April 25, 2004
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina softball fell behind early and never bounced back as Ole Miss defeated the Gamecocks 2-1 to claim the series. USC forged one run on six hits while the Rebels scored two runs on four hits. Stacey Johnson suffered the loss and fell to 15-10 for the year and Mary Jane Callahan improved to 11-15. Dana Brill earned her second save of the year. With a 25-20 overall record and a 12-18 SEC record, the Gamecocks are currently eighth in the conference and hold the eighth seed for the tournament.
Britte Hardy got things started for Ole Miss as she led off the game with a single. After advancing on a sacrifice bunt by Brooke Turner, Hardy scored on an RBI double by DeDe Justice. Justice then scored on a single by Callahan to provide Ole Miss the two runs they would need.
Down 2-0 in the third inning, USC finally jumped on the board as McKenna Hughes scored on a two-out, bases loaded single by Amber Curtis. Aleca Johnson was the next batter and struck out to end the inning with the bases still loaded. At the end of the third, the Gamecocks had stranded seven runners.
After a 1-2-3 fourth, USC had another opportunity to score in the fifth. Chrissy Schoonmaker hit a two-out single to left field followed by Samantha Jennings with a single to right field. With Schoonmaker at third, USC failed to execute once again as Curtis grounded out for the final out of the inning, raising the runners-left-on-base count to nine.
Ole Miss reliever Brill allowed the Gamecocks two hits in the fifth but then shut USC down in the final two innings as the Garnet and Black went 1-2-3 in the sixth and seventh.
This marks the first time Ole Miss has ever won a series against USC. South Carolina will close out the regular season this Wednesday, April 28 when they host Coastal Carolina in a 5:00 p.m. doubleheader. USC will compete in the SEC Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Ala. May 13-16.
