April 15, 2016
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Despite out-hitting the Rebels 5-4, South Carolina (31-11, 4-9 SEC) could not come up with the big hit on Friday night, falling to Ole Miss (29-14, 5-8 SEC) by a 5-2 score at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
The Gamecocks scored with a two-out rally in the first on sophomore Krystan White’s double that landed inches fair down the right-field line, plating freshman Kennedy Clark after her infield single. The Rebels answered in the second, taking the lead that they’d never relinquish. A suicide squeeze bunt by Kylan Becker scored pinch runner Paige McKinney from third, while the Rebels scored the go-ahead run on a first-and-third, double-steal attempt that the Gamecocks threw away.
That advantage grew to 3-1 in the third for Mississippi on Miranda Strothers’ home run to right. Ole Miss made it 5-1 in the top of the seventh on Courtney Syrett’s single off the wall in right center, scoring two.
South Carolina tried to come back in the seventh, loading the bases with no one out on singles by seniors Ansley Ard and Alaynie Page and a walk to junior Victoria Williams. The Rebels made a change in the circle, bringing in Kayla Landwehrmier, and she got two ground balls around a foul out to escape the inning with only one Gamecock run scoring, picking up her second save in the 5-2 win. Landwehrmier stranded two Gamecock runners, part of nine left on base in the game.
Elisha Jahnke (7-5) picked up the victory with six-plus inning of work, scattering five hits and five walks while allowing two earned runs. Gamecock junior Nickie Blue (14-9) took the loss, giving up three runs, two earned, on two hits and four walks in four innings.
Game Changer:
South Carolina made uncharacteristic errors, three in total that led to two Rebel runs. It’s only the third game all season that the Gamecocks have been charged with three errors.
Key Stat:
South Carolina lost for the second time when posting a first-inning run, falling to 16-2.
Notables:
• The Gamecocks are now 27-4 when out-hitting their opposition and 21-3 when scoring first in a game.
• Five different Gamecocks had hits: Ard, Clark, Page, White and junior Kaylea Snaer. Clark and White had the SC RBI.
• Strother scored twice in a 1-for-4 night, with Hailey Lunderman, Syrett and Ashton Lampton collecting the other hits.
• Lampton doubled, while Syrett reached base all four times up, drawing three walks.
• Becker had the RBI on the squeeze bunt while also walking twice.
• The seven walks issued by the Gamecocks is the most since Kentucky drew eight on March 12, 2016.
Tweet of the Game:
Loving the unis tonight.@GamecockSoftbll pic.twitter.com/9mzWNCuGix
— Melissa Rae Thurstin (@MRThurstin) April 15, 2016
Up Next:
The two teams square off again on Saturday afternoon, with first pitch set at 3 p.m.
