Feb. 26, 2011
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Despite two hits by junior leftfielder Kaitlin Westfall, the Gamecocks (9-4) could not hold back the Elon Phoenix (8-2), who forced a split of the doubleheader with an 8-1 win in game two on Saturday afternoon at Beckham Field.
Elon plated three runs in the first with just one hit. The Phoenix loaded the bases with a walk, a fielder’s choice on a bunt attempt and a hit by pitch, and Emerald Graham drove home Tomeka Watson with her sacrifice fly to left. Erin O’Shea followed with an RBI single to center. Another hit batsman loaded the bases again, and Kaitlyn Piazzolla drew a walk to force home the third run of the frame.
Elon added two more runs in the third when Danielle Lafferty hit a two-run homer out to left. The final three Phoenix runs came in the seventh, two on Graham’s two-RBI double. Graham scored the eighth run on a Gamecock error, motoring home from second.
The Gamecocks got their lone run in the bottom of the seventh when freshman second baseman Dana Hathorn raced home from third after a throw went behind sophomore Samie Garcia on her single to center.
O’Shea (3-0), the Phoenix starter, went the distance, giving up one earned run on six hits and a walk. She struck out just one. Gamecock freshman pitcher Julie Sarratt (4-1) suffered her first collegiate loss, allowing three earned runs on two walks and a hit in one-third of an inning.
A quartet of Gamecocks joined Westfall in the hit column, all singles for South Carolina. Elon’s Watson had two runs scored in a 2-for-4 contest, while Graham drove in three of the Phoenix runs.
The Gamecocks’ next contest comes on Wednesday against another Southern Conference team, as South Carolina plays at Winthrop on Wed., March 2. First pitch for the single game is set for 5 p.m. EST.
