Softball . April 28, 2017

South Carolina Takes 7-5 Win on Friday Night at No. 22/25 Georgia

Game #1

April 28, 2017

ATHENS, Ga. – The South Carolina Gamecocks (29-20, 5-13 SEC) came back to claim a 7-5 win on Friday night at No. 22/25 Georgia (30-19, 3-16 SEC) at Turner Softball Field.

South Carolina retook the lead in the fifth thanks to a four-run frame. After senior Taylor Williams singled and junior Kamryn Watts drew a walk, senior first baseman Kaylea Snaer stepped up and drilled a double off the top of the left-field wall, scoring both to make it a one-run game again. Freshman second baseman Mackenzie Boesel got hit by a pitch, and the Bulldogs committed an error on Victoria Williams’ grounder to load the bases for junior Alyssa VanDerveer. The catcher knocked the 1-0 pitch up the middle for a hit, scoring two and handing South Carolina the lead again.

The Gamecocks took leads in the first and third thanks to solo home runs from seniors Victoria Williams and Snaer, respectively. Georgia tied things in the bottom of the first on Alyssa DiCarlo’s single, scoring Cortni Emanuel after she got a bunt hit, stole second and took third on a Gamecock throwing error. Bulldog shortstop Lacey Sumerlin tied the game in the bottom of the third with an RBI single.

Georgia claimed its only lead later in the third on a stolen-base attempt that the Gamecocks threw away. The lead grew to 5-2 when DiCarlo brought home two with her single in the fourth.

South Carolina added an insurance run in the sixth when sophomore right fielder Kennedy Clark scored from on an error.

Gamecock senior Jessica Elliott (13-8) picked up the win in relief, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings while giving up four hits and two walks. Georgia reliever Brittany Gray (17-9) took the loss, allowing five runs, three earned, on four hits and three walks in three innings of work.

Game Changer

Snaer’s two-RBI double in the fifth showed the Gamecocks had fight left, and she scored the games’ tying run a few plays.

Key Stat

South Carolina’s 13th inning to bat around helped the Gamecocks take a comeback victory, its 10th of the year.

NOTABLES

Snaer, who led the Gamecocks with her 2-for-3 night, moved up on a couple of SC’s career charts. She tied for 13th with Jodi Fittro (2000-03) in career hits and passed former teammate and All-American Alaynie Page (2013-16) to take fourth in career RBI.

Victoria Williams, with her first-inning homer, moved into a tie for 13th in career home runs with Samantha Jennings (2001-04) and former All-American Tina Plew (1994-97).

Clark joined Kaitlin Westfall (2009-12) and Jacqueline Wetherbee (2006-09) in eighth on the hit-by-pitch charts with her HBP in the sixth.

Three Gamecocks were hit by pitches (Boesel, Clark, junior Krystan White), and three drew walks (junior Jordyn Augustus, Snaer, Watts).

Georgia posted 12 hits in the defeat, led by Cortni Emanuel’s 4-for-4 night. She stole two bases.

TWEET OF THE GAME