Feb. 15, 2013
ORLANDO, Fla. – Two South Carolina (4-1) errors, including one on the game’s final play, cost the Gamecocks as Florida A&M (1-5) picked up a 5-4 win on Friday afternoon at UCF Softball Stadium.
Six Lady Rattlers had hits, with Arianna Stewart, Genesis Lopez and Kieifi Myrick driving in runs. Senior Samie Garcia, junior Codee Yeske and freshman Alaynie Page all had two hits for the Gamecocks, with Garcia scoring twice and Yeske posting a double.
Florida A&M came from behind in the seventh for the victory, loading the bases with two down on two singles and a walk. Stewart singled home Robbielyn Roberson to draw the Lady Rattlers within one at 4-3. Lopez drew a bases-loaded walk to score Tikeya Strong. Gamecock freshman reliever Katie Marks fanned the next hitter to get the second out. Alyssa Weaver chopped a ball toward the hole on the left side, and the ball went under the Gamecock shortstop’s glove, allowing Bianca Torres to score and hand Florida A&M its first win of the year.
Florida A&M took the initial lead in the second on Myrick’s RBI single, scoring pinch runner Naesha Lewis from third. The Gamecocks tied things in the fourth on junior Ashlyn Masters’ bases-loaded grounder, scoring Garcia after she started the inning with a single. The Lady Rattlers retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Weaver scored after a throw from the Gamecock catcher got away from the second baseman covering first on Christina Robbs’s bunt single.
The Gamecocks retook the lead in the fifth thanks to Page and a Florida A&M error. After Yeske got a two-out double, Garcia ground one to shortstop that she couldn’t handle. She threw to third, but Yeske got to the bag first, giving the Gamecocks runners at the corners. Page sent one up the middle that got through, scoring Yeske from third. Garcia took third on the play and scored when the throw from center went toward the third-base dugout. Masters added an insurance run in the sixth with her shot over the batter’s eye in the sixth.
Marks (1-1) took the loss, giving up three runs, two earned, on three hits and two walks. Redshirt sophomore Julie Sarratt tossed the first six innings for South Carolina, scattering three hits and three walks with two runs, one earned, while fanning three. Kelly Hunter (1-1) got the win for Florida A&M, allowing only two hits in two innings of work.
