March 8, 2003

Columbia, S.C. – The 13th-ranked South Carolina (15-6, 1-1) softball team split its SEC opener against Mississippi State (16-6, 1-1 SEC) as the Gamecocks fell 6-2 in game one and took game two 11-3 in six innings. Carolina’s win against MSU halted the Bulldogs 11-game win streak after MSU’s victory stopped the Gamecocks win streak at seven. Sophomore Meghan Cornett extended her hitting streak to eight games as she went 1-for-3 in both games.

Carolina managed two runs and seven hits off of MSU starter Melissa Massey (11-1) while Stacey Johnson fell to 7-4 after giving up six runs and nine hits to the Bulldogs. In game one, shortstop Amber Curtis was the only Gamecock to record multiple hits as she went 2-for-4 and scored a run.

After MSU took a 3-0 lead in the third inning, USC jumped on the board when Jodi Fittro, who reached base on a fielder’s choice, scored on an error by MSU’s Callye Williams. In the fifth inning, the Bulldogs once again had a three-run inning to take a 6-1 lead. Carolina scored its last run of the game in the bottom half of the fifth when Curtis scored on a wild pitch.

Melanie Henkes (8-1) started game two and pitched her seventh complete game of the season as USC dominated the 11-3 win. The Gamecocks recorded as season high 15 hits in the six-inning game. MSU’s Jennifer Nelson (3-2) recorded the loss for the Bulldogs as she gave up four runs off of five hits in one and one-third innings pitched. MSU recorded three runs and six hits off of Henkes.

Carolina scored first in game two as USC had a five-run inning in the second. In that second inning, Fittro hit her first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field. US followed with two runs in the third, three in the fourth and one more in the sixth for the walk-off win.

Fittro went 2-for-4 with three runs and four RBI, while Ashley Smith went 3-for-3 with one run. Melissa Sandel came off the bench and went 2-for-2, scored two runs and recorded two RBI.

The rubber game of the series is Sunday at 1 p.m. “Sunday is Mother/Daughter Day”. All mothers and daughters get in for $1.