Feb. 11, 2006
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman’s Holly Bussey took advantage of a wild pitch and scored the eventual winning run in the top of the seventh to lead the Wildcats (1-3) to a 3-2 victory over South Carolina (2-1) at the Worth Invitational Saturday. Kate Pouliot (0-1) took the loss for the Gamecocks, while Alissa Noriega recorded the win. Becky Martinez went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Ashton Payne went 1-for-2, scored a run and had an RBI.
Jessica Barnes started the game and pitched 2.1 innings and gave up one run on two hits. Bethune Cookman took the 1-0 lead in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Alissa Noriega. Pouliot came in for relief and got two more outs to get USC out of the inning.
The Garnet and Black evened the score in the bottom half when Payne led off the inning with a walk, and eventually scored from second on an RBI single by Hughes.
Payne got on base again in the fifth when she hit a bunt single towards third base. In the next play, Jessica Josker lined to short and Breanna Shaw turned the double play, catching Payne on the run, and ended the inning for the Gamecocks.
Pouliot threw 3.2 innings and allowed one hit but got in a jam in the top of the seventh. Shaw led off the inning with a single to centerfield and pinch hitter Sarde Stewart drew a walk. The Gamecocks then brought in Melanie Henkes who threw two balls to walk Holly Bussey and loaded the bases for the Wildcats. Jamie Scott reached on a fielder’s choice but Martinez connected with Hughes at the plate to throw out Shaw and prevented a run from scoring. That would not be enough however, Megan McGuire then flied out to right field for the second out but Tiffany Bowser reached safely on an error by Henkes to drive in the lead run. Bethune Cookman scored another run on a wild pitch by Henkes and extended its lead 3-1. Both runs were charged to Pouliot, making her the pitcher of record.
In the bottom half of the seventh, the Gamecocks tried to rally and with one out, recorded three consecutive hits to load the bases. USC cut the Wildcats’ lead to one when Margaret Person scored on a one-out RBI groundout by Ashton Payne. With the winning run at second, USC stranded the runners as Josker hit a sharp line drive to short to end the game.
Bowser led Bethune-Cookman as she went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. USC recorded two runs on seven hits and gave up three runs on three hits and one error.
