March 18, 2006
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Sophomore Lisa Longo hit two home runs to hand South Carolina to its first SEC win of the season as the Gamecocks (19-8, 1-3 SEC) defeated the Kentucky Wildcats (12-13, 1-7 SEC) 5-2 in game one of the series. Tied 1-1 in the fourth, Longo hit a three-run home run to give USC the lead.
Longo went 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI, a career and team season high. Melanie Henkes picked up the win for USC and improved to 5-0 while Amy Kendall took the loss and fell to 5-5 on the year.
For her first home run of the season, Longo rocketed a ball deep over the left field fence to give the Gamecocks the 1-0 lead in the second inning.
In the top of the third, Brooke Marnitz evened the score for UK when she hit a leadoff home run to left field to tie the game 1-1.
Melanie Henkes entered the game in the fourth with one out and runners at the corners. Henkes struck out the first batter she faced, Ali Ray then walked Marnitz to load the bases. Megan Miller then grounded out to short to end the inning with the bases still loaded and USC got out of the jam.
Henkes replaced Kate Pouliot who started the game and threw 3.1 innings. Pouliot gave up one run on five hits and struck out three.
In the bottom of the fourth, McKenna Hughes got the ball rolling for the Gamecocks with a one out double to left field. Christie Hamilton then drew a walk to set the scene for Longo. After Longo drove in the three runs, Kendall struck out Jacqueline Wetherbee to end the inning, but not before the damage was done.
In the top of the seventh, UK rallied and scored one run on three hits to come within three. After Miller led off with a single, Megan Cooper reached on a fielder’s choice and eventually scored on an RBI double by Ashley Fertic. With the score 5-2 and just one out, Henkes struck out Gina Florence and Megan Glenn grounded out to end the inning and USC held on to the win.
The Gamecocks managed five runs on five hits while the Wildcats recorded its two runs on nine hits. Cooper led UK as she went 3-for-4 with one run.
