April 25, 2009
BATON ROUGE, La. – Seven unearned runs on five Gamecock errors doomed South Carolina (20-21, 5-18 SEC) to a 8-0 loss in five innings to No. 19/21 LSU in game two at Tiger Park on Saturday afternoon.
LSU struck first again when Rachel Mitchell singled home Kristen Shortridge, who reached on an infield single to start the frame. The Tigers added three more runs in the third, all unearned, thanks to an Ashley Applegate RBI single and an Anissa Young two-RBI double. After a nice play by freshman second baseman Sam Arbaugh and sophomore catcher P.J. Fulmer cut down Shortridge at the plate, the Tigers got an extra life when the Gamecock first baseman fumbled with a catch, allowing Rachel Mitchell to reach and Juliana Santos to get to third. That error set up the LSU hits that brought in three runs.
The Tigers added four in the fourth, with all four charged as unearned. A fielding error by the shortstop put runners at first and second with no one out, and Shortridge moved them both into scoring position via the sacrifice bunt. Jazz Jackson reached on a fielder’s choice when the Gamecock catcher was called for obstruction, awarding pinch runner Tiffany Shaw with a run. Another error by the shortstop let Mouse score from third. A walk loaded the bases, and Applegate got an RBI when the throw home did not come in time to force out Jackson. Young got a sacrifice fly to post the final run of the frame.
Gamecock freshman Audrey Broyles (10-11) got the loss, giving up four runs, one earned, on six hits in three innings. Shortridge (4-3) picked up the win, scattering three hits and a walk over five innings while fanning three.
The Gamecocks and Tigers wrap up the three-game series on Sunday with a single game at 1 p.m. CDT.
