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Nickie Blue Named SEC Pitcher of the Week
Softball  . 

Nickie Blue Named SEC Pitcher of the Week

March 28, 2017

South Carolina senior Nickie Blue gained the SEC Pitcher of the Week award today after tossing a two-hit shutout at No. 9/9 Alabama, the first Gamecock win over the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa since 2004.

Blue mowed down all but two batters in the contest, giving up a pair of hits to Tide leadoff hitter Demi Turner. The senior struck out four, did not walk a batter and needed 93 pitches to complete the two-hit shutout. It was the just the third time this year that Alabama had been held to two hits or less. She went on to start the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader and allowed one unearned run in 2.2 innings of work. She induced two ground-ball double plays in that game-two outing.

The win ranked as South Carolina’s first at Alabama since 2004, snapping an 18-game losing streak there. The Gamecock offense exploded for 14 runs in the win, the most a foe has ever scored against the Crimson Tide at Rhoads Stadium.

Blue’s Sunday work moved her up on two South Carolina career pitching lists. She’s now tied for eighth in games started with former All-American Gretchen Koenig (1985-88), and she jumped two spots in to fifth in innings pitched.

Joining Blue in the awards release this week are a pair of Volunteers: Brooke Vines as Player of the Week and Caylan Arnold as Freshman of the Week.

The Gamecocks take on Furman this Tuesday evening at 6 p.m., with South Carolina welcoming Texas A&M for the Sat.-Mon. SEC series that starts April 1. Time changes for the weekend’s games against the Aggies will be announced later today.