Feb. 22, 2007
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. –
Junior pitcher Melissa Hendon threw a perfect game through eight batters, all strikeouts, as she helped guide the South Carolina Gamecocks to a 7-2 victory over the College of Charleston Cougars. In her second complete game of the season, Hendon recorded a career high, 15 strikeouts and pitched a no-hitter through 5.1 innings. The Gamecocks improved to 9-2 while the Cougars fell to 5-5. Terri Mesko took the loss and fell to 3-2.
Hendon struck out the first eight batters she faced before she hit a batter to give the Cougars their first base runner of the game. Hendon struck out the next batter to retire the third inning with nine strikeouts.
At the plate, Ashton Payne and Jessica Josker both went 2-for-4 with an RBI. With the hits, Payne has hit in 10 of 11 games this season.
The Gamecocks scored all four runs in the second inning with two outs. With the bases loaded for Tori Martin, Martin hit a fly ball to centerfield and it was dropped by Izmena Cabrera which allowed the Gamecocks to clear the bases and Martin to advance to third. Up 3-0, Payne then singled to drive home Martin and put the Gamecocks up 4-0.
It wasn’t until the fourth inning that C of C put the ball into play. Amber Shifflett popped up to second base for the first out of the inning. Hendon and the Gamecocks still retired the batters in order with a strikeout and a groundout back to the pitcher.
The Gamecocks scored three more runs in the fifth when Hendon had an RBI single and Josker drove in two with two outs.
The Cougars broke up the no hitter in the sixth inning when Katie Pesature hit a single to centerfield and became the second base runner of the game for C of C. Charleston ended the shutout in the next at bat when Cabrera hit a two-run home run to left field and put the Cougars on the board, 7-2.
South Carolina 7, C of C 2 (Feb 22, 2007 at Chareston, S.C.) (Game 1)
———————————————————————-
South Carolina…… 040 030 0 – 7 8 2 (9-2)
C of C………….. 000 002 0 – 2 2 2 (5-5)
———————————————————————-Melissa Hendon. C of C – Terri Mesko; Katie Sansouci(6).
Win-Melissa Hendon(2-1) Loss-Terri Mesko(3-2) T-1:41 A-0
HR COFC – Izmena Cabrera.
Game notes: Melissa Hendon struck out her first eight batters. She pitched a no-hitter for 5.1 innings and recorded career high 15 strikeouts. That is the most strikeouts for a Gamecock pitcher since Jessica Barnes had 15 in 2006.
