April 21, 2013
AUBURN, Ala. – South Carolina (25-20, 4-14 SEC) scored twice in the seventh to pick up a series win at Auburn (28-20, 7-14 SEC), winning 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.
Junior third baseman Codee Yeske, one of two Gamecocks to tally two hits on the day, led off the seventh with a double off the wall in left. She moved to third on senior shortstop Samie Garcia’s sacrifice bunt. Freshman left fielder Alaynie Page, with a 1-0 count, missed on a suicide squeeze attempt, but the throw to third to get Yeske was dropped, giving the Gamecocks another chance. Page made the most of it, hitting the next pitch to left center to plate Yeske and give South Carolina the lead. Page went to third after the throw in from left got away from Auburn’s infielders. With two down, junior right fielder Chelsea Hawkins hit a slow roller up the middle that the Auburn shortstop threw away, allowing Hawkins to reach and Page to score to make it 3-1.
Redshirt sophomore Julie Sarratt (8-5) tossed a 1-2-3 seventh to complete her eighth win of the year, getting two of her seven strikeouts in the final frame. She gave up one earned run on four hits and two walks in her second complete-game win of the weekend.
The Gamecocks took the initial 1-0 lead in the second. With one out, sophomore designated player Olivia Lawrence doubled to left. After a line out, a wild pitch let junior pinch runner Brooke Barnhill move to third, where she scored easily on senior catcher Shelby Gonzales’ single to right.
Auburn tied things in the fifth when freshman Kelsey Bogaards scored from first on Tiffany Howard’s two-out double to left, as Howard beat the slap defense by driving it over everyone’s heads. Bogaards reached on a one-out walk.
The Tigers’ freshman Marcy Harper (15-9) got the loss, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits in three innings of relief. She struck out one. Howard went 2-for-3 to lead the Auburn offense.
Garcia joined Yeske with two hits on the day, with both having doubles as well as Page and Lawrence. Only one Gamecock starter didn’t collect a hit in the game. The win gave South Carolina its first series win of 2013 and marks its first win of a series at Auburn since a 2003 trip.
The Gamecocks return home to host Charlotte in a doubleheader on Wednesday, with first pitch set for 4 p.m. EDT at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
