April 25, 2010
ATHENS, Ga. – A three-run third propelled No. 12/10 Georgia (39-8, 16-6 SEC) to a 3-1 victory over South Carolina (11-36, 1-23 SEC) in the second game of the series at the Georgia Softball Stadium.
Junior April Borchardt went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI, while sophomore Kaitlin Westfall was 2-for-3 with a double for the Gamecocks. Four Bulldogs had one hit, with Kristyn Sandberg driving in two runs.
South Carolina took the 1-0 lead in the third on Borchardt’s double, scoring senior Adele Voigt after her leadoff single and theft of second base. Georgia answered in the bottom of the inning with three runs, getting an RBI single from Brianna Hesson and a two-RBI hit from Sandberg.
The Gamecocks threatened in the fourth, loading the bases after a Georgia miscue. With one down and a runner on, Georgia starter Katie Murphy induced a ground ball that was turned into a double play, but the home plate umpire called Sandberg for catcher’s interference, keeping the inning alive. A walk loaded the bases, but good outfield positioning ended the frame. Murphy’s 1-1 pitch to Voigt was lined into left where Megan Wiggins made the catch and threw behind South Carolina’s runner at third to complete the double play and end the threat.
Neither team scored the rest of the way, with some good defensive plays helping out the pitchers. Sophomore right fielder Lauren Lackey made the best catch of the day, running to her right and leaping to make a grab of Ashley Pauly’s liner almost in right center.
Murphy (3-2) got her first SEC win, allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks in four innings of work. Erin Arevalo came on to throw three scoreless innings of relief to get her first save. Kierstyn White (0-2) got the loss for Carolina, giving up three earned runs on four hits and five walks. Borchardt tossed 3.2 innings of hitless relief, walking one and fanning one.
The game was split over two days, as four outs in nine minutes were recorded on Saturday night before rain halted play till 12 noon on Sunday.
