March 6, 2012
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Completing an eight-day, seven-game and three-state road trip, South Carolina (16-4) takes on Coastal Carolina (13-4) in a 3 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday at the CCU Softball Field. Gametracker live stats and a live audio stream will be available at GamecocksOnline.com, while updates will also post at twitter.com/GamecockSoftbll.
Carolina in the Month of March
Since 1984, the Gamecocks are 419-210-3 (.665) in the third month of the year. Last season, the mark was 8-11 in March for South Carolina.
Recapping Last Week
The Gamecocks kept busy last week, splitting a doubleheader at home against Charleston Southern before going 5-0 to start a three-state, seven-game road swing. Twice, South Carolina run-ruled its foe, while the Garnet & Black also capured two one-run wins in comeback fashion.
Seven Games of HR Equals 2009 Season Total
South Carolina combined to hit 13 homers in the seven-game stretch from Feb. 28-March 4. That total matches what the 2009 team did in 45 games that season and surpassed the outputs of both 2008 and 2010. Twenty games into 2012 (and in 37% of the at bats from last year, South Carolina has hit 22 homers, three shy of the 2011 team’s total. The program record is 38 long balls in a season, set in 2003.
Garcia Keeps It Going
Shortstop Samie Garcia has a 19-game hitting streak heading into Wednesday’s games at Coastal Carolina, the longest for a Gamecock since Ashton Payne’s 18 game skein in 2008. Since being held hitless in the opener, Garcia is hitting .500, including posting a .522 mark during the seven-game stretch from Feb. 28-Mar. 4. In front of her family and the largest crowd of the weekend at the Highlander Classic, Garcia posted a 3-for-4 day with the game-tying RBI double in the 3-2 comeback win over UC Davis.
Garcia led the Gamecocks during the Blue & Gold Feisberg Memorial, posting nine RBI in the event. Her grand slam versus Providence helped propel South Carolina to the 9-1 (5) win.
Westfall A Double Machine in Early Going . . .
Senior leftfielder Kaitlin Westfall leads the SEC with 10 doubles this season, matching P.J. Fulmer’s team-leading total from last season. Westfall has three more than her closest competition in the SEC, Arkansas’s Amanda Guile. Five of Westfall’s came in the Blue & Gold Feisberg Memorial, as she posted two each in wins over Illinois-Chicago and Villanova. If Westfall gets five more, she’d have one of the top 10 seasons for doubles in Gamecock Softball history. Georgia’s Megan Wiggins posted 23 to lead the SEC in 2011.
While Lackey Likes Stretching It to Three . . .
Westfall’s teammate and fellow outfielder Lauren Lackey has three triples on the year, tying for second in the SEC. Lackey is looking to be the first Gamecock since Ashton Payne in 2007-08 to lead the team in triples in consecutive seasons. Tied with Tiff Tootle for 12th on the Gamecocks’ career triples chart with eight, one more would push Lackey into a tie for ninth in program history.
Childs Prefers to Trot
Senior third baseman Evan Childs has tallied six homers on the year, the last two coming on consecutive nights against Charleston Southern and Charlotte. With 12 in her career, she’s tied for 10th on South Carolina’s all-time list with Adrianna Baggetta and Jana Zimmerman. She’s vying to be the first Gamecock since McKenna Hughes (2004-07) to lead the team in homers twice in her career. Her next homer will put her on the single-season top-10 chart for long balls.
Early Season Schedule Provided Tests
While the first glance at South Carolina’s pre-conference schedule may think that it should be all easy games, closer examination says otherwise. Three of the contests came against defending conference champions and NCAA Tournament teams in Illinois-Chicago (Horizon), Jacksonville (Atlantic Sun) and Portland State (Pacific Coast Softball). The Gamecocks went 2-1 in those games, including shutting out the UIC Flames.
Hawkins Providing Thump
Sophomore Chelsea Hawkins has provided a lot of power for the Gamecocks this season, hitting five homers already. She’s two shy of making the top-10 single-season charts at South Carolina for homers. She’s also driven in 19 runs, second on the team, while slugging at a .745 mark, also second. The third-ranked Gamecock in batting average (.418), she’s also fourth in on-base percentage (.467). The only blemish is the 15 strikeouts in 55 at bats, but the power more than justifies a few K’s.
White Getting the Chance to Start and Finish
Senior pitcher Kierstyn White tossed her first career shutout on the trip to Miami. She blanked defending Horizon League champs Illinois-Chicago, coming within two outs of a no-hitter. The two-hit blanking stands out even more, as White tossed 74 pitches in the seven-inning affair.
In the past, White finished off other pitcher’s starts, finishing 36 games over her first two years, Now, she has a chance to start and finish them, posting five complete games in 2012.
Strong Weekend Propels Quartet Onto Gamecock Invite Team
Even in a rain-shortened event, the Gamecocks stood out, running to another title and claiming four spots on the all-tournament team. Samie Garcia earned the Gamecock Invitational MVP after going 7-for-11 in the event and leading the Gamecocks in runs and stolen bases. She was joined by three seniors: Evan Childs (three runs, four RBI, double and homer), Lauren Lackey (.545 batting average, two stolen bases) and Kierstyn White (two complete game wins).
South Carolina Offense Posts Back-to-Back 10+ Run Games
South Carolina rebounded from a two-hit effort in the first game against Charleston Southern to post consecutive 10+ run games. The Gamecocks rebounded to with a 11-2 win in five innings over the Buccaneers on the nightcap of Feb. 28 before posting a 13-7 win at Charlotte on Feb. 29. The last time South Carolina scored 10+ in consecutive games was on April 3, 2005 when the Gamecocks run-ruled Kentucky in both halves of a doubleheader in Lexington by scores of 12-2 and 10-1.
On five occasions, the Gamecocks have posted double-digit runs, matching the team’s best in the SEC era, hit by last year’s squad and the 1997 league champions. The most recent team with more than five is the 1996 group, which posted 10 10+ run outings.
Hits Kept Coming vs. Charlotte
South Carolina posted 18 hits in the victory at Charlotte on Feb. 29. That mark is the best since 2005, when the Gamecocks had 20 in a 15-2 win over South Dakota State.
Big RBI Games Already Surpassing Last Year
The Gamecocks have posted four four-RBI games already in 2012, doubling what the team did in the whole of 2011. Sophomores Chelsea Hawkins (2/11) and Dana Hathorn (2/22) both drove home four in wins over Winthrop, while junior Samie Garcia had a grand slam in the win over Providence (2/17). Senior Evan Childs had four in the second game of the Charleston Southern doubleheader.
South Carolina Defense Downfall in Losses
A common strand runs through three of the Gamecocks’ four losses: defensive errors and unearned runs. In the first three setbacks, the Gamecocks committed seven errors combined and allowed nine unearned runs. The only game that would have stay tied without those runs would be against Tennessee State; the rest would all favor the Gamecocks. The final loss came when South Carolina managed only two hits in the first game of the Charleston Southern doubleheader on Feb. 28.
Last season, South Carolina went 21-19 when making one or no errors. That record fell to 5-7 in games with two errors. When the Gamecocks made three or more errors, they went 0-4. This season, the Gamecocks are 13-1 when making one or less errors but 3-3 when committing two or more.
Hathorn Leads Gamecocks Past Winthrop
Sophomore second baseman Dana Hathorn has provided stellar defense and clutch offense during her time at South Carolina. In the Feb. 22 win over Winthrop, Hathorn provided two two-run doubles to help lead the team to a 9-1 win in five innings over the Eagles.
Quartet Claim Palmetto Classic All-Tourney Honors
South Carolina took home the team title from the Palmetto Classic, and four Gamecocks led the way on the all-tournament team. Senior Kaitlin Westfall claimed MVP honors, leading South Carolina with five RBI on the weekend. Joining her on the team was another senior, Evan Childs, who posted a huge day in the win over Cleveland State. Sophomore Dana Hathorn captured a spot, collecting a hit in each of the four games, while redshirt junior Audrey Broyles also garnered recognition. Broyles had the complete-game win over Western Kentucky, an eight-inning affair.
Broyles Goes the Distance and More
Redshirt junior Audrey Broyles passed a personal milestone in her first start of 2012, tossing 117 pitches in the complete-game victory over Western Kentucky. That marked the first time since 2010 that Broyles had thrown that many pitches, when she threw 120 in the loss at Florida Atlantic. Broyles felt so strong that she tossed another 1.1 innings against Winthrop immediately following. She pitched twice at UC Riverside, picking up wins in both games while lowering her ERA to 1.95.
Rother Getting in Lineup, on Base
Freshman Lacey Rother has shown a knack for getting on base, posting a .552 on-base percentage in her 16 games so far, eight of which have been starts. On nine occasions, she’s drawn a walk, third most on the team. She’s done that in 29 plate appearances, 38 percent of senior Kaitlin Westfall’s total, who leads the team with 11 walks. Rother hit her first home run during the Highlander Classic in her home state of California during the Maine win.
Howser a Bullpen Ace in Early Going
Freshman Katelynn Howser has done some of her best work in 2012 out of the bullpen. In eight relief appearances, she’s picked up three saves, which ranks ninth on South Carolina’s single-season chart, and two of her six wins. In the 21.2 innings of relief, she’s posted a 1.62 ERA. As a starter, she’s 4-0, tossing three complete games, posting a 3.25 ERA in those five games (23.2 innings).
The Long Ball Proving to Be Bellweather Again for Gamecocks
The 2012 Gamecocks have tallied 22 homers on the year, three shy of last year’s mark which was the best in six years. And yet again, the homers point to good things for the team. South Carolina is 12-1 when sending at least one ball out. Last season, the Gamecocks went 17-6 in games in which they have hit a homer. In 2011, South Carolina won just three games when the team did not record at least one triple or one home run.
A Much Better Showing in 2011
South Carolina posted one of the best turnarounds in the country last year, the first under Beverly Smith. The 12 1/2 game improvement tied for 12th in NCAA Division I, and the mark was the eighth best for a team that finished 2010 under .500.
Record Speed in 2011
Last season, South Carolina recorded 79 stolen bases, tying the 1992 team for the second most in program history. That trailed only the 1995 squad (87) and marked just the fourth time in recorded history (since 1982) that the Gamecocks averaged over a steal per game (1992, 1994, 1995). The 2011 team did set one speed record, attempting to steal 99 stolen bases. The team 79.8 percent success rate ranks third in the last decade.
Returning junior Hannah Milks had her name written in the single-season record books twice for her work on the basepaths last year. Her 0.32 steals per game ranked ninth in Gamecock history, while her and senior Lauren Lackey’s perfect percentage became the sixth and seventh such seasons at South Carolina. Milks stole 16 bases without being caught, one more than Lackey.
Gamecocks Among Most Experienced Teams in NCAA Division I
South Carolina has 10 seniors listed on the roster for 2012, which is believed to be the most in NCAA Division I this year. Seven position starters return from last year, losing starters at catcher and designated player. When removing two players expected to sit out this year due to injury along with the starts by last year’s seniors, the Gamecocks bring back 92.3 percent of their outfield starts and 84.8 percent of infield starts from third to first.
Horseshoes, Hand Grenades, Etc.
In last year’s 26-30 season, South Carolina went 7-11 in one-run games and 1-3 in extra-inning affairs. Turning half of those one-run losses into wins would move the Gamecocks a long way to their goal of NCAA Tournament eligibility. The Gamecocks matched their extra-inning win total from last season with the 5-4 victory in eight over Western Kentucky and stand at 3-1 in one-run games.
There’s Plenty of Depth Again
South Carolina’s softball roster this season is comprised of 22 student-athletes, one less than last year. And after a year of work for 16 of those, there is a viable backup at every position who could see time for a variety of reasons. Two players, Kelley Dillon and Julie Sarratt, are likely out for the year due to offseason surgeries.
Coaches Know a Bit about Winning
Last season was outside of the norm for the Gamecock coaching staff. Both head coach Beverly Smith and assistant coach Janelle Breneman came down from North Carolina, which was ranked in the top 25 in each of their last five seasons in Chapel Hill, while the Tar Heels made NCAA Tournament appearances eight times during Smith’s tenure. Calvin Beamon also knows a litle about winning, claiming crowns at all three of his amatuer stops. A high school state champion at Smoky Hill High School in Cherry Creek, Colo., Beamon won a JUCO title at the College of Southern Nevada and the College World Series during his year at Texas.
Scouting the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Coastal Carolina enters Wednesday’s doubleheader with a 13-4 record, including a 10-2 mark at the CCU Softball Field and on a five-game winning streak. An improved pitching staff has played a huge role, with the team posting a 1.85 ERA on the season. Freshman Kiana Quolas leads the way with a 0.65 ERA in 53.2 innings of work. She’s fanned 33 and walked 10, while foes hit .157 against her. Morgan Mastriania, another freshman, holds a 1.71 ERA in 28.2 innings of work, striking out 13 and walking nine.
Things have improved at the plate as well, with the team hitting .262. Freshman Kory Hayden leads the team with a .404/.491/.830 line, hitting six homers and driving in 16 RBI already. Sarah Maples ranks second with a .321 batting average, while she’s stolen seven bases without being caught. As a team, the Chanticleers have 16 homers and have held foes to one.
Series History Versus the Chanticleers
A long-standing in-state rivalry, the Gamecocks own a 49-6 advantage in the all-time meetings, including a 19-3 lead in Conway. South Carolina won all three meetings in the series last year.
The Last Meeting vs. Coastal – April 11, 2011
Another outstanding start from Julie Sarratt against Coastal Carolina led the Gamecocks to a 1-0 win over the rival Chanticleers at Beckham Field. Sarratt dazzled the Chanticleers again, following up her no-hitter during the opening weekend of the season against Coastal with a one-hitter today. She walked one and struck out six.
The Gamecocks, who left eight on base, got the only run they needed in the sixth when third baseman Kelley Dillon hit a ball to left deep enough to allow pinch runner Jackie Slawson to score from third. Leftfielder Kaitlin Westfall drew the leadoff walk before ceding to Slawson, who moved to second on Molly Brossart’s sacrifice bunt and took third after an error on Coastal’s third baseman.
