Feb. 20, 2005
Tallahassee, Fla – Gamecock softball was able to prevent a shutout and no-hitter but that was not enough as the Syracuse Orange defeated USC 10-3 in the championship game of the Sunshine Tournament on the campus of Florida State University. Carolina fell to 8-6 on the year while Syracuse improved to 4-2. Jessica Barnes took the loss for USC and is now 4-3. Courtney Mosch improved to 3-2 as the Orange are now 4-2.
Starting pitcher Jessica Barnes gave up a lead-off walk to Tanya Rose before Alexis Switenko hit a two-out home run to center field to put the Orange on the board 2-0. Syracuse pitcher Courtney Mosch then helped her cause as she followed with a solo shot to left centerfield and Syracuse went up 3-0 in the first. With still two outs, USC brought in Melanie Henkes to pitch. Henkes was able to strike out Erin Gray to end the inning and prevent any more runs from scoring.
In the third, Chanel Roehner led off with a double and eventually scored on a one out double by Switenko, who recorded her third RBI of the game. Switenko then scored on a passed ball for the second run of the inning and a 5-0 lead. Syracuse went ahead 6-0 when Shawna Norris scored on a double by Jamie Grillo. The Orange recorded four runs on five hits in the inning. USC finally got out of the inning when Tiffany Robinson flied out to left field.
Syracuse extended its lead to 8-0 in the fourth with another two-run home run, this time by Roehner.
USC then brought in Kate Pouliot in the fifth and recorded the Gamecocks’ first 1-2-3 inning. The freshman recorded two strikeouts and forced a pop fly to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the fifth, the Gamecocks broke up the perfect game for Mosch when Ashley Smith drew a lead off walk. Becky Martinez followed with another walk to give USC two base runners. Stefanie Norman grounded out to the pitcher for the first out but was able to advance the runners to second and third. Kristin Hall was then hit by a pitch to load the bases before pinch hitter Kristi Hutchins bunted the ball and reached safely on an error by Norris. Two Gamecock runs came in on the error and USC finally got on the board 8-2.
USC scored another run in the fifth when Josker, who recorded the first Gamecock hit of the game, singled to left field and drove in Hall. The inning ended when Cornett grounded out to third base and the fielder tagged the bag to put out Schoonmaker who was at second.
The Orange went ahead two more runs in the sixth as Switenko hit her second double of the day and drove in her fourth and fifth runs of the game, putting Syracuse up 10-3.
USC went down in order in the sixth and in the seventh to end the game. USC managed to record three runs and only one hit off of Mosch. Cornett and Josker were the only two Gamecocks named to the all-tournament team.
Team 123 456 7 R H E
SYR 303 202 0 10 12 1
USC 000 030 0 3 1 0
WP: Mosch (3-2)
LP: Barnes (4-3)
