Softball . March 4, 2017

Gamecocks Fall in Ninth to No. 20/20 Arizona State 4-3

Game #1

March 4, 2017

FULLERTON, Calif. – A hard-fought game between South Carolina and No. 20/20 Arizona State needed two extra innings to be decided, and the Sun Devils came through with the hit to claim a 4-3 win in nine innings on Saturday in the Judi Garman Classic.

With the international tiebreak rule in effect, ASU (14-5) used Sashel Palacios’ sacrifice bunt to move runner Nichole Chilson to third. After falling behind 0-2, Marisa Stankiewicz fought back to get the count full before pushing one through the right side, allowing Chilson to score and giving the Sun Devils the victory.

Arizona State got on the board in the second on Chelsea Gonzales’ solo home run. The lead didn’t last long, as the Gamecocks’ junior catcher Jordyn Augustus reached on an error with one down. A fielder’s choice put junior Tiara Duffy on first, and she took second when junior Kamryn Watts singled. Freshman Mackenzie Boesel came through with her fifth hit of the weekend and the longest by far, knocking a three-run home run to right to put South Carolina on top 3-1.

The Sun Devils tied things in the fourth when Palacios knocked a two-RBI double into the gap in left center, tying the game at 3-3.

The Gamecocks (15-4) had a chance to retake the lead in the sixth, loading the bases with no one out on junior Krystan White’s single, senior Kaylea Snaer’s walk and sophomore Kennedy Clark’s hit-by-pitch. Sun Devil reliever Breanna Macha got a pair of strikeouts, including one on the eighth pitch of an at-bat, and a force out to escape the frame unharmed.

Macha (5-3) claimed the win with five innings of shutout relief, scattering two hits and two walks while striking out nine. Gamecock senior Jessica Elliott (5-2) took the loss, allowing the one unearned run on two hits in 4.1 innings. Both came in to start the fifth and dueled the rest of the night.

GAME CHANGER

The Sun Devils successfully put down the sacrifice bunt in the ninth, helping get the winning run home.

KEY STAT

The Gamecocks went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, including the 0-for-3 with the bases loaded in the sixth.

NOTABLES

Boesel, one of six Gamecocks with hits, hit her team-leading fourth home run in the setback.

ASU’s sixth and seventh hitters Palacios and Stankiewicz had three RBI, while No. 9 hitter Taylor Becerra stood as the only player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3.

Up Next

South Carolina takes on No. 7/8 UCLA in Sunday’s first game at 2:30 p.m. EST before wrapping up play on Anderson Family Field 2 against Long Beach State at 5 p.m.