Feb. 10, 2013
DELAND, Fla. – South Carolina (4-0) completed an opening-weekend sweep, besting Michigan State (1-3) 12-5 on Sunday afternoon at Patricia Wilson Field to close the 2013 Stetson Lead-Off Classic.
Four Gamecocks had two hits, and four also had two runs. Juniors Ashlyn Masters and Chelsea Hawkins and sophomore Kristen Struett combined to do both, while senior catcher Shelby Gonzales and junior third baseman Codee Yeske both drove in two. Senior shortstop Samie Garcia had a triple while Hawkins added a homer in the win.
Sarah Bowling went 2-for-4 with a three-RBI double for Michigan State, while centerfielder Kylene Hopkins also went 2-for-4.
Hawkins started the Gamecock scoring in the second, hitting the 2-2 pitch over the center-field wall for her first homer of the year. Five more runs crossed in the third as the Gamecocks posted five-consecutive singles in the frame. Garcia scored first on Hathorn’s RBI single after walking, stealing second and moving to third on freshman left fielder Alaynie Page’s ground out. Following Hathorn with singles were Masters, Hawkins, Struett and redshirt sophomore first baseman Julie Sarratt, the last two driving in a run. After a strikeout, Yeske sent one back through the middle, plating two runs to make it 6-0.
Garcia scored in the fourth on a Spartan error after starting the frame with a triple. The Gamecock bats would be quiet for the next inning for exploding for four runs in the sixth. South Carolina loaded the bases with one out before another Spartan error allowed two runs to score. Gonzales followed with her first hit of the year, a two-run single to right, to make it 11-0.
Michigan State answered in the bottom of the sixth, posting five runs on the board. Bowling came up with the bases loaded and cleared them with her scorcher down the left-field line. After a foul out, Ellie Stoffer doubled to right to bring Bowling home and make it 11-4. The fifth run crossed when Carly Nielsen doubled to right center, plating Stoffer.
The Gamecocks got one run back in the seventh when Masters sent a ball to deep left center that Hopkins caught against wall, scoring Page from third.
Redshirt senior Audrey Broyles (2-0) picked up the win, tossing 5.2 innings and giving up five runs, two earned, on four hits while striking out four. Cassee Layne (0-1) took the loss, allowing six earned runs on eight hits and a walk in three innings. She fanned two.
All nine Gamecock starting hitters picked up hits in the contest as well as freshman pinch hitter Lauren Masters, her first career single. Garcia and Page earned placement on the all-tournament team.
South Carolina returns to the Sunshine State for next weekend’s UCF Holiday Inn Select Tournament in Orlando. The Gamecocks open the event on Friday night against Florida A&M at 4:30 p.m. EST.
