April 25, 2008
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Gamecocks hit the road for the last time in the regular season to square off against the Mississippi Rebels in a three-game series in Oxford, Miss. First pitch for both days at the Ole Miss Softball Complex is set for 1 p.m. CDT.
Mississippi enters the weekend with a 22-26 overall mark and a 6-19 Southeastern Conference record. The Rebels, however, have won their last two SEC series and own four wins in the past three weeks over ranked conference opponents. The last series at home for the Red and Blue, however, went to Kentucky.
Carolina in the Month of April Under Joyce Compton
In the Joyce Compton era, Carolina is 287-140-1 (.672) during the fourth month of the year. Last season, the Gamecocks went 7-9 in April. All-time on April 26, Carolina owns a 13-1 mark, which includes two wins over Mississippi. The Gamecocks’ record on April 27 stands at 4-3.
Gamecocks All-Time vs. Mississippi
The Gamecocks and Rebels have met 27 times in history, with South Carolina owning a 20-7 (.741) record against Mississippi. That’s the second-best mark against a league foe for Carolina, behind Kentucky (32-8, .800). On the campus of the University of Mississippi, the Gamecocks are 8-2, including winning two out of three in the last trip there in 2005.
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 (.338), runs scored (20), hits (47), doubles (6), triples (4) and total bases (61). 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 had a seven-game string snapped in game two of the doubleheader against Auburn.
Mendes Making Mark in Freshman Campaign
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 weekend 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 is tied for the team lead in doubles (6) and walks (13) while ranking second in runs (19), home runs (2), runs batted in (13) and on-base percentage (.376). She stands third on the squad in batting average (.297) and slugging percentage (.405). Mendes saw her team-best 20-game on-base streak snapped in game two on March 15 against No. 22/20 Georgia, and she had an eight-game hitting string cut against Mississippi State.
Let’s Talk About This Streaking Problem
The Gamecocks have been a very streaky team this season. In contests against non-ranked opposition, Carolina has taken eight straight. Unfortunately, the squad is on a six-game losing streak against top 25 squads. All but one of the team’s losses in Southeastern Conference play have come against ranked squads. The Rebels are unranked, while the LSU Tigers, the final regular-season opponent for the Garnet and Black, are 15th and 16th according to the two major polls.
Musical Lineups Continue for Gamecocks
Through 41 games, South Carolina has run the same eight positions players on the field in the same spots in back-to-back games on two occasions, both coming in the last four games. The line-up stayed the same from the final game against Mississippi State to the first game against Alabama. After some defensive miscues and an injury, the card changed, but it stayed the same from game two of Saturday’s doubleheader to Sunday’s contest. That card could shift again if Chrissy Schoonmaker and Lindsay Walker are ready to play this weekend.
Senior Pitchers Finishing Careers Strong
After a rough start to the season, senior pitchers Melissa Hendon and Kate Pouliot have come around recently. Both finished in the SEC top 10 in earned run average last season, and now they are bidding to do that yet again. Hendon had a stretch of five consecutive winning starts from Georgia Tech through the second game against Arkansas, four of those in shutouts. During the winning streak, she fanned 46 in seven appearances (37.1 innings). She also collected a save during that stretch. She had a pair of 10-strikeout games against Arkansas, allowing only one earned run combined in the two contests. After dropping four straight, she came back to take three in a row, getting a pair of victories and a save at Kentucky before collecting a win and a save in the doubleheader against Auburn. Hendon currently leads the team with her 8-11 record, four saves and 123 strikeouts in 127.2 innings.
Pouliot had a great weekend in the Carolina Classic. She carried a perfect game into the sixth against Bucknell in her first game before allowing a run in the seventh, the only run to score against Carolina during the home tournament. Not satisfied with Saturday’s work, Pouliot came back on Sunday and was even better, throwing her first career no-hitter against the Bison. She matched her season best with seven K’s while allowing only one walk in the contest. She now has a 5-2 record with a team-best 1.47 ERA and one save. She picked up her latest win in relief against Coastal Carolina.
Semento Stepping Up During Her Freshman Season
Rookie Jill Semento has been a big part of Carolina’s offense during 2008. The Umatilla, Fla., freshman leads the team with her .534 slugging percentage, .403 on-base percentage, five home runs, six doubles and four HBP. She stands second in batting average (.311), while she’s tied for second in triples (1). She has a team-best .371 mark with runners in scoring position.
Semento had an outstanding game at Coastal Carolina, going 3-for-3 with a double and a grand slam. The blast gave Carolina the final 6-2 advantage in the seventh, while she also added her third sacrifice of the season in the outing.
Bases Loaded Not Always Best Situation to Score, Especially Right Off
The Gamecocks have been adept at loading the bases this season. Scoring runs in those situations has been a different topic, particularly in the first inning. Nine times in 2008 has South Carolina loaded the bases, and only once has the squad scored, that coming against Michigan with one out. Contrast that to the seventh, where the Garnet and Black have packed the sacks on four occasions, three with two outs. Runs came home all four times, including one to tie the game against North Florida (2/10) and a pair of come-from-behind efforts to beat Kentucky (3/29) and Coastal Carolina (4/9). The team also has success in the fifth with the bases juiced, scoring seven runs in the six occurrences, the latest coming in game two against Auburn with no one out before Lindsay Walker’s bases-clearing triple. Carolina has gone 12-for-40 (.300) with the bases loaded.
Injuries Taking a Toll on Gamecock Depth
A squad that could boast of good depth to start the season has been decimated by injuries. A pair of seniors, Lisa Longo and Chrissy Schoonmaker, are both out for this weekend with different leg injuries. Longo had knee surgery last week that will force her to seek a medical hardship for a fifth year, while Schoonmaker injured her ankle at Kentucky and is questionable this weekend. Both freshmen Jill Semento and Laura Mendes have missed time due to injuries, Mendes twice having to miss games for different maladies. Adele Voigt also has sat out contests because of injuries, while Lindsay Walker could be on the bench due to a mishap in the second game against Mississippi State. Of the 18 players on the roster, only Ashton Payne has played in all 41 games.
What Is It with Odd-Numbered Innings?
Don’t expect the Gamecocks to score too many runs in even-numbered innings. Out of the 104 runs compiled by South Carolina, just 23 have come in the second, fourth, sixth and eighth innings. The squad likes to add on runs in the final inning the most, scoring 24 in the seventh. The Garnet and Black have also scored 23 in the third and 21 in the first. Opponents also should strike early. The most runs Carolina has given up is 25 in the fifth, with the other double-digit innings coming in the first (22), second (19), sixth (15), fourth (14) and third (10).
Martinez More Versatile Than She Ever Knew
Senior third baseman Becky Martinez had made a seamless transition across the diamond. The senior had played 148 games at third base in her career (as well as 16 in the outfield as a freshman) before Joyce Compton penciled her in as the starting first baseman in the final game at Kentucky. She had taken to her new corner well, handling 55 chances without an error through five games. She had made seven errors at the hot corner already this season. Her most recent move has seen her at shortstop, filling in after Lindsay Walker’s injury in the second game against Mississippi State. She committed three errors in 12 chances during the four games she has filled in there. At the plate, Martinez has hit .165 with an on-base percentage of .283, fourth on the team.
Walker’s Resurgence Comes in Move Up the Lineup
Sophomore shortstop Lindsay Walker had been struggling with the bat in 2008. So what does Hall of Fame coach Joyce Compton do? Moves her to the second spot for the first time in her career. It has worked through seven games. The Fayetteville, Ga., native has hit .280 since the move up the line-up, scoring three runs in the process. Her biggest contribution came with her bases-loaded triple in game two against Auburn, giving the Gamecocks the lead and eventual win. She has proven to be adept handling the bat with six sacrifices in the skein, including three in the first game at Kentucky. Those bunts have solidified a weakness the club had, as she is the eighth person to hold down the No. 2 spot. For the season, Walker now has a .220 batting average with four doubles. She could return this weekend after suffering an ankle injury against Mississippi State.
Robinson Looking Strong Returning from Elbow Surgery
Redshirt freshman Krystle Robinson had a rough go of things during her first year in Columbia. She pitched in just five games before a torn ligament in her throwing arm ended her season. Now after working her way back, she has served as the No. 2 starter most SEC weekends. Robinson threw two straight shutouts against Wisconsin and Gardner-Webb, mowing down a career-high 12 batters in the complete-game victory over the Runnin’ Bulldogs. For the season, Robinson is 7-6 with a 2.75 ERA and a save.
Schoonmaker Contributes After Life-Threatening Injury
What a difference a year makes. At this time last year, senior Chrissy Schoonmaker had a halo on her upper body to support a neck that had been broken in three places. On Feb. 8, Schoonmaker finally took the field to start her senior season. The Sebastian, Fla., native has made an amazing recovery from the injury suffered in an accident during her trip back to Columbia, S.C., from Thanksgiving break in 2006. The redshirt senior co-captain, who has started at numerous positions for the Gamecocks in her career, has been penciled into the line-up for 19 games while playing in five others so far in 2008. She has shown her versatility as well, starting games at all four infield positions this season. Battling an ankle injury sustained at Kentucky, it is unknown whether Schoonmaker will play this weekend.
Extra Innings Breakdown
If the Gamecocks don’t end things in the eighth, there’s a good chance they won’t win. Opponents have won one extra-inning games in the ninth, while Carolina has taken two of three in eight innings.
South Carolina in the NCAA Stat Rankings
The Gamecock pitching staff stands 41st in the country with a 2.05 ERA overall. Senior Melissa Hendon ranks 71st in the nation and 10th in the SEC with her 1.81 ERA and 100th with her 6.7 strikeouts per seven innings. Hendon’s 15th in the country and third in the league with four saves. Junior Ashton Payne is tied for 23rd in the land and third in the SEC with her four triples.
Gamecocks Very Experienced Going Into 2008
Eight position players and the entire pitching staff from a year ago are back for head coach Joyce Compton’s NCAA Super Regional club. In terms of the offense back, Carolina returned 81 percent of its hits, 76 percent of its runs, 72 percent of its doubles, 71 percent of its runs batted in, 81 percent of its stolen bases and 69 percent of its walks. The only category that the Garnet and Black have a hole to make up is home runs, where only 48 percent are back. The 11 long balls hit last year by McKenna Hughes was a single-season record.
South Carolina Picked to Finish Fourth in SEC East
Despite returning nearly every starter from last season’s NCAA Regional championship squad, the Southeastern Conference coaches picked the Gamecocks to finish fourth in the five-team SEC East in their preseason poll. Florida was chosen to win the East, while Tennessee was picked second. Georgia was selected third, while Kentucky came in fifth. Alabama was the coaches’ choice to win the SEC West and the overall crown.
Scouting the Mississippi Rebels
After facing two of the faster teams in the SEC, the Gamecock pitching staff will deal with a lineup more based on power. The Rebels have just 15 steals this season in 26 attempts, but they have hit 23 homers on the year. Leading the offense is sophomore Lauren Grill, who has 12 doubles and 11 home runs to go along with a .370 batting average, 39 runs batted in and a .469 on-base percentage. No other Rebel hitter holds a batting average above .300. Ashley Dowdy is second with a .373 OBP, and she has the third-most RBI on the squad with 15.
In the circle, the Rebels depend upon sophomore Becky Nye. She has a 10-9 record and a 2.32 ERA in 33 appearances. She has 12 complete games in 16 starts and has tallied three shutouts, striking out 108 in 145 innings. Lindsey Perry leads the team with a 2.13 ERA, but she has a 6-6 record in 15 starts. Tara Willitt holds a 2.45 ERA and a 6-11 record in 17 starts. Mississippi is ninth on the SEC strikeout list as a team.
Ole Miss has a .959 fielding percentage, middle of the pack in the league. Teams have stolen 51 bases in 71 tries this year.
The Last Time – South Carolina vs. Mississippi – May 6, 2007
For the second game in a row, the South Carolina Gamecocks clinched victory in extra-innings. Melissa Hendon pitched a complete eight-inning game to help the Gamecocks to a 1-0 win over the Ole Miss Rebels and clinched the series win. Lisa Longo hit an RBI single to centerfield to drive in Tori Martin in the bottom of the eighth for the winning run.
