March 25, 2012
by Koby Padgett
Assistant Media Relations Director
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (19-16, 2-9 SEC) struggled again at the plate, as LSU (23-8, 7-1 SEC) claimed a 9-0 win in six innings on Sunday afternoon in front of 632 fans at Beckham Field.
The Tigers scored in every inning but the fifth, with Ashley Langoni starting things with her two-out homer in the first. Three Tigers scored in the second on A.J. Andrews’ three-run triple to right center. Langoni scored the second of her four runs in the third, starting the inning with a walk and scoring on Tammy Wray’s bases-loaded free pass.
Juliana Santos hit her first homer of the season in the fourth with Langoni aboard to make it 7-0. And the Tigers wrapped things in the seventh on Santos’ RBI single and Cassie Trosclair’s hit that glanced off the Gamecock third baseman’s glove as she reached into foul territory on the play. Santos went 3-for-4 with the homer and three RBI, while Andrews also had three RBI on her triple.
LSU starter Rachele Fico (11-4) got the win, giving up two hits while striking out two in five innings of work. Gamecock freshman Katelynn Howser (8-4) took the loss, allowing seven runs, four earned, on five hits and four walks. She struck out two in 3.2 innings.
Three Gamecocks had hits, led by seniors Lauren Lackey and Kaitlin Westfall. Freshman Kristen Struett got her first hit in the Garnet and Black, the first allowed by Fico on the day. Struett also made her debut in the circle, giving up two earned runs on three hits and two walks in 2.1 innings of relief. Struett started the double play in the fifth that got the Gamecocks out of the inning.
The Gamecocks step out of Southeastern Conference play for their next three games, starting with a 7 p.m. contest at Winthrop on Wednesday night.
