April 2, 2008
ROCK HILL, S.C. – A pair of home runs by sophomore Cagney Davis and freshman Laura Mendes propelled South Carolina to a 6-3 victory over Winthrop on Wednesday evening at Terry Field. The Gamecocks move to 17-15 on the season, while the Eagles fall to 20-14.
Mendes had one of her best games in the Garnet and Black, going 3-for-4 with a three-run blast in the third that put the game out of reach. Junior Ashton Payne moved her hitting streak to six games, with a 2-for-4 outing with her fourth triple of the year and two runs scored. Sophomore Lindsay Walker continued her hot hitting, doubling and driving in a run on a 2-for-4 evening.
The Gamecocks ran out to a 2-0 lead behind Davis’ first career home run. She came up with two outs and senior Becky Martinez on first after being hit by a pitch and drove the ball beyond the centerfield wall. The lead swelled to 5-0 when Mendes smacked one to center, scoring both sophomore Adele Voigt and Payne.
Winthrop fought back in the fourth when Mallory Hogan singled home Stephanie Reid, who led off the inning with a double. A couple of batters later, Jo-Lynn Smith doubled, scoring pinch-runner Erica Spradley.
The Eagles came within two in the fifth. They loaded the bases with no one out before relief pitcher Kate Pouliot got Pearl Coleshill to ground to first, where Martinez threw home to get the lead runner. Hogan followed with a single to right, scoring Tessa Thomas. Lisa Kingsmore tried to score from second, but Mendes’ throw to the plate beat Kingsmore for the out. Pouliot then escaped the frame when Lenny Stoddart grounded out to Payne.
Carolina added another insurance run in the seventh on Walker’s double, scoring Payne after her leadoff triple. Mendes followed with a single, moving Walker to third. The Eagles brought in Izzy Trottier to pitch, who caught a sharply hit line drive off freshman Jill Semento’s bat and threw to first to double off Mendes. She got another soft liner caught by Hogan at first to get out of the inning.
Krystle Robinson (7-5) tossed four innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out one in the victory. Pouliot gave up one earned run in three innings on five hits and one walk for her first save of the season. Megan Evans took the loss, as four earned runs scored on three hits in two innings while she sat down three.
The Gamecocks return to Southeastern Conference play on Saturday when they host Auburn for the first two games of the three-game series.
