March 14, 2007
COLUMBIA, S.C. – McKenna Hughes hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning to give the 24th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks the 2-1 game one win over Virginia Tech Wednesday. Hughes hit her eighth of the season off of All-America pitcher Angela Tincher, who fell to 16-3. With the win, the Gamecocks improved to 24-3, extended its win streak to eight games, and handed Head Coach Joyce Compton her 999th career Division I win.
The Hokies fell to 21-8 as Melissa Hendon earned the victory to improve to 10-1. Hendon pitched seven innings and gave up one run on seven hits. Virginia Tech’s lone run came at the hands of Caroline Stolle, who hit a solo home run in the seventh to cut the Gamecocks lead in half. The home run was Stolle’s seventh on the season and leads the Hokies.
The Gamecocks were held to three hits which did not come until the fourth inning. Ashton Payne led off the inning with a single to break up the no-hitter for Tincher, after she struck out eight of the first nine Gamecock batters. With one out and Payne at first, Hughes hit the home run deep over the left field fence to give the Garnet and Black the only two runs of the game. The home run was only the third of the season given up by Tincher. Hughes is now two home runs shy of tying the all-time single season home run record for South Carolina.
The Gamecocks third hit of the game was a one-out triple by Payne, her third of the season, in the sixth inning. Payne would be left stranded at third as the Gamecocks were unable to connect on anymore hits off of Tincher.
Virginia Tech threatened twice in the first two innings of the game but Gamecock defense made two double plays to prevent any scoring from happening. The Hokies fought back again in the top of the seventh after the home run. Kelsey Hoffman singled with one out to put the tying run on base. Whitney Davis then hit a grounder to the pitcher and reached on a fielder’s choice as shortstop Lindsay Walker made the out at second for out No. 2. Hendon the rung up Beth Walker for the eighth strikeout of the game to end the inning and clinched the win.
Stolle went 2-for-3 for Virginia Tech while five other players each recorded a hit. Tincher struck out 13 Gamecock batters in the loss.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak to the Hokies for the Gamecocks and for the second time this season, South Carolina posted an eight-game win streak.
South Carolina 2, Virginia Tech 1 (Mar 14, 2007 at Columbia, SC) (Game 1)
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Virginia Tech……. 000 000 1 – 1 7 0 (21-8)
South Carolina…… 000 200 X – 2 3 1 (24-3)
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Pitchers: Virginia Tech – Angela Tincher. South Carolina – Melissa Hendon.
Win-Melissa Hendon(10-1) Loss-Angela Tincher(16-3) T-1:30 A-0
HR VT – Caroline Stolle (7). HR SC – McKenna Hughes (8).
Game notes: Victory No. 999 for Head Coach Joyce Compton
