April 15, 2014
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (29-15) made lots of contact at the plate in its 4-2 win over Winthrop (22-20) on Tuesday evening at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
The Gamecocks took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth. Junior centerfielder Kristen Struett started the frame with a double to center and moved to third on junior catcher Sarah Mooney’s fly ball caught near the right-field foul line. Senior right fielder Chelsea Hawkins blooped a single to right center to hand the Gamecocks the 3-2 advantage.
Both teams waited on the even innings to score. Winthrop took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the second. A two-out double to Kelsey Ritter followed by Leah Young’s single to center put runners on the corners. Young went to steal second, and the Gamecocks tried to throw behind Ritter at third, but the throw deflected off a glove, letting Ritter score.
South Carolina responded in the bottom half of the second on senior shortstop Codee Yeske’s double to right. That scored senior pinch runner Brooke Barnhill, who came on after Mooney picked up an infield single, and Hawkins, who walked on four pitches. The Gamecocks put runners on the corners with one out but popped into a double play on a bunt try to end the inning.
Winthrop tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth on Alex White’s long home run to center.
Mooney squared the first pitch of her at bat in the sixth and sent it sailing onto Weems Baskin Track for her ninth homer of the year, giving the Gamecocks a 4-2 lead. The blast tied Mooney for fourth in a single season at South Carolina, joining Samantha Jennings’ 2004 and Joyce McMillin’s 1999 seasons.
Gamecock redshirt junior Julie Sarratt (14-9) tossed a complete game in the win, giving up two runs, one earned, on five hits and a walk while striking out five. Sutton Watson (9-6) took the loss in relief, allowing two earned runs on four hits in 4.2 innings.
Mooney went 2-for-3 with the homer, while four other Gamecocks had hits. Struett and Yeske both had doubles, Yeske driving in two with hers.. Only one Gamecock struck out in the contest.
Alex White stood as one of five Eagles with a hit, hitting the homer, while Ritter had a double.
The Gamecocks host LSU for a three-game series this weekend. Friday’s first pitch is at 7 p.m. EDT, while Saturday is slated for a 4 p.m. start. ESPNU has Saturday’s game on its national network.
