Gamecocks' Furious Comeback Trumped by Arkansas in 11-10 Setback
April 11, 2014
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – South Carolina came back from an eight-run deficit, finally tying the game in the top of the seventh, but Arkansas finished the game with one final strike in the bottom of the seventh to claim a 11-10 win on Friday night at Bogle Park.
The Razorbacks (25-18, 3-10 SEC) got a leadoff walk from Jennifer Rambo to start their half of the seventh, and Devon Wallace hit one off Gamecock freshman pitcher Nickie Blue’s glove for a single. The ball caromed to the second baseman, and her throw to first went wide, allowing Rambo to take third on the play. On the first pitch of her at bat, Stephanie Canfield chopped one up the first base line that the Gamecocks fielded before giving it a chance to twist foul, letting Canfield reach first and Rambo to score to end the game, 11-10.
South Carolina (26-15, 6-10 SEC) finished its comeback bid by tying the game in the top of the seventh. Senior Chelsea Hawkins guided one through the left side to start the frame and wisely moved to second when Arkansas right fielder Amanda Geile caught a foul out on the rail by the Gamecock bullpen. Junior centerfielder Kristen Struett drove one off the wall in left for an RBI double to tie the contest. Struett took third on a groundout to second, but Razorback reliever Grace Moll (9-5) got a fly ball to right to end the inning.
The sixth saw the Gamecocks draw within one after a long fight back. Struett started the frame with a single, and on the second fielder’s choice of the inning, the Razorbacks dropped the throw at second, putting two runners aboard. A grounder moved them both into scoring position, and freshman offensive player Victoria Williams got hit by a pitch to load the bases. Freshman first baseman Kaylea Snaer, who led off the fifth with a solo home run, drove a 1-2 pitch over the wall in center for a grand slam that cut Arkansas’ lead to 10-9.
Arkansas staked itself to an 8-0 advantage after one inning of play, thanks to two Gamecock errors. Wallace singled to start the inning, and two fly outs quickly followed. A grounder to third could have ended the frame, but the throw pulled Snaer off the bag to keep the inning alive. A walk loaded the bases, and Chloe Oprzedek hit a hard liner to right that hit the Gamecock right fielder in the glove before falling to the ground. The three base runners scored to make it a 3-0 game.
Two walks followed Oprzedek’s reaching on an error, loading the bases for Rambo. She got hit, forcing in another run to grow the lead to 4-0. Wallace stepped up and sent one out to the opposite field for a grand slam, handing the Razorbacks the 8-0 lead after only one inning of play.
The Gamecocks cut the lead in half in the third by batting around themselves. The Masters sisters, senior Ashlyn and redshirt freshman Lauren, walked to start the inning, but a fielder’s choice took Lauren’s pinch runner, freshman Taylor Williams, off the bases. A pop out had Arkansas an out away from ending the inning, but junior catcher Sarah Mooney drew a walk to keep things going. Hawkins worked a 3-0 count before being hit to force in the first run. Senior Dana Hathorn worked a walk to make it 8-2 before Struett stepped up and sent one through the right side to score two more, cutting Arkansas’ lead to 8-4.
With runs in the fourth and fifth, Arkansas put one run on the board in the bottom of the fourth after loading the bases. Wallace started the frame by getting plunked, and, after an out, Clarissa Navarro walked. Geile singled to load the bases, and Oprzedek hit a sharp grounder to first that got mishandled, letting Wallace score to make it 9-4. Snaer’s first homer made it 9-5 in the fifth, but Arkansas got its 10th in the bottom of the fifth. Shelby Hiers walked to start the frame and moved to third on Rambo’s double. After walking Wallace intentionally, junior pitcher Lakyn Shull induced a grounder to third to cut down the lead runner at the plate. Navarro followed with a single to left to drive home Rambo, the 10th Razorback run.
Snaer posted her first two-homer game for the Gamecocks in the loss, driving in five runs. Struett went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI, while Hawkins, Ashlyn Masters and Victoria Williams all scored twice. South Carolina drew eight walks in the loss, one by eight different players. For Arkansas, Wallace went 3-for-3, scoring three times and hitting the grand slam. Rambo scored three times and doubles in a 1-for-2 day.
Moll gained the victory, pitching two innings and giving up five runs, one earned, on four hits. Blue (14-6) took the loss, giving up one unearned run on two hits and a walk in one-plus inning. Shull worked four innings for the Gamecocks, scattering four walks and three hits and striking out one while two runs, one earned. That earned run in the fifth was the only earned run allowed by South Carolina pitchers in the game.
The two teams play again on Saturday at 2 p.m. EDT, with Cox Sports Television showing the game in its select markets. ESPN3/WatchESPN users can catch the game as well.
