Feb. 25, 2014
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Redshirt junior Julie Sarratt took a no-hitter into the sixth and shut out Western Carolina (3-8) as South Carolina (13-2) claimed a 5-0 win in Tuesday’s second game at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
Sarratt (5-1) struck out six Catamounts and only gave up two hits, the first one an infield single to Makenzi McAteer leading off the sixth to end the no-no bid. After a strikeout and a fly out, Sarratt walked Kara Salvo, the only free pass Sarratt issued in the game, and gave up another single to Taylor Sigmon to load the bases. Sarratt rebounded, fanning a Catamount to end the frame.
South Carolina used a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead in the first. Senior second baseman Ashlyn Masters singled to start the frame and went to third on sophomore left fielder Alaynie Page’s hit to right. After Page stole second on one pitch to freshman first baseman Kaylea Snaer, a wild pitch scored Masters. Page scored in the third with two outs after stealing second, setting up junior catcher Olivia Lawrence’s RBI double.
Two more Gamecock runs crossed in the fourth, starting with junior centerfielder Kristen Struett’s leadoff homer, her first of the year. After a Western Carolina pitching change, senior right fielder Chelsea Hawkins singled to left and moved to second when sophomore third baseman Jordan Bizzell moved to second. Both stole the next base and advanced another when the throw went into left field, scoring Hawkins for the Gamecocks’ 4-0 lead. A two-out double from Masters scored Bizzell in the sixth to score the fifth and final Gamecock run.
Masters went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI to lead South Carolina’s offense. Struett had the homer, and Lawrence posted the other double. Page stole two bases in the game.
Mallory Broome (1-4) took the loss for the Catamounts, giving up three earned runs on four hits in three-plus innings of work.
South Carolina heads west to take part in the Arizona State Louisville Slugger Invitational over Feb. 27-March 1 in Tempe, Ariz.
