April 16, 2013
WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. – Junior centerfielder Kristen Struett came through in the sixth to help South Carolina (23-19) get past Presbyerian (19-24) 10-5 on Tuesday night at the Pine Grove Complex.
Struett came up with the bases loaded in the sixth and put one past the Blue Hose third baseman down the line, scoring two and giving the Gamecocks the 7-5 lead. Junior third baseman Codee Yeske started the frame with a single and moved to second on a sac bunt attempt that Presbyterian mishandled, letting senior shortstop Samie Garcia reach as well. After a foul out that allowed Yeske to reach third, junior second baseman Dana Hathorn got hit for the second time in the game to load the bases, setting up Struett’s heroics.
Junior right fielder Chelsea Hawkins lined one over the left fielder’s head for a double, scoring Hathorn to make it 8-5. Redshirt sophomore pitcher Julie Sarratt hit a sac fly to center to score another, pushing the lead to 9-5. Redshirt senior first baseman Kelley Dillon’s third hit of the day scored Hawkins to make it 10-5.
Presbyterian tied things in the sixth, getting its own two-out rally on Tera Powell’s fourth hit of the day followed by Jill McLean’s double to left, scoring the speedy Powell. With McLean on third after advancing on the throw home, Morgan Durham singled back through the middle to score McLean and tie it at 5-5.
The Gamecocks went on top in the fifth with a two-out rally. Hawkins roped one past the third baseman and down the line in right, and she scored on junior designated player Ashlyn Masters’ RBI double to left center. Dillon followed with a hit back through the middle, scoring Masters to make it 5-3.
South Carolina answered back in the fourth, with Hawkins sending one out to dead center to start the frame. After an illegal pitch gave Masters a second chance, she singled to left center before scoring from first on Dillon’s double to the gap in left center. Dillon moved to third on the throw and crossed home on senior catcher Shelby Gonzales’ sacrifice fly to right.
The Blue Hose struck first in the third. Cat Tarvin and Shelby Petik had RBI singles up the middle around a ground out, while Erin Taylor doubled to left center with two outs to give the Blue Hose the 3-0 lead.
Sarratt (6-5) came on in the sixth for the Gamecocks and picked up the win, tossing 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, walking one and striking out two. Kelsey Barnette (2-5) took the loss, giving up four runs, two earned, on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Gamecock sophomore Lakyn Shull had three strikeouts in her 2.2 innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits.
Hawkins and Dillon both went 3-for-4 with a double, with Dillon driving in three and Hawkins two but scoring three times including on her eighth homer of the year. Garcia and Masters also went 2-for-3, with Masters doubling and scoring twice. Garcia stole her 17th base of the season, while Hathorn was hit by a pitch for the 18th and 19th time this season.
Powell went 4-for-4 and scored two runs for the Blue Hose, and Petik added a 2-for-4 day with her RBI. Taylor and McLean both posted doubles for Presbyterian.
The Gamecocks hit the road for a pivotal three-game series at Auburn. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT Friday night at Jane B. Moore Field. Saturday’s game is set for a national ESPNU broadcast starting at 6 p.m. EDT.
