March 18, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Freshman Evan Childs connected for a walk-off single to give South Carolina a 2-1 win in 11 innings over Mississippi in the first game of the doubleheader on Wednesday night at Beckham Field. The victory was the first for the Gamecocks (13-9, 1-7 SEC) in Southeastern Conference play in 2009.
Sophomore Laura Mendes got a one-out single in the 11th and moved to second on classmate P.J. Fulmer’s grounder back to the circle. Childs came up and battled with Rebel reliever Becky Nye (7-8) in an eight-pitch at-bat, taking the last one back through the middle. Courtney Ghinaudo came up throwing to the plate, but her toss did not beat Mendes, who slid in safely to end the game.
The Gamecocks got on the board first in the fifth when Mendes drove home freshman Lauren Lackey with a single after Lackey reached on a two-out double that landed just fair in shallow left. The Rebel starting pitcher, Kelly Chandler, threw out Mendes at second after a wise cutoff.
Mississippi (11-13, 0-7 SEC) answered in their next at bat when Lauren Grill drove the 0-1 pitch over the centerfield wall to tie the game at 1-1.
The Rebels nearly took the lead in the seventh on Michelle May’s single. Ghinaudo led off the inning with a hit off Gamecock reliever Kierstyn White. She moved to second on Corrine Doornberg’s grounder to short. White got Lisa Conchos to ground out before South Carolina intentionally walked Grill. May nearly made the Garnet and Black pay when she put the 2-2 pitch into center. Lackey fired the throw home, and Fulmer tagged out the sliding Ghinaudo to end the frame.
Gamecock freshman Audrey Broyles (7-4) got the win, tossing 6.1 innings in her two stints, walking two, allowing four hits and one earned run while fanning five. Nye picked up the loss in relief, going 5.1 innings, allowing two hits and one earned run. She struck out three.
Mendes went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI, while Fulmer was 2-for-5.
