April 1, 2014
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (23-12) used a patient approach to dispatch Charleston Southern (19-22-1) in six innings 9-1 in the afternoon half of the split doubleheader on Tuesday at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
Redshirt freshman third baseman Lauren Masters and junior catcher Sarah Mooney both went 2-for-2 with two RBI, with Masters scoring once and Mooney hitting the game’s lone double. Mooney was among a trio of Gamecocks to draw two walks each, part of 10 drawn by South Carolina, while sophomore left fielder Alaynie Page stole two bases and scored twice to go with her two walks. Senior shortstop Codee Yeske also drove in two runs and stole a base.
After the Buccaneers scored the first run of the game in the top of the first on a passed ball, South Carolina answered back with two in the bottom of the frame. Mooney doubled to left center, allowing both Masters and freshman designated player Victoria Williams to score after they drew one-out walks.
The Gamecocks made it 5-1 in the second, starting the scoring on Yeske’s sacrifice fly to left, which scored senior second baseman Dana Hathorn after she reached base to start the inning on a Buc error. Senior right fielder Ashlyn Masters brought home Page after her walk with a hit, extending her hitting streak to 14 games, and Lauren Masters drove home her sister with a single to center.
South Carolina added more in the fourth, getting RBI singles from Yeske and Lauren Masters again. Yeske’s hit scored Page after she stole second and moved to third on an error, while Yeske also swiped second before moving to third on Ashlyn Masters’ fly to right. The Gamecocks loaded the bases with two outs after walks to Williams and Mooney, and a Charleston Southern error on Hathorn’s fielder’s choice let freshman pinch runner Taylor Williams score from third to put the Gamecocks up 8-1 after four. The Gamecocks loaded the bases again in the sixth, and Page ended the game with a one-out single to left, scoring sophomore pinch runner Jordan Bizzell.
Gamecock freshman Nickie Blue (13-5) got the win, surrendering one unearned run on two hits and three walks in the complete game. She struck out four Buccaneers. Cheyenne Gandara (7-8) took the loss, allowing five runs, two earned, on three hits and three walks in 1.2 innings.
