Gamecocks Defeat Charlotte 12-0
Feb. 19, 2014
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – South Carolina (7-2) posted 11 runs in the seventh to run away from Charlotte (1-2) with a 12-0 win on Wednesday afternoon at D.L. Phillips Complex.
Junior Sarah Mooney gave South Carolina the 1-0 lead in the sixth with a leadoff homer, her third of the season. That led to freshman Nickie Blue (6-1) getting the win in relief, as she pitched three scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out four. Redshirt junior Julie Sarratt started and scattered four hits and a walk in her four innings, fanning three.
The Gamecocks sent 14 batters to the plate in the final frame, scoring 11 times. Sophomore Ansley Ard, who led off the frame with a bunt single, hit a grand slam against Charlotte relief pitcher Mackenzie Hauser to land the biggest blow of the inning. Freshman Kaylea Snaer and sophomore Alaynie Page both doubled home two runs in the inning as the 10th and 14th batter, respectively. Junior Olivia Lawrence got an RBI while reaching on an error, freshman Kate Shereyk scored on a wild pitch, and sophomore Jordan Bizzell got an RBI on a hit by pitch. Charlotte had three errors to extend the inning.
The fourth inning saw Charlotte threaten to score, getting runners at the corners with one out. Hayley Lewis had an infield single, but when the ball got behind the third-base bag, Chelsea Ingersoll tried to score. Senior shortstop Codee Yeske, backing up the play, quickly got the ball and threw home in time to get Ingersoll. The final out of the inning came on a low popup behind the plate that Mooney raced out of her spot behind the plate to snag.
Charlotte’s Lexi Betancourt (1-1) took the loss, allowing nine runs, three earned, on eight hits and four walks in 6.1 innings. She struck out six. Samantha Slade went 2-for-2, while Paige Wall doubled in the seventh for the only 49er extra-base hit.
Snaer went 3-for-5 with the double and two RBI, while Mooney went 3-for-4 with the homer. Senior Ashlyn Masters went 2-for-4, while Ard posted a 2-for-3 game with two runs scored and four RBI.
South Carolina hosts the Gamecock Invitational this weekend at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field, facing Gardner-Webb and Boston University in the final two games at 3 and 5:30 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday at 3 p.m., the Gamecocks face Michigan State, and Sunday’s tourney closer pits South Carolina against UNC Wilmington at 5:30 p.m. Live video will be available for all Gamecock games, while Gametracker is set for every game in the 12-contest event.
