Gamecocks Fall 2-1 at No. 22/25 Georgia
April 29, 2017
ATHENS, Ga. – No. 22/25 Georgia (31-19, 4-16 SEC), behind Alyssa DiCarlo’s walk-off RBI single, claimed a 2-1 win on Saturday afternoon over South Carolina (29-21, 5-14 SEC).
The Bulldogs got the winning run on base with one down in the seventh when Sydni Emanuel worked a walk from a seven-inning at-bat. A wild pitch moved her to second. Gamecock senior Jessica Elliott (13-9) got a fly out for the second out, but DiCarlo hit the eighth pitch of her at-bat to left, and Emanuel slid in under the tag to send Georgia home the winner.
South Carolina tied the game in the top of the seventh thanks to junior Krystan White’s single, scoring pinch runner Shannon Plese. Junior Alyssa VanDerveer knocked a leadoff double off the top of the wall in right center, and Plese moved to third on junior Tiara Duffy’s fly ball caught on the run on the warning track in right center.
The Bulldogs notched their first run in the second when Emanuel knocked a two-out single up the middle, scoring Ciara Bryan after she reached on a one-out infield single.
Elliott took the loss, giving up the one earned run in 1.2 innings of work, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one. Kylie Bass (7-2) picked up the win with a complete-game effort. She allowed one earned run on five hits and one walk, fanning five.
Game Changer
The walk and wild pitch in the seventh set up DiCarlo’s heroics.
Key Stat
Bass posted her five strikeouts thanks in part to her changeup that kept the Gamecocks off balance.
NOTABLES
Five different Gamecocks had hits, led by VanDerveer’s double.
Both teams turned a double play, with SC senior first baseman Kaylea Snaer turning one unassisted in the third to get the Gamecocks out of a bases-loaded jam.
Emanuel went 3-for-3 with a walk, a run and an RBI in the win for the Bulldogs.
All nine of the Bulldog hits went for singles.
Elliott, with her second relief appearance of the weekend, ties Nikki Beers (1996-99) in ninth with 28 career games out of the bullpen.
Up Next
The Gamecocks and Bulldogs battle to win the series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. EDT at Turner Softball Field in Athens.
