Feb. 28, 2006
COLUMBIA, S.C. – It was an RBI double by junior McKenna Hughes that led South Carolina to a 5-4 victory in game two against the Campbell Camels (10-6) Tuesday evening. Hughes hit a sharp line drive to left field to score Ashton Payne, who led off the inning with a single. After losing a four-run lead, the Gamecocks were able to push through in the eighth to record their fourth straight win and improve to 12-5.
Hughes was responsible for four of the five runs as she drove in three and scored one and went 3-for-4 at the plate. Junior Margaret Person also had a hot bat at the plate as she went 4-for-4 with an RBI, her first of the season, and scored a run. Christie Hamilton came in for relief in the seventh and pitched 1.1 innings to earn the win and improved to 7-3. In five batters faced, she struck out four, including the 1-2-3 eighth.
Sophomore Kate Pouliot made the start for the Gamecocks and was pitching fine until the seventh inning. Pouliot pitched 6.2 innings with 10 strikeouts before giving up three runs in the seventh to allow the Camels to tie the game.
Lexi Myers took the loss for Campbell as she gave up one run on seven hits in 3.1 innings pitched.
A two-out, two-RBI double by Hughes in the fourth provided the Gamecocks cushion runs and put USC ahead 3-0. Hughes eventually scored on a wild pitch to extend the Gamecocks’ lead 4-0.
In the top of the sixth, the Camels led off the inning with back-to-back singles before Pouliot recorded an out. Pouliot caught Erica Willis looking for the second out but then threw a wild pitch which allowed Stephenie Pappas to score and cut USC’s lead to 4-1.
Pouliot made it to 6.2 innings before she gave up three runs and the Camels tied the game 4-4. Huffman led off the inning with a single up the middle and Harris followed with a one-out single to bring the tying run to the plate. Pouliot struck out her second batter of the inning but then gave up another single to Pappas, which scored Huffman. Pouliot could not get out of the jam as Jones jammed a double to left field to drive in Harris and Pappas and forced Pouliot out of the game. South Carolina then brought in Hamilton from shortstop to get the final out. Hamilton hit Love to keep the inning alive for the Camels but she struck out Willis swinging to end the inning.
In the Gamecock half of the seventh, Becky Martinez grounded into a double play to start USC off with two outs and no runners on base. Jacqueline Wetherbee kept the inning alive as she recorded her first hit of the game. Person followed and continued her streak of the night as she recorded her fourth hit of the game. With runners at first and second, USC thought they had a chance but with Whitney Wierzbicki who slapped a bunt down to third but a close play at first called Wierzbicki out and stranded Wetherbee and Person to force extra-innings.
The Gamecocks return to action March 3-5 at the Tar Heel Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C.
