April 3, 2002
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In what was a special and wild night for Gamecock softball, South Carolina ace Megan Matthews (14-4) became the 13th player in NCAA history to record 1,000 career strikeouts as she guided the Gamecocks to a 5-4 game one victory over the Tennessee Lady Vols. She is the second pitcher from USC to accomplish this feat and the third in the SEC. UT’s Hannah Low was the victim of Matthews history making event as she struck out swinging in the fourth inning with one out. In the nightcap, it took USC eight innings before they scored not one, but eight runs in the ninth to defeat Tennessee 8-2 in game two. Stacey Johnson (8-5) pitched her sixth complete game of the season as the Gamecocks beat Tennessee for the fifth straight time.
USC improved to 25-11 overall and moved into first place in the SEC Eastern Division with a 6-5 conference record while Tennessee fell to 31-16-1 overall and 6-9 in the SEC.
In game one, USC recorded seven hits and scored five runs as Jodi Fittro led the team by going 3-for-4. The Gamecocks scored their first run in the second inning as Debralee Troesh reached base on an error by Low and scored on an RBI double by Melissa Sandel. In the fourth, USC added to their one run lead as Fittro hit an RBI single with the bases loaded, and pinch hitter Tia Rogers recorded a two-RBI single to put USC ahead 4-0. The Gamecocks posted their final run of the game when Troesh hit a two-out single to left field to score Fittro.
Up 5-0, Matthews had a perfect game going into the fifth until she gave up a solo home run to Amber Rhinehart. That home run sparked the Lady Vols as they carried momentum into the sixth and continued to rally from an original five-run deficit. Tennessee loaded the bases in the sixth and with one out, Matthews faced catcher Adrianna Wilson, UT’s all-time home run leader. Wilson drew a walk to score Whitney Bradshaw and cut USC’s lead to three. With the bases still loaded, Rhinehart followed in the lineup and lined a drive back to Matthews but her throw to the plate was low and wide allowing two runs to score on the error, bringing UT within one. The Lady Vols tried to continue their rally but Matthews maintained her composure was able to record her ninth strikeout of the game when she retired Carissa Roustan and designated player Maria Torres lined out to Curtis for the final out of the inning to end the rally.
The Gamecocks were able to keep Tennessee at bay in the seventh as Matthews retired all three batters. Matthews earned her 14th victory and her 16th complete game of the year as the Gamecocks improved to .500 in the SEC. The Greer, S.C. native is now 6-2 lifetime against UT.
It took nine innings, two hours and forty-five minutes and charging plays by Jodi Fittro to get the momentum going for Carolina before the Gamecocks could seal the 8-2 victory against the Lady Vols. A tense pitching duel until the ninth inning, game two would remain scoreless until the Gamecocks exploded with an impressive half, scoring eight runs off of six hits.
It looked as if Tennessee was going to chalk up the victory in the eighth when Low was hit by a pitch to begin the march. A sacrifice bunt advanced Low to second before USC intentionally walked Rhinehart. The next UT batter, Roustan, grounded out which still moved Low to third. The bases were then loaded when Torres reached on an error by Curtis, who fell down while fielding a catch. Two outs and the bags full, pitcher Stephanie Humphrey tried to help her own cause with a game-winning hit but the drive was snagged when Fittro made a heads-up diving catch to end the inning and force the game into the ninth.
Samantha Jennings led off the inning with a standing double to right field before Danielle Quinones’ fielder’s choice advanced Jennings to third, giving Carolina runners at the corners in the extra-innings. USC would jump on the board when Fittro, who once again lit a spark under the Gamecocks, hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Jennings and give USC it’s first lead of the game. Kim Evans then followed with a triple to score Quinones and Curtis knotched her fourth hit of the game as she singled to drive in Evans.
After a pitching change for Tennessee, the Gamecocks continued to pound the Lady Vols staff as Troesh followed with a double and Melissa Sandel knocked her second home run of the season. The three-run shot gave Carolina a 6-0 lead. With one out, Meghan Cornett then reached base on an infield error and senior Adrianna Baggetta jacked the second home run of the inning, her first of the season, a two-run blast to put the Gamecocks up 8-0.
Carolina hit through the lineup as each batter scored a run with the exception of Fittro, who hit the sacrifice fly to drive in the first run of the inning. USC’s last two outs finally came when Jennings flied out and Quinones popped out on their second at-bats in the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Lady Vols fought back with RBI-singles by Wilson and Rhinehart, cutting USC’s lead to six but it wasn’t enough as Johnson forced Roustan to ground out for the final out of the inning. Johnson struck out six, gave up nine hits and two unearned runs to improve to 2-3 in the SEC. UT’s Stephanie Humphrey fell to 21-11 overall. USC tied their season high 15 hits and have a total of 17 home runs.
The two teams return to action tomorrow with game three of the series scheduled for 4 p.m. Live stats are available on the Lady Vols web site, www.utladyvols.com. USC returns home to host Auburn April 6-7.
