February 16, 2002

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Carolina softball team had big innings to win both of their games in the Gamecock Invitational today as they won 5-0 against Alabama-Birmingham (3-3) and 4-1 against Tennessee Tech (1-1). Megan Cornett hit two triples while third baseman Samantha Jennings combined for 3-4 including her first career homerun. Against Tech, the Gamecocks recorded a season high 11 hits.

Against UAB, Carolina recorded a three run third inning with a lead off double, a single and a triple to take a commanding 4-0 lead over the Blazers. Cornett recorded her second triple of the season while Jennings hit Carolina’s second homerun of the season in the fifth, to put the Gamecocks up 5-0. Pitcher Megan Matthews (4-0) recorded her third consecutive shutout of the season and a team season high 13 strikeouts. The Blazers were led by Megan Stephenson who fell to 1-1 giving up five runs on six hits.

In Carolina’s second game of the evening, the Gamecocks came from behind and tied Tennessee Tech 1-1 in the second inning when Debralee Troesh singled to score Amber Curtis. It wasn’t until the top of the seventh inning when the Gamecocks broke out a three run inning to eventually win the game. USC recorded five consecutive hits off of the Golden Eagles’ Tia Brenning (0-1) to score three runs and take a 4-1 lead. Carolina’s Stacey Johnson struckout the side in the bottom of the seventh as she (2-2) picked up her second win in as many starts by only allowing one run in five hits.

Other scores in the Gamecock Invitational include:

Jacksonville State 2, ETSU 0 (W, Ross 2-0, L, Giles 0-1)

Jacksonville State 4, UAB 1 (W, Davis 2-0, L, Foster 2-2)

Tennessee Tech 5, ETSU 0 (W, Bayless 1-0, L, Vandergriff 0-1)

The Gamecock Invitational resumes tomorrow at 9 a.m. with UAB vs. Tennessee Tech in the first game. Carolina will meet Jacksonville State at 3 p.m followed by East Tennessee State at 5 p.m.