March 25, 2003

Fayetteville, Ark. – Senior outfielder Jodi Fittro hit her second career home run as her three-run shot gave the South Carolina Gamecocks (20-7, 4-2) an eventual 5-2 win over the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks (16-19, 4-9 SEC) in game one Tuesday night. Carolina Pitcher Stacey Johnson improved to 9-4 overall and 2-1 in the SEC while Arkansas pitcher Heather Schlichtman fell to 6-8 overall and 1-5 in the SEC. Senior Debralee Troesh went 2-for-4 while shortstop Amber Curtis had her hitting game streak snapped at seven.

USC took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning as Meghan Cornett drove in Danielle Quinones and Ashley Smith on a double to right field. Fittro recorded Carolina’s 18th home run of the season when she belted a three-run shot to left field and gave the Gamecocks a 5-0 lead in the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, Arkansas took advantage of USC’s bumpy defense and scored two runs off of three errors by the Gamecocks to prevent a shutout. In the bottom of the seventh, Johnson recorded a 1-2-3 inning to post her sixth complete game of the season.