March 8, 2008
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| Box Score |
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Gamecocks came back with two runs in the seventh to take a 5-4 victory over Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. South Carolina moves to 12-8 on the season, while the Lady Razorbacks fall to 18-5.
Freshman Laura Mendes brought in the tying run with a double to left center, scoring junior Ashton Payne, who led off the frame with her second triple of the year. The Lady’Backs brought in Miranda Dixon after Mendes’ double, and she promptly walked freshman Jill Semento on four pitches. In stepped senior Jessica Josker, who stroked the 2-1 offering back through the middle to drive home Mendes and hand Carolina the win.
Arkansas got a 1-0 advantage in the first when Sandra Smith singled in Jessica Bachkora with two out. Bachkora led off the game with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch when Kayla Johnson struck out swinging. The run snapped Gamecock senior pitcher Melissa Hendon’s scoreless inning streak at 24 innings.
The Gamecocks tied up the game at 1-1 in their half of the first when Mendes scored on a wild pitch with two outs. She got a one-out single to start the rally and moved around on singles by Semento and Josker.
Arkansas scored three unearned runs in the fifth to go back ahead, 4-3. After Samantha Buckner led off the inning with a single, Hendon got two consecutive strikeouts before pinch runner Brandy Foust stole second. Bachkora hit a shallow pop in the middle of the diamond, and the ball fell between a pair of Gamecocks. Bachkora quickly rounded first and forced a throw at second, where Payne was unable to handle the Lindsay Walker throw, allowing Foust to score. After a wild pitch moved Bachkora to third, Johnson singled through the left side to score Bachkora. Johnson then stole second and scored when P.J. Fulmer’s throw went into center field.
Carolina got two runs back in the bottom half of the fifth when Semento double home both Payne and Mendes. Payne got a one-out single to extend her hitting streak to 15 games and moved to second on an error by the second baseman.
Hendon (4-4) went the distrance, allowing three hits and four runs, one earned, while walking two and striking out 10. Katy Henry (10-2) tossed six innings, giving up eight hits, a walk and five runs, four earned. She struck out nine Gamecocks in the loss. The top four Carolina hitters, Payne, Mendes, Semento and Josker, all had two hits in the game. Semento had two RBI, while Mendes scored three runs.
