April 7, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – South Carolina senior Melissa Hendon picked up the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week award for the first time in 2008 after tossing a one-hitter and collecting a save in the Gamecocks’ doubleheader sweep of Auburn on Sunday, the league office announced today.

Hendon started the first game of the twinbill and was masterful, facing just one hitter over the minimum in the one-hit shutout. She struck out nine in the complete game. In game two after Carolina took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, Hendon came on with one runner aboard in the sixth and tossed two perfect innings, compiling four strikeouts in her fourth save of the season. That moved her career total to seven, breaking a tie with former All-American Trinity Johnson and putting her third all-time behind Aleca Johnson and Megan Matthews in the Gamecock record books. Her single-season total currently ties for fourth best with four other pitchers.

Hendon is the second weekly award winner from the conference for Carolina this season, joining Laura Mendes’ Freshman of the Week award on March 10. Hendon won this same award last year on April 17, becoming the first Gamecock hurler to get the certificate multiple times since Stacey Johnson in 2003. It is the 18th time overall that a South Carolina pitcher has been named SEC Pitcher of the Week.

The Carolina Gamecocks play at Coastal Carolina on Wed., April 9 at 5 p.m. before hosting Mississippi State for a three-game series this weekend.