Feb. 7, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina started its 2009 softball season off right, getting a 7-1 win in the lid-lifter over in-state rival College of Charleston on Saturday afternoon at Beckham Field.
Pitcher Audrey Broyles, making her Gamecock debut, struck out 14 batters while allowing just one earned run and six hits in a complete game. Those 14 strikeouts are the most in documented history (since 1996) for a Gamecock in her debut in the circle. The freshman also helped her own cause with two RBI at the plate. Senior Ashton Payne had two doubles in a 3-for-4 performance. Freshmen Kristen Stubblefield and Evan Childs both had two RBI in their debuts in the Garnet and Black.
In the first, the Gamecocks struck quickly, plating four runs with just one out. Payne got the first of her two doubles and moved to third on a passed ball. Cougar pitcher Terri Mesko then walked the bases loaded ahead of the shortstop Childs. The Conway, S.C., product then drove a double over the Charleston leftfielder’s head, plating both Payne and sophomore Laura Mendes. Broyles followed with a single, driving in sophomore Jill Semento and Childs to cap the scoring.
South Carolina struck again in the fourth. Sophomore catcher P.J. Fulmer led off with a double, and pinch runner Kaitlin Westfall moved to third on senior Cagney Davis’ sacrifice bunt. The Cougars let Davis on base when the throw pulled the covering second baseman Amber Shifflett off first base. Davis moved to second on freshman Kandyce Redondo’s groundout. Freshman Kristen Stubblefield drove in the first two runs of her collegiate career with a single up the middle. Payne singled to move Stubblefield into scoring position, and the freshman advanced to third on Mendes’ fielder’s choice. Semento hit a ball off Mesko’s ankle to bring home Stubblefield.
Broyles got in trouble just twice in the game. She gave up a leadoff single in the fourth to Kristie Shifflett but got a force to eliminate the pinch runner before Christal Kotchman got a base hit. But Broyles came back to fan the next two hitters to get out of the jam.
In the seventh, Broyles got a fly out to start the frame before Charleston catcher Katie Pesature hit the 0-1 pitch just beyond the left field wall about five feet from the fair pole. Broyles rebounded with her 14th strikeout of the game before hitting Amanda Lonergan. Tiffany Harmon got a bunt single to continue the threat, but Broyles got Amber Shifflett to fly out to center to end the game.
