April 1, 2008
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Looking to continue the momentum from their three-game sweep of Kentucky, the Gamecocks head to Winthrop for a mid-week showdown. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. at Terry Field.
Carolina in the Month of April under Joyce Compton
In the Joyce Compton era, Carolina is 283-134 (.606) during the fourth month of the year. Last season, the Gamecocks went 7-0 in April. All-time on April 2, Carolina owns a 7-4 mark.
Gamecocks All-Time vs. Winthrop
In Carolina’s record books, the Gamecocks hold a 41-7-1 advantage over Winthrop all-time. Winthrop has a few more meetings accounted for, with South Carolina winning 44 of the 54 match-ups. Under Joyce Compton, the series has been mostly one-sided. Carolina has taken 26 of the 29 contests, while losing twice and tying once against the Eagles. In Rock Hill, the Garnet and Black have gone 4-1-1. Winthrop is the third-most played opponent in history for South Carolina, just behind North Carolina (58 games) and Furman (55 games). Last season, the teams split in Columbia, both games ending with 2-0 scores.
Payne Leading the Way at the Plate
Junior Ashton Payne has been the sparkplug for the Gamecock lineup this season. The Richmond, Va., native leads the squad in batting average (.374), runs scored (16), hits (40), triples (3) and total bases (51). She saw her hitting streak of 18 games snapped in the second game against No. 22/20 Georgia. That streak is the third-longest documented string in Gamecock history, and the longest since 2003, when Jodi Fittro had an 11-game stretch. Of course, Payne is no stranger to hitting streaks. She owns the longest skein during both of her previous two seasons on campus, both 10 games. She rebounded last week and currently has a five-game string entering the Winthrop game.
Semento Stepping Up Early During Her Freshman Campaign
Rookie Jill Semento has been a big part of Carolina’s offense during 2008. The Umatilla, Fla., freshman leads the team with her .539 slugging percentage, .433 on-base percentage, three home runs and four HBP. She also is tied for second in doubles (5), while she’s alone in second in batting average (.329) and triples (1). She has a team-best .370 mark with runners in scoring position. She’s moved at least one runner up on 53 percent of her chances this season, tops on the squad.
Mendes Named SEC Freshman of the Week
Laura Mendes has been a force in Joyce Compton’s lineup so far in 2008. The rookie outfielder earned SEC Freshman of the Week accolades after her five-run, two-double outing in the series win over Arkansas. She hit .333 against the Lady’Backs, driving in the tying run in the seventh inning of the first game before scoring on Jessica Josker’s walk-off single.
The Loxahatchee, Fla., native leads the squad with six doubles, while she stands third on the squad in batting average (.296), on-base percentage (.394) and slugging percentage (.407). Her nine runs batted in also rank third on the squad, while her 15 runs scored stand second. Mendes saw her team-best 20-game on-base streak snapped in game two on March 15 against No. 22/20 Georgia.
The Last Time – South Carolina vs. Winthrop – March 27, 2007
South Carolina (25-10) spilt the doubleheader with the Winthrop Eagles (30-11) with a 2-0 victory at Beckham Field. The win was the 1,000 in the career of Joyce Compton, as she became the ninth NCAA coach to hit the millenium mark. Carolina got on the board in the second game when Ashton Payne scored on a Lindsay Walker RBI single. The run snapped a 26-inning scoreless streak. The Gamecocks extended their lead in the fourth when Jessica Josker scored on a one-out double by McKenna Hughes.
