Feb. 27, 2016
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – South Carolina (11-2) picked up a win on Saturday morning in the Gaucho Classic I, defeating UC Santa Barbara (6-7) at the Campus Diamond 6-1.
Freshman right fielder Kennedy Clark put the Gamecocks up 2-0 in the first with a two-run homer to right center. That also scored freshman second baseman Alexis Mack, who had a one-out hit. Three more Gamecocks came home in the second. Senior catcher Jordan Bizzell started the frame with a double, and she scored on senior centerfielder Ansley Ard’s single. Ard came home on Mack’s sacrifice fly, and Clark doubled home senior left fielder Alaynie Page to make it 5-0.
Junior first baseman Kaylea Snaer stretched South Carolina’s lead to 6-0 with a two-out blast to left. The Gauchos tried to come back in the seventh again, getting a run on Jennifer Johnstone’s two-out hit. But Gamecock junior Jessica Elliott ended things a batter later, getting a foul out to left to close the contest.
Elliott (7-0) tossed her first complete game at South Carolina, scattering eight hits and three walks in the victory. Lena Mayer (2-2) took the loss for the Gauchos, giving up two earned runs on three hits in one-third of an inning.
South Carolina turned two double plays to end innings in the game, the biggest coming in the third. With runners at second and third, Sierra Altmeyer flied out to right. The runner at second thought the runner at third tagged, and the Gamecocks threw to second to get her scampering back. When the throw went to second, the runner at third darted home, and South Carolina threw it home to catch the runner and stop the Gauchos from scoring.
Game Changer:
The Gamecocks never looked back after Clark’s two-run homer in the first.
Key Stat:
Four of the Gamecocks’ RBI came from Clark and Snaer, both California natives.
Notables:
• Both Clark and Snaer tallied two hits with a homer, with Clark adding a double with her three RBI.
• Bizzell and sophomore Kamryn Watts also doubled for the Gamecocks.
• Kristen Clark ranked as the only UCSB player to collect two hits.
• Ashley Ludlow pitched 3.2 innings of scoreless relief for the Gauchos.
