Network +, with Brad Muller and former Gamecock All-American Megan Matthews Buning calling the action.
