March 3, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Freshman Jacqueline Wetherbee hit an RBI double to drive in the leading run in the fourth inning and helped lead South Carolina softball to a 7-1 victory over the North Dakota State Bison in the day one of the Tar Heel Invitational. With the win, the Gamecocks extended their win streak to five games and improved to 13-5, while NDSU fell to 3-8.
Melanie Henkes pitched 4.0 innings to earn the win and Kate Pouliot entered in the third to record her third save of the season. USC scored its seven runs on 10 hits off of Bekki Rasmussen (1-5) and Amber Garrett. Christie Hamilton recorded her first career home run as she smashed a solo shot to left field in the fifth inning.
After being down 1-0, USC scored three runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and three more in the sixth to claim the victory.
In the bottom of the third, Whitney Wierzbicki led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on a groundout by Jessica Josker. USC took advantage of an opportunity to score when McKenna Hughes hit a two-out single to drive Wierzbicki home, but left fielder Lynnae Foshag threw out Wierzbicki at the plate to end the inning.
NDSU led off with a walk by Casie Conrad in the fourth and took the 1-0 lead when Conrad was able to score from third on a two-out error by Becky Martinez.
It was USC’s chance to take advantage of NDSU mistakes in the bottom half as back-to-back errors by second baseman Meghan Norris allowed the Gamecocks to tie the game 1-1. Hamilton scored on the throwing error after reaching safely on an error that went into the dugout and put USC on the board. That got the ball rolling for the Gamecocks in the fourth as back-to-back doubles put two more on the board. Wetherbee shot a double to centerfield to drive in Lisa Longo and Martinez for the 3-1 lead.
Pouliot entered the game in the fifth and held the Bison to just one hit and struck out three. The save was the third of her career.
