Feb. 18, 2005
Tallahassee, Fla. – South Carolina jumped back on the winning track Friday afternoon as they clinched a 3-1 victory over Southeastern Louisiana at the Sunshine Tournament. McKenna Hughes went 2-for-3, scored two runs and had two RBI. Melanie Henkes improved to 4-1 as the Gamecocks are now 7-3.
Henkes allowed one run on five hits and recorded seven strikeouts and a walk. USC posted three runs on six hits and five strikeouts against Summer Delaneuville, who fell to 3-2 on the year.
The Gamecocks broke up the scoreless game in the third inning when Meghan Cornett (2-for-3) hit a two-out single and Hughes followed with a home run to left field and put USC on the board 2-0.
The Lions came back in the top of the fourth and cut the Gamecocks lead in half when Karin Smith, who doubled to get on, scored on an RBI-single by Rebecca de la Garza. After de la Garza’s single, the Lions had two more batters reach base and continued the threat to take a lead but Amy Ford flied out to right field and Darcy Norem made the catch to save the runs from scoring and allowed USC to hold on to its 2-1 lead.
In the sixth, Hughes scored her second run of the day when Lisa Longo hit a double off the top of the left field wall and put USC up 3-1. That would be all the Gamecocks would need as Henkes retired SLU in order in the seventh.
The Gamecocks will now follow with a game against No. 18 Florida State today at 1:00 p.m.
Team 123 456 7 R H E
SLU 000 100 0 1 5 1
USC 002 001 X 3 6 1
WP: Henkes (4-1)
LP: Delaneuville (3-2)
