April 17, 2004
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Senior pitcher Stacey Johnson earned her first career victory against the Alabama Crimson Tide Saturday as the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated Alabama 3-1. Johnson pitched seven innings for her 16th complete game of the season and allowed one run on three hits. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the Gamecocks. McKenna Hughes went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Kristin Hall went 2-for-3.
USC improved to 22-16 and 11-14 in the SEC. Alabama fell to 33-13 and 13-9 in the conference. Stephanie VanBrakle took the loss for Alabama and fell to 11-8.
Nancy Crane led off the game with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Meghan Cornett. Crane eventually scored from second on a one-out RBI single by Hughes to put USC up 1-0.
USC had the bases loaded in the second inning with one out and Cornett lined out to Tide player Dominique Accetturo but the shortstop bobbled the ball and allowed Samantha Jennings to score and put the Gamecocks up 2-0. The Garnet and Black went up 3-0 when Hughes drove in her second run of the game and scored Chrissy Schoonmaker on an infield single.
Alabama then changed pitchers and brought in Erin Wright and moved VanBrakle to the designated player spot. Wright then entered the game and recorded the two outs the Tide needed and left the bases loaded with Gamecocks.
Johnson held Alabama hitless until the fourth inning when Jackie McClain broke up the no-no with a single to short. That would be all the Tide would get in that inning as a lineout, a fielder’s choice ground out and a pop foul to catcher Ashley Smith got the Gamecocks safely out of the inning.
Wright held the Gamecocks to just one hit and struck out eight in 5.2 innings pitched. The Gamecocks were able to turn three double plays for a season high.
VanBrakle prevented the shutout when she hit a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.
