March 17, 2007
Columbia, S.C. – – The 24th-ranked University of South Carolina softball team dropped a marathon 10-inning thriller, 5-3 against the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday at Beckham Field. The contest moves the Gamecocks to 24-6 (3-2 SEC) while Alabama improves to 27-1 (6-1 SEC).
The Gamecocks jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the third inning when sophomore Jacqueline Wetherbee scored on a passed ball by Crimson Tide catcher Ashley Holcombe. Wetherbee originally struck out to lead off the inning but advanced to first on the third strike wild pitch from Blair Potter. After moving to third on a sacrifice bunt Wetherbee crossed the plate on the pitch from Potter that slipped off the glove of the Alabama catcher.
After a scoreless fourth and fifth inning, Gamecock pitcher Kate Pouliot gave up her first hit of the game in the top of the sixth to Kellie Eubanks, who singled to centerfield. The single triggered the Alabama offense, which saw Holcombe, follow with a single of her own to centerfield. Carolina then turned to Melissa Hendon to get out of the no-out jam and face third baseman Kellie Montalvo. The Alabama junior jumped on a Hendon pitch and sent a towering shot to leftfield that carried out giving the Tide a 3-1 advantage. With the bases cleared Hendon recovered to get out of the inning without any further damage.
The South Carolina offense wasted no time in evening the score, by notching two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. After right fielder Ashton Payne hit a sharp ball through the left side, freshman Adele Voigt tripled over the head of Brittany Rogers who was playing shallow. With a runner on third and one out, McKenna Hughes stepped in to belt a deep ball to centerfield. The fly out was enough to score Voigt from third and tie the game 3-3 for South Carolina.
The best chance for the Gamecocks to take the lead came in the bottom of the seventh. Shortstop Lindsay Walker singled up the middle to lead off the inning, and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. When Becky Martinez advance Walker to third on a sacrifice bunt, the Gamecocks found themselves with the winning run on third, and only one out. After the Tide loaded the bases on two consecutive intentional walks to pinch hitter Jessica Josker, and Wetherbee, Tori Martin stepped in to try and give Carolina the victory. After substitute pitcher Chrissy Owens pitched to a full a count, Martin hit a sharp line drive to left field. The ball carried to the glove of Alabama’s Mandy Burford, who then fired to second base to double up Josker, who had started to advance on the fiercely hit ball.
With the Gamecock scoring threat ended, both teams exchanged zeros in the runs column until the top of the tenth inning. With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, the Crimson tide started off with Dani Woods, who had made the last out in the ninth inning, on second base. After Woods advanced to third on a wild pitch by Hendon, substitute pitcher Charlotte Morgan helped out her own cause by hitting a deep home run to centerfield. The shot gave Alabama a 5-3 lead, and Morgan closed out the bottom of the tenth to get the win, and improve to 6-1. With the loss Hendon drops to 10-3.
The Gamecocks will try to prevent the sweep and conclude their series with Alabama on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Alabama 5, South Carolina 3 (Mar 17, 2007 at Columbia, S.C.) (Game 2)
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Alabama…………. 000 003 000 2 – 5 7 1 (27-1, 6-1)
South Carolina…… 001 002 000 0 – 3 5 0 (24-6, 3-2)
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Pitchers: Alabama – Potter; Owens(6); Morgan(8). South Carolina – Kate Pouliot; Melissa Hendon(6).
Win-Morgan(6-1) Loss-Melissa Hendon(10-3) T-2:27 A-576 HR UA – Morgan; Montalvo.
