April 10, 2013
COLUMBIA, S.C. – – The South Carolina Gamecocks (20-17) won the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader over Coastal Carolina (23-16), 10-2 in six innings, at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
Junior second baseman Dana Hathorn went 4-for-4, scoring once and driving in one run, while senior shortstop Samie Garcia, sophomore centerfielder Kristen Struett, junior designated player Ashlyn Masters, redshirt senior first baseman Kelley Dillon and junior third baseman Codee Yeske all had two hits. Struett scored twice, while Dillon and Masters both drove in two runs, Dillon with a double. Garcia had a homer, while Yeske added two doubles. Freshman left fielder Alaynie Page scored twice and stole a base, and redshirt sophomore first baseman Julie Sarratt added an RBI double.
The Gamecocks jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first, as Garcia started the frame with a nine-pitch at-bat that ended with her driving her second homer of the year over the right-field wall. Juniors Chelsea Hawkins and Masters drove in the final three runs of the first, Hawkins with a groundout and Masters with a two-RBI single through the right side.
Coastal cut the lead in half in the second on Paige Goldsack’s two-run homer, scoring Brooke Donovan after she had a two-out single. South Carolina answered back in the fourth. Yeske doubled to start the frame and moved to third on Garcia’s groundout. Page got hit by a pitch and stole second. The Chanticleer throw went into center, letting Yeske score and putting Page on third. Hathorn singled home Page. After Struett reached on a fielder’s choice, Sarratt doubled her home, making it 7-2 in favor of the Gamecocks.
Freshman designated player Ansley Ard drove in a run in the sixth with her poke to left field, plating freshman pinch runner Jordan Bizzell. With sophomore pinch hitter Olivia Lawrence on third and Ard at first, Dillon hit one off the top of the padding lining of the wall in left center, scoring both runners and ending the game 10-2.
Sarratt (4-4) got the win, giving up two earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four in the complete-game win. Kiana Quolas (12-8) took the loss, allowing 10 earned runs on 17 hits while walking one and fanning one.
