March 30, 2010
| Coach Compton |
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Gamecock offense rose up with seven runs and three home runs, but but it was not enough as No. 22 North Carolina (25-10) defeated South Carolina, 17-7, in five innings on Tuesday afternoon at Anderson Stadium.
Eight of the nine Gamecocks in the lineup had hits, while six different Gamecocks drove in runs. Freshman Briana Hamilton had the only multi-hit game for South Carolina (10-23), going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Juniors Laura Mendes and P.J. Fulmer as well as sophomore Kaitlin Westfall all had solo home runs in the game. The Fulmer and Westfall blasts were the first career homers for both.
South Carolina came out hot at the plate, as Mendes and Fulmer hit back-to-back jacks with two down in the first. But North Carolina answered with two homers of its own in the bottom of the frame. Kelli Wheeler had a grand slam, while Haleigh Dickey added a two-run shot to make it 6-2 after an inning.
The Gamecocks put another run up in the second when sophomore Lauren Lackey drove home classmate Kandyce Redondo after the squad loaded the bases with two down. The Tar Heels put up six more in the second, three coming on Dickey’s second long fly of the game, to make it 12-3 in favor of the home team.
Three South Carolina runs came across in the third. Senior Adele Voigt drove in the first with a groundout, while Hamilton plated her run with an infield single. A throwing error on Hamilton’s hit allowed junior April Borchardt to score on the play, closing the gap to 12-6. The lead would be back to seven shortly, however, as Dickey launched her third homer of the contest, a solo shot to left. The Tar Heels added four more in the fourth, three on back-to-back shots by Brittany McKinney and Kelli Wheeler. A walk to Christine Knauer forced home the final UNC run.
The Gamecocks did not go out quietly, however, as Westfall led off the fifth with her first collegiate home run. Borchardt followed with a single, but UNC pitcher Amber Johnson (16-8) got two ground balls and an infield fly to end the inning and the game.
Johnson went the distance, giving up seven runs, six earned, on nine hits and two walks while striking out two. Gamecock sophomore Kelsey Goodwin (0-12) took the loss, allowing eight earned runs on eight hits and two walks in 1.2 innings.
The 24 total runs are the most scored in this rivalry, now at 59 games. The three home runs are the most for the Gamecocks in one game since setting the program record with six against South Dakota State on March 5, 2005.
South Carolina hosts No. 16/19 Tennessee this weekend at Beckham Field. Friday’s single game starts at 5 p.m., while Saturday’s doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. EDT. Saturday’s game is the Gamecocks’ Strike Out Cancer effort, with donations being taken at the gate to raise money to combat cancer.
