April 10, 2004
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Despite pitching a two-hit game, Stacey Johnson and the No. 21 South Carolina Gamecocks fell 2-0 to the 13th-ranked Florida Gators in game one Saturday. Kristen Butler hit a two-run home run to provide the offense for the Gators. McKenna Hughes went 1-for-3 to record USC’s lone hit.
The Gamecocks had a total of three base runners. Their first came in the second inning when Kristin Hall reached on an error by Mylin Prieto. USC would not get another runner until the seventh.
Johnson had a no-hitter until Prieto hit a one-out single to left field for the first hit of the game. Florida then scored when Butler hit a home run to left field on a 1-0 count and put the Gators up 2-0.
The Gamecocks prevented the no-hitter in the seventh inning when Hughes hit a one-out single through the right side to represent USC’s second base runner of the game. Ashley Smith then popped out and that brought Samantha Jennings to the plate.
What looked like a routine groundout to the pitcher, Jennings reached base as Stevens recorded a throwing error. The first baseman could not recover the ball and that allowed Jennings to advance to second and Hughes to third. But the rally would fall short as the Gamecocks had two outs and runners at second and third when Kristin Hall struck out looking to end the game.
The Gamecocks fell to 21-14 and 10-12 in the SEC while Florida improved to 36-9 and 13-6. Johnson, who fell to 13-5, recorded her first loss in five starts. Stevens improved to 12-3.
