Feb. 16, 2005
COLUMBIA, S.C. – A seventh-inning rally was a little too late for the Gamecocks as they fell 6-5 to Virginia Tech in game one of the Wednesday doubleheader. Jessica Josker went 4-for-4 in a losing effort and Melanie Henkes (3-1) took her first loss of the season. The Gamecocks fell to 6-2 while the Hokies improved to 3-2 and Katie Maynard went to 2-1.
The Gamecocks were down 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh and Darcy Norem led off with a walk. Josker then connected on her fourth hit of the day, a single to left field, and gave USC two base runners to tie the game. After Meghan Cornett hit a sharp line drive to the shortstop, McKenna Hughes drew a walk to load the bases. Tech then changed pitchers and brought in Angela Tincher who hit Ashley Smith to score pinch runner Whitney Wierzbicki and brought the Gamecocks to within one.
USC still had the bases loaded with only one out but Carolina could not get the job done as USC recorded back-to-back strikeouts in Lisa Longo and Kristin Hall to strand the runners and end the game.
The Hokies jumped to an early lead as they roughed up Henkes in the first with three runs on three hits and two errors. Virginia Tech led off with back-to-back singles to set up the scoring runs. Henkes eventually got out of the inning but not before the Hokies put up the 3-0 lead.
In the third, Josker hit an RBI double to put USC’s first run on the board. Later in the inning, Longo hit to the third baseman and she booted the ball, which allowed two Carolina runs to score, and allowed USC to tie the game 3-3.
A homerun in the fourth put Tech back in the lead but the Gamecocks followed in the bottom half as Josker recorded another RBI hit and drove home Chrissy Schoonmaker, tying the game once again, 4-4.
Virginia Tech would score two more runs in the fifth and sixth innings to total their six runs for the eventual win.
Josker recorded four of Carolina’s five hits while Martinez had the only other hit. Henkes gave up her first runs of the season as she allowed six runs on seven hits and one walk.
USC travels to Tallahassee, Fla. this weekend for the Sunshine Tournament Feb. 18-20.
Team 123 456 7 R H E Va Tech 300 111 0 6 7 2 USC 003 100 1 5 5 3
WP: Maynard (2-1) LP: Henkes (3-1)
