Feb. 9, 2013
DELAND, Fla. – The third-straight double-digit run outing for South Carolina (3-0) sent the Gamecocks to a 14-4 win over Stetson (0-3) in front of 727 fans at Patricia Wilson Field on Saturday afternoon.
Two Gamecocks tied a record in the game, as senior shortstop Samie Garcia and freshman left fielder Alaynie Page both scored four runs, Garcia tying it for the second time on the day. Garcia went 3-for-4 with a double, but her consecutive reached-base streak ended in the fourth at 10 plate appearances thanks to a leaping grab by Stetson second baseman Kayla Drury. Page was 2-for-3. Junior centerfielder Ashlyn Masters tallied six RBI in a 2-for-3 day, posting two sacrifice flies and a bases-loaded triple. Junior third baseman Codee Yeske went 2-for-4 in her first start of the year, while sophomore first baseman Olivia Lawrence hit her first homer of 2013.
The Hatters had homers from both third baseman Demi Meza and Jessica Griffin, with Meza driving in three runs.
South Carolina jumped on the board with five runs in the first. Junior second baseman Dana Hathorn drove in the first run with a single to center, plating Garcia after her game-opening double. Page scored on a wild pitch, and Hathorn came home on Masters’ RBI groundout. Junior designated player Kristen Struett plated junior right fielder Chelsea Hawkins with a single after Hawkins doubled to right center, and redshirt sophomore pitcher Julie Sarratt doubled home Struett to close the scoring.
The Gamecocks added two more in the second, starting with Hathorn’s RBI groundout, scoring Garcia from third. Masters then hit the first of her sac flies to deep center, giving Page the chance to score.
The score stayed at 7-0 until the bottom of the fourth, when Stetson’s Meza hit a three-run homer to center. The Gamecocks finally responded in the sixth with three more runs. Yeske started the inning with a double and later scored on an errant Hatter throw that let Garcia, who reached on a hit by pitch, get to third after she stole second. Masters’ second sac fly let Garcia score, while Hawkins drove in another run with a groundout, making it 10-3 in South Carolina’s favor.
In the seventh, Lawrence stepped up with one down and sent one out to center. The Gamecocks loaded the bases with a single, a hit by pitch and a walk to the top three hitters, including freshman pinch hitter Lauren Masters, in the order, bringing up the elder Masters. She drove the 1-0 pitch to the wall in right, allowing all three runners to score on her triple. Stetson made it 14-4 on Jessica Griffin’s solo shot in the bottom of the seventh.
Sarratt (1-0), in her first start since 2011, went the distance in the win, allowing four runs while scattering five hits and a walk and striking out five. Sarah Read (0-1) took the loss, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits in one inning of work.
The Gamecocks close the trip to the Stetson Lead-Off Classic with a 12 noon EST contest against Michigan State on Sunday. Live audio will be available at GamecocksOnline.com.
