March 21, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. – A late comeback bid fell short, as South Carolina lost to No. 9 Georgia, 4-1, in the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday at Beckham Field.
The Bulldogs (18-4, 2-2 SEC) got on the board twice in the first. Taylor Schlopy and Kristin Schnake both drew walks to start the game, and Schlopy scored on Alisa Goler’s single up the middle. Megan Wiggins followed with a sacrifice fly that plated Schnake. Gamecock pitcher Audrey Broyles (7-5) came back to get two strikeouts to end the inning.
Georgia added another in the second when Ashley Pauly, who led off the inning with a walk, scored when the throw trying to get out Christina Reed on her sacrifice bunt attempt went into the right-field corner.
South Carolina (13-11, 1-9 SEC) had the tying run come to the plate in the sixth. Senior first baseman Jacqueline Wetherbee singled to lead off the frame, and classmate Cagney Davis followed with a walk. They moved into scoring position on freshman Lauren Lackey’s sacrifice bunt. But the next two Gamecock batters hit balls to the shortstop Schnake, one in the air and another on the ground. Schnake made both plays to end the threat. She had eight assists in the game to go with one putout.
The Bulldogs added an insurance run in the seventh on a double steal with two outs. Schlopy and Schnake both got hits, with Schlopy moving to third on Schnake’s hit. The Dogs then executed the double steal, with Schanke drawing the throw on her way to second and Schlopy coming in to score.
The Gamecocks again threatened in the seventh. Sophomore P.J. Fulmer led off with a single, and Lindsay Walker drew a walk next. Walker made a heads-up running play on Evan Childs’s grounder. The junior stopped and ran backwards on the ball to the second baseman, forcing a tag and keeping the throw from getting to first in time. Freshman Kristen Stubblefield came up and singled home pinch runner Sam Arbaugh. With the tying run at the plate and one out, Georgia starter Sarah McCloud (9-1) held down South Carolina, as she got the final two batters to fly out and ground out to end the game.
McCloud got the win, scattering three hits, three walks and one earned run over seven innings. Broyles took the loss, allowing four earned runs on six hits and three walks. She struck out seven.
