March 26, 2008
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gamecocks lost a 6-0 contest to No. 3/4 Florida in the first game of the doubleheader at Pressly Stadium. The Gators move to 36-2 on the year, 8-1 in Southeastern Conference play, while South Carolina falls to 13-14 and 2-6.
Junior Ashton Payne went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Gamecocks. Seniors Jessica Josker and Becky Martinez both added singles for Carolina. Florida’s Ali Gardner went 3-for-4, while Mary Ratliff had two doubles and an RBI.
The Gators did their damage in the second, as Ratliff doubled home Francesca Enea, who led off the inning with a single. Ratliff came around after Kristina Hilberth’s infield single and an errant throw by Gamecock starter Kate Pouliot. Krystle Robinson relieved Pouliot and got a pop out of Megan Bush for the first out of the frame. After hitting Corrie Brooks with a pitch, Robinson got Kim Waleszonia to line to left for the second out. Adele Voigt tried to double off Hilberth at second, but her throw was high, allowing the runners to move up to second and third. Aja Paculba drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Ali Gardiner hit a sharp grounder to shortstop that Lindsay Walker knocked down, but her throw to first pulled Jacqueline Wetherbee off the bag, allowing Hilberth to score. Robinson escaped the jam when she got Tiffany DeFelice to foul out to Walker.
Florida added two runs in the fifth on pinch-hitter Kelsey Bruder’s sacrifice fly and Waleszonia’s single, scoring pinch-runner Danyell Hines and Hilberth. The Gators added another in the sixth when pinch-runner Ami Austin scored on a Robinson wild pitch.
Carolina’s best chance to score came in the sixth, as Payne got a one-out single and moved to second on senior Chrissy Schoonmaker’s sacrifice. Josker looped a single to left, moving Payne to third. But Gator starter Stacey Nelson got a strikeout to end the threat.
Pouliot (3-2) pitched one inning and gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits. Nelson (22-2) got the victory, allowing four hits while striking out 11 in the shutout.
