April 19, 2004
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 24 South Carolina softball team came up on the short end of the rubber match against No. 13 Alabama Sunday as the Tide defeated the Gamecocks 5-2. The Tide produced a four-run fourth to come from behind and grab the lead and claim the series 2-1. McKenna Hughes and Aleca Johnson were responsible for driving in USC’s two runs. The Gamecocks recorded two runs on six hits and one error. Stacey Johnson took the loss and fell to 14-8. South Carolina is now 22-18 and 15-9 in the SEC.
For the fourth consecutive game, Nancy Crane reached base and scored in the first inning. For the second game in a row, the centerfielder led off with a triple. The Gamecocks went up 1-0 in the first when Crane eventually scored on an RBI single by McKenna Hughes.
Aleca Johnson added another run to the board for USC when she hit a solo home run in the fourth inning and out the Gamecocks up 2-0. It marks Johnson’s second homer of the year, the third in her career.
In the bottom of the fourth, Stacey Johnson had two outs before she gave up four straight hits to the Tide. Staci Ramsey and Capper Reed both singled and were at first and second when Angela Johnson doubled to drive in the two runs and tie the game 2-2. Johnson then scored on an RBI single up the middle by Jackie Wilkins and Alabama took the lead 3-2. USC then brought in Henkes to try and get out of the inning. Henkes then gave up a single to Ashley Courtney, which eventually gave the Tide runners at third and second. A passed ball by Ashley Smith allowed Wilkins to score and gave Alabama a 4-2 lead. USC finally got out of the inning when Leah White grounded out to Henkes.
Alabama added another run in the fifth when VanBrakle scored on an RBI double by Reed and the Tide went up 5-2.
The Gamecocks had runners in the sixth but could not score and in the seventh VanBrakle shut down USC in order to claim her first save of the season.
