April 10, 2005
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina softball suffered another setback as they lost 4-2 to No. 15 Florida and handed the Gators the series sweep. USC falls to 24-20 and 7-11 in the SEC while Florida improves to 32-10 and 11-4. Kate Pouliot (6-7) took the loss for USC and Mandy Schuerman (11-3) recorded the win. After, the Gamecocks came from behind in the fourth to tie the game, an RBI sacrifice fly in the fifth by Lauren Roussell put the Gators in the lead that eventually won the game.
After Florida posted a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth off of a two-run home by Kristen Butler, USC scored their first runs of the weekend against the Gators when Jessica Josker and McKenna Hughes led off with back-to-back hits in the bottom half. With one out, Lisa Longo singled to drive home Josker and Ashley Smith followed with another RBI single to score Hughes and USC tied the game 2-2. The four hits in the inning was the most the Gamecocks recorded against Florida for the weekend.
In the fifth, USC changed pitchers and brought in Kate Pouliot. Savana Kelly struck up the momentum for the Gators once again as she led off with a single to left field. Stacie Pestrak then came in to pinch run for Kelly. Pestrak then advanced to second on a single and to third on a groundout before she was able to tag up on a sac fly by Roussell. UF then regained the lead 3-2.
USC was hitless in the fifth and in the sixth, Florida added their final run of the game when Melissa Zick scored on an RBI double by Butler, who drove in three of Florida’s four runs. The Gators would then hold USC hitless during the remainder of the game and clinched the sweep when Josker grounded out to second base for the third and final out in the seventh.
USC’s Aleca Johnson and Pouliot gave up the four runs on seven hits while USC managed its tow runs on five hits off of Stacey Stevens. Steven pitched four innings while Schuerman threw three and allowed no hits, en route to picking up the win.
Josker was the only Gamecock to record more than one hit as she went 2-for-4 with a run. Butler went 2-for-2 with one run and three RBI while Lindsey Cameron went 2-for-3.
Dating back to the SEC Tournament in 2003, USC has now lost seven straight to the Gators. This marks the first time the Gamecocks have been swept by Florida in Columbia.
Team 123 456 7 R H E
UF 000 211 0 4 7 0
USC 000 200 0 2 5 2
WP: Schuerman (11-3)
LP: Pouliot (6-7)
