April 20, 2008
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide completed a three-game sweep of South Carolina with a 6-0 win on Sunday afternoon in front of 2,145 spectators at the Alabama Softball Complex. The win moved Alabama to 44-3 on the year and 23-2 in the Southeastern Conference, while the Gamecocks dropped to 20-21, 7-13 in the league.
The Crimson Tide got out to the 2-0 lead thanks to two unearned runs in the first. Brittany Rogers advanced to third after the Carolina third baseman sent her throw into the right-field corner. Jordan Praytor walked and stole second, and when the throw made it past both the second baseman and the shortstop, Rogers trotted home to score and Praytor moved to third. A dropped foul behind the plate kept Kelley Montalvo alive, and she made the Gamecocks pay, getting a bloop double to center, scoring Praytor.
Alabama added two in the third on singles by Charlotte Morgan and Dani Woods. Montalvo lined her second double of the contest to left with one out and moved to third on a wild pitch so Morgan could single her home. Pinch-runner Cat Dozier moved into scoring position with a steal and scored on Woods’ two-out hit to left.
Morgan added two more runs in the fourth with a home run that just got over the right-field wall.
The Gamecocks had their chance to get on the board in the sixth, as first baseman Jacqueline Wetherbee led off with a walk and moved to third on Ashton Payne’s double into left center. But the Gamecocks could not break through, as Alabama starter Chrissy Owens got two ground balls to second and a strikeout to get out of the inning.
Gamecock senior Melissa Hendon (8-12) picked up the loss, allowing six hits and six runs, four earned, in four innings. She walked two and struck out one. Owens scattered three hits and a walk over seven innings to move her record to a perfect 12-0.
The Gamecocks wrap up their road SEC schedule with a three-game set at Mississippi next weekend.
