Feb. 28, 2012
by Ryan Pederson and Koby Padgett
South Carolina Athletic Media Relations
February 28, 2012
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Charleston Southern | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | X | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| South Carolina | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | X | X | X | 11 | 10 | 0 |
| Coach Smith |
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (11-4) exploded offensively with four homers in game two of Tuesday’s twinbill to beat Charleston Southern (10-5) 11-2 in five innings at Beckham Field.
The Gamecocks posted 10 hits, including round trippers from seniors Molly Brossart and Evan Childs, junior Samie Garcia and sophomore Chelsea Hawkins. Garcia and senior Lauren Lackey both went 2-for-3, extending their hitting streaks to 14 and 11 games, respectively, with both scored two runs. Hawkins went 2-for-2 with the homer and a double and had three RBI. Childs went 2-for-2 with four RBI, and senior Kaitlin Westfall scored twice.
The Gamecocks jumped on Buccaneer starting pitcher Jennifer Giles (2-3) in the first inning, with Garcia and Lackey greeting her with back-to-back singles. After a walk to Westfall, the third baseman Childs delivered an RBI single up the middle to plate Garcia. Sophomore second baseman Dana Hathorn followed with an RBI single of her own, and Hawkins finished the scoring by roping a standup double to right center to put Carolina up 4-0 after the first.
Charleston Southern answered back with a run in the second on Megan Lombard’s single, but the rally was cut short by Westfall’s cut of the hit and quick throw to third to nab Ari Tedesco.
Garcia pushed the lead back to four in the home half of the second with a leadoff bomb. Childs’ sacrifice fly to deep center scored Lackey, making it 6-1 Gamecocks.
Hawkins started the third with a shot to left, her third homer of the year. After a Lacey Rother walk and a groundout, the first baseman Brossart sent one out to center for her first homer of the year to put South Carolina up 9-1.
The Buccaneers cut the deficit to seven in the fourth on Melissa Adams’ two-hour RBI double, but the Gamecock bats answered again. Westfall led off the fourth by getting hit by a pitch, and Childs blasted her fifth homer of the year to dead center to take a nine-run lead.
Gamecock freshman pitcher Katelynn Howser (4-0) took the win in the five-inning complete game, giving up two earned runs on four hits and four walks while striking out three. Giles took the loss, giving up four earned runs while not retiring a batter out of the six she faced.
South Carolina takes on Charlotte Wednesday afternoon, with first pitch set for 5 p.m. EST at D.L. Phillips Complex.
