March 8, 2014
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A wild game ended in No. 11/11 Alabama’s favor on Saturday afternoon at Rhoads Stadium, as the Crimson Tide (19-4, 2-0 SEC) claimed a 10-5 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks (14-6, 0-2 SEC) to clinch the series.
Alabama’s Kallie Case and Molly Fichtner both had two hits and two runs scored, with Fichtner adding two RBI and two walks. Case stole two bases and Haylie McCleney one, with McCleney scoring twice and walking twice as well.
Alabama took its first lead in the first when McCleney singled, stole second and scored on Case’s single to center. Fichtner and Jadyn Spencer both drew one-out walks to load the bases. After a foul out, Peyton Grantham hit a single to left, scoring two and giving the Crimson Tide the 3-0 lead.
South Carolina drew within a run in the top of the third on freshman Kaylea Snaer’s two-out, two-run homer, which also scored sophomore Alaynie Page after she drew a two-out walk. But the Crimson Tide posted six runs in the bottom of the frame to cement the game. Danielle Richard’s single started the scoring, and a walk to Danae Hays ended Gamecock starter Julie Sarratt’s day. A wild pitch let one run in, and a throw to third got away, letting another score on the play. Another run scored on a Gamecock error, a call disputed by the Gamecocks that led to Beverly Smith’s ejection. Fichtner’s two-run single ended the scoring in the frame with Alabama on top 9-2.
The Gamecocks kept fighting, posting three runs in the fourth. Senior shortstop Codee Yeske drove in the first Gamecock run with a hit, and senior designated player Ashlyn Masters plated another with her grounder when she reached first on the Crimson Tide shortstop’s misplay. A wild pitch let Yeske score, closing Alabama’s lead to 9-5. But in the sixth, Alabama added one more run when pinch hitter Marisa Runyon singled up the middle to score Fichtner.
Crimson Tide freshman reliever Sydney Littlejohn (5-0) got the win, tossing 3.2 innings of hitless relief, walking one and striking out two. Sarratt (5-3), the redshirt junior, took the loss, allowing seven runs, five earned, on five hits and five walks and a strikeout in 2.2 innings.
Junior catcher Sarah Mooney went 2-for-3 for the Gamecocks, the only South Carolina student-athlete with multiple hits in the game. Freshman Nickie Blue tossed 3.1 innings of relief for the Gamecocks, striking out three and walking three while giving up three runs, one earned, and four hits.
The two teams finish the series on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
