Feb. 17, 2006
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Ashton Payne scored two of USC’s three runs as the Gamecocks defeated Iowa State 3-0 in the opening round of the Seminole Classic in Tallahassee, Fla. Melanie Henkes (2-0) and Kate Pouliot combined for the shutout as Henkes pitched five innings and Pouliot recorded her first career save with two innings of work.
Payne went 1-for-3 and extended her hitting streak to eight games and has scored a run in all but two games this season. Payne’s hit came in the fifth when she led off with a single.
Lisa Longo recorded the first hit of the game for the Gamecocks with a single to left field in the second inning. USC had a chance to score with runners at second and first and no outs but Longo, the lead base runner, was thrown out at third for the first out of the inning. From there, USC struck out and grounded out to end the inning and remained scoreless.
Iowa State had a chance to score in the top of the third after Whitney Perkins led off with a single to left centerfield. An error by McKenna Hughes then allowed Perkins to advance to third and put ISU closer to striking distance. With Perkins at third and two outs, Killeen drew a full count walk to keep the inning alive for the Cyclones. Katie Reiching was then fought her way to a full count before grounding out to Henkes, allowing the Gamecocks to prevent ISU from scoring.
South Carolina jumped on the board in the third inning when Payne scored on a wild pitch for the second time this season.
In the fifth, Payne eventually scored in the inning on a sac fly by Lisa Longo and put USC up 2-0. The Gamecocks recorded another run in the sixth on an error as Chrissy Schoonmaker came across the plate to give USC a 3-0 lead.
Pouliot, who entered the game in the sixth, was hitless in her work and retired five of the seven batters she faced. After ISU’s Kristy Olsen led off the seventh by reaching on an error by the Gamecocks and Cary Akins reached on a fielder’s choice, Pouliot kept her composure and got out of the inning safely to secure USC’s win.
