Blue's Shutout Leads Gamecocks to 1-0 Win at No. 15/17 Georgia
April 5, 2014
ATHENS, Ga. – South Carolina (25-13, 6-8 SEC) mounted another seventh-inning rally to support freshman Nickie Blue’s shutout and take the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader at No. 15/17 Georgia (32-6, 7-4 SEC) by a 1-0 score.
Junior catcher Olivia Lawrence hit a one-out double, and freshman pinch runner Kate Shereyk took third on a wild pitch. A 10-pitch at-bat by senior second baseman Dana Hathorn finally ends in a walk, putting runners at the corners with one down. Another wild pitch put Hathorn in scoring position, but Georgia reliever Chelsea Wilkinson induced an infield pop for the second out. The Bulldogs chose to intentionally walk senior Ashlyn Masters to load the bases and face redshirt freshman third baseman Lauren Masters. Masters took three balls and two strikes in that order before the sixth pitch missed high, forcing in a run to give South Carolina the 1-0 lead.
Blue (14-5) did the rest of the work with a 1-2-3 seventh to complete the shutout. She struck out a career-high seven while allowing three hits and two walks in the victory.
South Carolina used two double plays to help keep Georgia at bay in the first three innings. The first ended when senior shortstop Codee Yeske caught a liner and threw to first to double off Paige Wilson after she reached on a wild pitch on a third strike. With runners at first and second and none out, UGA’s Anna Swafford hit a sharp grounder to third that Lauren Masters snagged, tagging the bag in the same motion before throwing to first to complete the twin killing.
The Gamecocks threatened in the third, getting two runners on when Lawrence got a hit that went off two Bulldog gloves to start the inning and Hathorn followed by being hit for the eighth time this year. A wild pitch moved both into scoring position with no one out, but Bulldog starting Geri Ann Glasco got an infield pop, a strikeout and a grounder to escape without any runs scoring.
Georgia threatened in the fourth with two down, getting a walk from Glasco and a double from Tina Iosefa, but Blue struck out the next batter to snuff out the threat.
South Carolina also left two on in the sixth, working two walks from Lauren Masters and freshman designated player Victoria Williams with one down to end Glasco’s pitching performance. Wilkinson (19-4) entered and struck out the first batter she faced before getting a check-swing grounder to second to close the inning. Wilkinson took the loss, walking three and giving up one hit in 1.2 innings of work.
Lawrence went 2-for-3 with a double, while her second pinch runner Shereyk scored the game-winning run. Lauren Masters walked twice, the second forcing in the run. Hathorn also had a hit for the Gamecocks. Iosefa hit a double, while Bethany Beggs and Samantha LaZear also added singles for Georgia.
The win for the Gamecocks is their first in Athens since March 28, 2001, when South Carolina swept a doubleheader.
