March 29, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Freshman Laura Mendes’ two-out RBI single in the seventh completed South Carolina’s comeback bid, as the Gamecocks took a 4-3 victory over Kentucky in game two of the series at the UK Softball Complex. The win evens Carolina’s record at 15-15 on the season and moves its Southeastern Conference mark to 4-7. Kentucky falls to 13-16, 1-7 in league play.
Four Gamecocks had two hits in the game, including senior Chrissy Schoonmaker’s two doubles in a 2-for-3 outing with a run scored and another driven in. Mendes and sophomore Adele Voigt both went 2-for-3, with Voigt scoring a run and Mendes driving in the game-winner. Junior Ashton Payne went 2-for-4 with an RBI as well.
In the seventh, Voigt led off with a single. After a pop-out, freshman P.J. Fulmer singled through the left side. Schoonmaker followed with her second double of the contest, scoring Voigt and moving pinch-runner Sarah Conwell to third. Pinch-hitter Cagney Davis stepped up and singled to left, plating Conwell. Payne came up and guided one through the left side to allow Schoonmaker to score. A force out at second allowed Davis to move to third, where Mendes would drive her home with a single. Freshman Jill Semento reached on an error before Voigt ended the frame with a fly out.
Kentucky got the 1-0 lead in the first when Molly Johnson doubled to right center, allowing leadoff hitter Audrey Meyer to score. The Wildcats added another in the second when Meagan Aull came around after Fulmer’s throw to first hit Meyer in the back and got away from the Gamecocks. The lead was extended to 3-0 in the fourth when Megan Yocke singled home Aull after she drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a groundout.
Redshirt freshman Krystle Robinson (6-5) got the win after stranding six Wildcat runners in the game. She allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits and a walk while striking eight. Melissa Hendon came in to get her third save with a perfect seventh. Jennifer Young (3-4) took the loss after allowing four earned runs on nine hits and a walk. She struck out one.
The three-game series between the Wildcats and Gamecocks wraps up on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the UK Softball Complex.
