Feb. 8, 2005
COLUMBIA, S.C. – With one out in the bottom of the seventh, junior Ashley Smith slammed a walk off home run to lift South Carolina over the Charlotte 49ers 3-0 in game two Tuesday. Smith, who stepped in to pinch hit, hit the long ball on the first pitch and drove home Chrissy Schoonmaker and Becky Martinez to clinch the win. The Gamecocks improved to 5-1 on the year while Charlotte fell to 0-2.
Freshman pitcher Jessica Barnes (2-0) picked up her second win of the season and recorded her first collegiate shutout. Barnes pitched seven innings and gave up four hits and struck out four. USC recorded seven hits and two walks off of Charlotte pitcher Christy Murray (0-1). Jessica Josker was the only Gamecock to record a multi-hit game.
For the 49ers, designated player Kristi Killough recorded three of the four total hits as Charlotte was never able to get more than one hit in an inning.
The Gamecocks threatened to score in the third as Martinez led off with a single, Josker singled and Meghan Cornett walked to load the bases with one out. The three runners would end up stranded however as the next two batters popped up to end the inning.
Charlotte’s attempt to score was cut short in the seventh when pinch hitter J.J. McVay struck out with Emily Forbes at second to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the inning, Schoonmaker doubled with one out and Martinez walked to set the scene for Smith. Smith then entered the game as a pinch hitter for Whitney Wierzbicki and on the first pitch, hit a home run deep over the left field fence. The home run marked the first of the season for the Gamecocks and the 12th of Smith’s career.
USC now leads the series against the 49ers 27-2 and has now won 22 consecutive games against Charlotte.
The Gamecocks now head to Tempe, Ariz. for the Kajikawa Classic at Arizona State University this weekend. The next home game for the Gamecocks is Wed., Feb. 16 against Virginia Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
Team 123 456 7 R H E
CHAR 000 000 0 0 4 0
USC 000 000 3 3 7 1
WP: Barnes (2-0)
LP: Murray (0-1)
