April 13, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Freshman Audrey Broyles earned Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week accolades after leading the Gamecocks to a series win over No. 4 Alabama over Easter weekend, the league office released today.

Broyles won two games during the week, first downing Coastal Carolina on Tuesday before pitching a complete game against the Crimson Tide in the first game on Good Friday. The Pembroke Pines, Fla., product tossed 153 pitches in the eight-inning thriller, allowing two earned runs on eight hits in the contest. She came back to start the third game of the series and never was in danger of being charged with the loss after throwing the first three-plus innings of the game. When the Gamecocks came back in the sixth, she got the call to finish the game, and she closed it out with three outs on eight pitches in the seventh for her second save of the season.

The series win was South Carolina’s first over Alabama since 2001 and the program’s first over a top-five team since 2004. Broyles currently leads the Gamecocks with 10 wins and 19 starts, and she is the only pitcher on the staff to toss a complete game in 2009. She is the eighth Gamecock to claim the league’s pitcher of the week honor since the start of SEC softball in 1997. It is the 19th pitcher of the week certificate to be won by South Carolina.

Tennessee’s Nicole Kajitani took home the SEC Player of the Week award, while LSU’s Juliana Santos claimed the freshman of the week honor.

South Carolina hosts USC Upstate for the first time on Wednesday afternoon at 5 p.m. at Beckham Field.