May 6, 2013

COLUMBIA, S.C. – For the second-consecutive week, South Carolina claimed a weekly honor from the Southeastern Conference, as pitcher Katie Marks took home the Freshman of the Week award on Monday.

Marks tossed 8.1 innings of scoreless relief against No. 2/3 Florida in two appearances on the weekend. Her game-three performance helped the Gamecocks take the win that clinched the team’s first SEC Tournament berth since 2007. In that final game, she handled 3.2 innings of work without giving up a run, striking out four in the process. The last strikeout came with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, as she sat down Gator senior Kelsey Horton on a check swing to seal the win.

The freshman is tied for the team lead in strikeouts with 69 and has closed the last two SEC weekend series with relief wins. She follows redshirt senior Audrey Broyles as a weekly winner after Broyles earned the SEC Pitcher of the Week award for the second time in her career.

Georgia’s Paige Wilson garnered the SEC Player of the Week honor, while Missouri’s Chelsea Thomas earned the SEC Pitcher of the Week slot.

The Gamecocks, the 10th seed, open SEC Tournament action on Wed., May 8 against seventh-seeded Kentucky at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. EDT and will be shown on ESPNU.