March 8, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – Gamecock freshman Alaynie Page had a banner day with four runs scored and a three-run homer in South Carolina’s 13-4 win in six innings over Massachusetts (2-7) in the first game of the USF Under Armour Showcase at the USF Softball Stadium.
Page went 2-for-3 with that homer and a walk, while she stole two bases. The Gamecocks (13-3) stole three more, by freshman Ansley Ard and juniors Brooke Barnhill and Codee Yeske. Senior catcher Shelby Gonzales went 2-for-3 with an RBI double, and junior designated player Ashlyn Masters went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Gamecocks went on top for good in the third thanks to a pair of Minutewomen errors. Page started the inning with a single, stole second and scored on a dropped fly in right that allowed junior second baseman Dana Hathorn to reach. Hathorn scored later after the right fielder tried to throw her out at third on a foul out, and the throw got away from the UMass infield, making it 4-3 for the Gamecocks. Page put it out of reach in the third with a three-run homer, scoring Yeske and senior shortstop Samie Garcia after they reached on a hit and a walk, respectively.
South Carolina got out to a 2-0 lead with runs in the first two innings. Junior Ashlyn Masters had an RBI single in the first, scoring Page after a one-out walk and her first stolen base, while Gonzales blistered a ball to center for a double in the second, scoring the pinch runner Barnhill after she came on for sophomore first baseman Olivia Lawrence. The Minutewomen took the lead in the bottom of the second on a three-run homer by Lindsey Webster, scoring Teea Rogers and Olivia Godin after they both drew walks.
UMass made it 7-4 in the fifth on Cyndil Matthew’s RBI single, scoring Rogers after she reached to start the inning on a fielding error by the Gamecock first baseman.
The Gamecocks closed things in the sixth with six runs in the frame. Ard scored on a wild pitch, while Page scored her fourth run on the first of UMass’s three errors in the inning. Sophomore centerfielder Kristen Struett drove in freshman Lauren Masters with a single, while Ashlyn Masters scored when the ball got away from the UMass left fielder. The Gamecocks loaded the bases, and two runs scored on Ard’s grounder that caused the third baseman to stumble.
Redshirt sophomore Julie Sarratt (2-1) got the win in relief, giving up one unearned run on two hits and two walks while striking out four. Caroline Raymond (1-3) took the loss, giving up nine runs, six earned on seven hits and four walks.
Garcia reached twice on walks but saw her hitting streak snapped at 15 games. The top three in the order, Garcia, Page and Hathorn, all reached safely, extending all three’s skeins to 16 for reaching base safely.
