April 26, 2008
UNIVERSITY, Miss. – Alisa Doubt’s RBI single gave Mississippi a 2-1, nine-inning victory over South Carolina in game one at the Ole Miss Softball Complex on Saturday afternoon. The win moves the Rebels to 23-26 overall and 7-19 in the Southeastern Conference, while the Gamecocks fall to 20-22 and 7-14 in the league.
In the ninth, Doubt ended the game with a single slashed through the left side, allowing designated player Michelle May to score. May led off the frame with a double and reached third on Courtnie Ghinaudo’s grounder.
Carolina got on the board first in the sixth, as junior Ashton Payne reached second on Ashley Dowdy’s errant throw to first on Payne’s grounder. After a groundout, freshman Laura Mendes chopped a ball back through the middle, allowing Payne to score on the single.
The Rebels answered in the bottom half of the inning, getting a leadoff walk from right fielder Alyssa McGovern. Lisa Conchos then tried to bunt McGovern into scoring position, but the Gamecocks gave up much more. The bunt was fielded by Carolina’s catcher and thrown to second, but the throw was not in time. The shortstop tried to fake a throw to first, but the ball slipped out of her hand and went toward the right-field corner, allowing McGovern to score and tie the game at 1-1. Melissa Hendon worked out of the jam, however, not letting the ball out of the infield in getting out of the inning.
South Carolina squandered a chance in the first, as Payne led off the contest with a triple to center. But Rebel starter Tara Willitt escaped unscathed after sandwiching strikeouts around a pop out. The Gamecocks also had an opportunity in the fifth after freshman Jill Semento singled to lead off the inning. Pinch-runner Whitney Wierzbicki moved to second on P.J. Fulmer’s sacrifice bunt. Willitt got a strikeout before Chrissy Schoonmaker dropped a single into right. Wierzbicki was waved around at third, but a perfect throw from Alyssa McGovern caught the senior at the plate, ending the inning.
Hendon (8-13) got the loss, her fifth straight, as she allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits and five walks while striking out 11. Willitt (7-11) got the victory, tossing nine innings and scattering five hits and one unearned run. Willitt sat down nine.
