South Carolina Tallies 8-2 Win over Maryland
Feb. 15, 2014
BOCA RATON, Fla. – South Carolina (5-2) used two-hit days from three players to propel itself to a 8-2 victory over Maryland (1-7) in its lone Saturday game in the Florida Atlantic Strike Out Cancer Tournament.
With the wind blowing straight in from center most of the game at the FAU Softball Stadium, the Gamecocks scored eight without the long ball in the contest, getting two hits each from seniors Ashlyn Masters and Codee Yeske as well as from freshman Kaylea Snaer. Snaer posted a team-best two RBI and added a triple, while Masters and freshman Victoria Williams both had doubles.
South Carolina took advantage of a Maryland miscue for its first three runs. In the third, Yeske had an infield single, and Masters followed with a double. A groundout preceded a walk to Snaer, bringing junior Sarah Mooney to the plate. She grounded to the third baseman, but the throw went into right field, letting all three runners score to hand the Gamecocks the lead.
Maryland chipped at the lead in the next two innings, getting an RBI single from Candice Beards in the third and a bases-loaded walk to Lindsey Schmeiser in the fourth to make it a one-run game. But in the fifth, senior Dana Hathorn drove home freshman pinch runner Kate Shereyk before scoring herself on Williams’ double to push the Gamecocks’ lead back to three runs.
Mooney drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to make it 6-2, and Snaer’s triple put the score at 8-2 in the seventh, scoring sophomore Alaynie Page and senior pinch runner Brooke Barnhill.
Gamecock freshman Nickie Blue (4-1) picked up the win, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and three walks in four innings of work. Redshirt junior Julie Sarratt garnered her second save, tossing three scoreless innings and fanning seven against two walks and two hits.
Brenna Nation (0-4) took the loss for the Terrapins, giving up five runs, two earned, on six hits and four walks in 4.2 innings. Amanda McCann went 3-for-4 at the plate for Maryland, while Erin Pronobis went 2-for-4 in the game that took 2:53 to complete.
South Carolina ends its stay in south Florida with an 11 a.m. contest against the host Florida Atlantic Owls on Sunday.
