Feb. 16, 2013
ORLANDO, Fla. – South Carolina (5-2) stranded seven runners on base in a tough 3-1 loss at UCF (3-5) in the Gamecocks’ first game on Saturday evening in the UCF Holiday Inn Select Tournament.
South Carolina got on the board in the second with back-to-back hits. Junior centerfielder Ashlyn Masters doubled to start the frame, and sophomore designated player Kristen Struett followed with a hit to score Masters. Struett got thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double. Junior right fielder Chelsea Hawkins followed with a single, and she moved to second when redshirt sophomore first baseman Julie Sarratt drew a walk. With two down, a grounder to the Knight shortstop got the runner at first on a force, but the Gamecocks’ lead runner tried to score after watching the second baseman fall on the slide into the plate. Kahley Novak popped up and threw a strike to the plate to get the runner and end the inning.
UCF took the lead in the bottom of the second, as Hayley Barrow scored on Samantha McCloskey’s double. With two down, Kalyn Cenal stepped up and deposited a ball to center, scoring the second Knight run.
The Gamecocks had a golden opportunity to retake the lead in the sixth, loading the bases with no one out after a walk to senior shortstop Samie Garcia, a single by freshman left fielder Alaynie Page and a hit-by-pitch to junior second baseman Dana Hathorn. But Knight pitcher Mackenzie Audas got out of the jam, getting two ground balls around a shallow fly to center to keep the score at 2-1.
The Knights added an insurance run in the sixth thanks to a Gamecock error. A leadoff single to Farrah Sullivan put a runner aboard, and pinch runner Lauren Aldridge stole second to set up the hit by Barrow, who got a second chance thanks to a dropped foul behind the plate by the Gamecock defense. UCF then held off the Gamecocks in the seventh after two runners reached to start the frame on a walk to Sarratt and a pinch-hit single by sophomore Olivia Lawrence.
Audas (2-2) led the Knights, scattering six hits and four walks with one earned run allowed in the complete-game win. Audas walked four and struck out three. Gamecock redshirt senior Audrey Broyles (2-1) took the loss, going all six innings and giving up three runs, two earned on six hits. She fanned three and did not issue a walk.
Garcia tripled in the contest, her eighth in her Gamecock career. That ties Tiff Tootle for 13th in South Carolina history in the category.
