March 29, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior Becky Martinez smacked a bases-loaded double in the sixth that propelled the Gamecocks to a 5-3 victory over Kentucky in the first game of the doubleheader at the Kentucky Softball Complex. The victory moves South Carolina to 14-15 on the season and 3-7 in Southeastern Conference action, while the Wildcats fall to 13-15, 1-6 in the SEC.
Junior Ashton Payne went 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored, while senior Jessica Josker had a 2-for-3 outing with a run batted in.
Payne got the rally started in the sixth with a one-out infield single. Payne moved to second on shortstop Lindsay Walker’s sacrifice bunt, while Walker reached when third baseman Annie Rowlands could not get a handle on the ball. Freshman Laura Mendes then grounded a ball to Rowlands, who tried to flip to shortstop Molly Johnson covering third. Payne slid in ahead of Johnson to load the bases. Freshman Jill Semento lifted a fly to right center that Meagan Aull caught. Payne thought too long about the tag and stayed on third with what was the tying run. The senior Martinez stepped up and worked to a full count against Wildcat starter Amber Matousek before driving the ball off the right-centerfield wall, allowing all three runs to score.
The Gamecocks got out to a 2-0 lead in the first after senior Chrissy Schoonmaker drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring Payne, who led off the contest with a single. Josker followed with an RBI single, plating Mendes, who reached on a one-out single.
The Wildcats tied up the game in the third after Aull’s two-out walk was followed by Audrey Meyer’s triple to right. Meyer ended up scoring on the play when Schoonmaker’s relay throw to third was wild.
Kentucky got the lead in the sixth on Megan Yocke’s sacrifice fly, which plated Aull. She reached on a one-out single, moved to second on Meyer’s single before both moved into scoring position on a stolen base. The inning ended when Walker tagged out Meyer, who got caught off the bag on the throw in on the sac fly.
Senior Melissa Hendon (6-8) got the win, giving up three earned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out seven. Kentucky’s Amber Matousek (7-10) got the loss, allowing five runs, two earned, on nine hits and four walks.
