April 5, 2003

Lexington, Ky. – The No. 14 South Carolina Gamecocks (27-10, 11-5 SEC) recorded their fist SEC doubleheader sweep in three series as USC defeated the Kentucky Wildcats (9-28, 1-16 SEC) 7-2 in game two Saturday. Melanie Henkes (12-2, 4-1 SEC) pitched her first complete game since March 13 as she gave up two runs on four hits and struckout eight, tying her season high. Danielle Quinones hit her fourth home run of the season and went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs and three RBI.

After a fly out by lead-off hitter Amber Curtis in the first, Carolina’s next two batters reached base as Jodi Fittro and Debralee Troesh walked. That set the stage for Quinones, who hit her fifth career home run and drove in three to give the Gamecocks an early 3-0 lead. Quinones’ long ball was the fourth of the day for the Gamecocks.

In the bottom of the first, the Wildcats threatened as they loaded the bases with two outs but Henkes struck out Christalie Wolfe to retire the side and preserve USC’s lead.

The Gamecocks scored two more runs in the second when Samantha Jennings scored on a single by Curtis and Curtis eventually scored on a double by Fittro, giving Carolina a 5-0 lead. Carolina added two more runs in the fifth when Troesh, who was at third, and Quinones who doubled to reach base, came home on a single by Meghan Cornett. On the same play, Cornett ended the inning as she was thrown out in a rundown trying to advance to second.

The Wildcats scored another run in the fifth as Jessica Nance, who reached base on a one out single, scored on an RBI single by Rachel Frieberg to cut Carolina’s lead to 7-2.

Henkes sat the Wildcats down in order in the sixth and seventh innings to record her ninth complete game of the season.

The two teams will conclude the series Sunday at noon at the UK Softball Complex.