March 23, 2014
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Yet another comeback bid fell a little short as South Carolina drops a 6-5 decision at No. 4/3 Tennessee on Sunday afternoon in front of 1,664 fans at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
A five-run third put Tennessee on top. With the bases loaded, Melissa Davin hit one to left to bring home two and tie the game. Loading the bases again with Annie Aldrete’s hit, Cheyanne Tarango was hit by a pitch to force home the go-ahead run. Hannah Akamine drew a walk to make it 4-2, and Shaliyah Geathers drove home the last run in the inning with a single to right.
South Carolina cut into Tennessee’s lead in the top of the fourth when senior second baseman Ashlyn Masters roped one off the glove of Tennessee shortstop Madison Shipman as she dove to stop it, scoring freshman pinch runner Kate Shereyk. She came on for junior catcher Sarah Mooney after she drew a one-out walk and moved to second on sophomore centerfielder Ansley Ard’s single. But Tennessee got the run back in the bottom of the frame when Lexi Overstreet drew a bases-loaded walk, making it 6-3.
The sixth inning saw the Gamecocks get close. Singles by junior catcher Olivia Lawrence and Ard put the tying run at the plate. A pitch in the dirt ended up costing the lead runner when Aldrete threw her out at third, but junior pinch hitter Kristen Struett drew a walk to once again bring up the tying run. A walk to Masters loaded the bases with one out. Sophomore left fielder Alaynie Page had an RBI groundout to short, while freshman designated player Victoria Williams made it a one-run game with her single off the shortstop’s glove as she ranged far up the middle. With two down and the tying run in scoring position, Tennessee starter Ellen Renfroe got a strikeout after a 13-pitch at bat to end the threat.
A two-run first staked South Carolina to an early lead like Friday night. Walks to Page and freshman first baseman Kaylea Snaer, the latter an intentional free pass with two outs, brought up redshirt freshman third baseman Lauren Masters. A wild pitch moved both into scoring position, and on the ninth pitch of the at bat, she deposited the ball in left, scoring both runners to give the Gamecocks a lead.
In the seventh, the Gamecocks worked a two-out walk before Renfroe ended the contest with a grounder back to her on her 150th pitch. Renfroe (18-0) allowed five earned runs on eight hits and a career-high eight walks in the complete-game win. She struck out five.
South Carolina redshirt junior Julie Sarratt (7-7) took the loss, giving up five runs on six hits and four walks in 2.2 innings. Freshman Nickie Blue pitched well in relief, allowing the one earned run on two hits and two walks while fanning three.
Three Lady Vols had two-hit days, led by Davin’s 2-for-4 with two RBI. Geathers drove in a run, while Aldrete scored one in their two-hit days. Shipman, who recorded nine assists, also scored twice. Williams and Ard had two-hit days, with Williams driving in a run and Ard scoring one. Mooney and Ashlyn Masters doubled, the latter extending her hitting streak to a team-best eight games this season.
Returning home for a seven-game home stand, the Gamecocks host Furman on Tuesday for a doubleheader at 5 p.m. EDT.
