March 9, 2013
CLEARWATER, Fla. – South Carolina (14-5) used doubles by Chelsea Hawkins and Julie Sarratt to help the Gamecocks get past Villanova (6-7) 4-1 in Saturday’s second game in the USF Under Armor Showcase at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
The junior right fielder Hawkins had an RBI double and scored a run, while Sarratt went 2-for-3 with the double and two RBI. Junior second baseman Dana Hathorn also scored twice in the win for the Gamecocks. All three were a part of the 2010 signing class for South Carolina.
Hawkins’ hustle double in the fourth broke a scoreless tie, scoring Hathorn after she started the inning with a single and moved to third on freshman Ansley Ard’s hit. Hawkins scored on the next play when Sarratt reached on an error. Villanova cut the lead in half on Amanda Marquez’s RBI single in the sixth, scoring Ali Lowe.
South Carolina added some insurance in the sixth on the redshirt sophomore Sarratt’s two-RBI single, scoring Hathorn and Ard after the former started the frame by being hit by a pitch and Ard followed with an RBI single.
Sophomore pitcher Katelynn Howser (3-0) got the win, giving up one earned run on three hits and three walks in 5.2 innings. Sarratt came on to close out the win with a perfect 1.1 innings, picking up her first save of the year. Kaity Sitzman took the loss, allowing four runs, three earned on seven hits in six innings. She fanned two without walking anyone. For South Carolina, it’s the team’s first win in 2013 when scoring less than seven runs.
The Gamecocks close out the third Florida trip with an 11:15 a.m. game against Penn State.
