Gamecocks Split Second Day of Tournament
Feb. 10, 2018
MIAMI, Fla. –South Carolina softball split games with Hofstra and FIU the second day of the Felsberg Invitational on Saturday at FIU. The Gamecocks posted an 11-0 win over the Bison in a six-inning game to start the day, but dropped a tough 3-1 game to the Panthers to close it out.
Sophomore Cayla Drotar (2-0) earned her second consecutive complete-game shutout to pick up the victory over Hofstra.
“It was definitely two different games,” head coach Beverly Smith said. “Offensivley in the second I thought we were just pressing and trying to win the game with one swing. And Hofstra is a very good team. I thought we were very good at the plate. But I think the second game came down to we didn’t execute well enough.”
HOFSTRA RECAP —
The Gamecocks scored 11 runs the final four innings to earn the win via run-rule, including a five-run sixth inning.
Alyssa VanDerveer started the scoring effort with a powerful home run over the leftfield wall to score three and give Carolina a 3-0 lead.
Kennedy Clark and Jana Johns continued the offensive output in the fifth with back-to-back hits to score three more and extend the Gamecock lead to 6-0.
Five more runs in the sixth coupled with another Drotar scoreless inning forced the run-rule and ended the game an inning early.
Drotar pitched efficiently from start to finish, throwing just 75 pitches while allowing only three hits and five runners total.
Johns finished the game with three RBI and her first collegiate hit. Kenzi Maguire contributed with a 3-for-4 day and two runs, while Mackenzie Boesel finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.
FIU RECAP —
FIU (2-2) saved one of the better strikeout pitchers in the country for Carolina in Shannon Saile, and the sophomore lived up to her billing as the team’s ace with a complete game.
FIU struck first with two runs in the third and one in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead.
Carolina mounted a prideful comeback effort in the top of the seventh as Krystan White‘s double to centerfield scored one to cut the deficit to 3-1 before the Panthers closed the game out.
NOTES —
The Gamecocks have scored at least one run in all four games this season. Dating back to last season, Carolina has done so in five of its last six games.
Head coach Beverly Smith improved to 231-179 with the two victories. She is the second-winningest coach in school history.
Win the win over Hofstra, Carolina improved to 22-2 in opening tournaments over the past six years.
Cayla Drotar continued her strong start to 2018, having thrown 13-straight scoreless innings in two-straight complete-game shutouts.
Eight different Gamecocks, seven freshmen, have made their Carolina debut thus far through four games.
UP NEXT —
Carolina returns to action tomorrow for one final game in the Felsberg Invitational at FIU against St. John’s at 9:00 AM ET. First pitch will be just 12 short hours after the conclusion of the FIU game. Live stats and updates will be provided on Twitter.
