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May 19, 2007

Box Score | Quotes | Notes

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina’s Jessica Josker ripped a bases-clearing double into the left-centerfield gap in the bottom of the fifth inning to lift the Gamecocks to a 4-3 win over N.C. State in NCAA Regional play at Beckham Field Saturday. With two outs and Gamecock runners on the corners, N.C. State intentionally walked McKenna Hughes to load the bases and get to Josker. The move proved fatal for the Wolfpack as Hughes ended up being the winning run on Josker’s double. South Carolina faces Oregon tomorrow at 1 p.m. in the Regional final.

“Obviously after that third inning, for us to come back the way we did, it says a lot about the character of this team,” said head coach Joyce Compton. “Kate Pouliot had a heck of a game. She hadn’t pitched in two weeks and to come out and keep us in it the way she did, was really good.”

Kate Pouliot improved to 16-6 while Melissa Hendon picked up her third save of her season as the two pitchers combined for three runs on nine hits in seven innings pitched.

South Carolina started things off on the right foot as Hughes hit a solo home run in the first to put the Gamecocks up 1-0. The home run was Hughes’ 11th of the season and she is now South Carolina’s all-time single season home run leader.

The Pack came back in the third with three runs off of three hits and two Gamecock errors. Heather Gelbard singled to right field before an error by Pouliot put Blair Harkey on base. Gelbard then scored on the RBI-single by Jen Chamberlin and Miranda Ervin singled up the middle for the second run. Pack went up 3-1 when Chamberlin scored on a wild pitch.

The Gamecocks continued to battle and in the fifth, broke through with the winning runs. The bases were loaded full of Gamecocks after two hits by Jacqueline Wetherbee and Adele Voigt and Hughes was intentionally walked. Josker, who was 0-26 upon entering the regional, stepped to the plate, and drove a double deep to left centerfield to score all three runners and put the Gamecocks up 4-3.

“I was surprised that they would put the tying win on second base,” said Hughes. “Even though josker hadn’t got a hit yet, she is our No. 4 hitter and we are confident she will get a hit.”

In the sixth, the Pack threatened with two outs when Kristine Bechtoldt struck out but advanced to first on a passed ball to bring the lead run to the plate. The Gamecocks then changed pitchers and brought in Hendon to get the final out. Hendon however, hit Gelbard and put the tying run within scoring position. N.C. State brought in pinch hitter Claudia Cooper, but a groundout to short ended the inning and preserved the lead for the Gamecocks.

“I feel like we can come out and hit the ball against Oregon,” said Compton. “We just have to have our pitchers step up and keep us in the ballgame.”

The regional will conclude Sunday afternoon and the Gamecocks will have to beat No. 20 Oregon twice to advance to a super regional.