April 18, 2007
COLUMBIA, S.C. – It was a matter of stranding base runners that cost the South Carolina Gamecock softball team to fall 1-0 to the 22nd-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels Wednesday afternoon. Breanna Brown drove in Christine Knauer for the winning run in the sixth inning to boost the Tar Heels to victory. South Carolina posted five hits to the Tar Heels’ two but the Gamecocks left nine runners on base and were unable to drive in a run. With the loss, South Carolina falls to 29-16 and North Carolina improves to 41-12.
The Gamecocks squandered chances to score in as they had runners in scoring position in four of the first six innings of the game, but were unsuccessful in their attempts to bring home any runs. In all four of those innings, South Carolina’s leadoff batter reached base safely with a double, a single and two walks, and in the fourth and sixth innings, advanced all the way to third.
The Tar Heels beat the Gamecocks to break open the scoreless game when Joslin Higgins led off the sixth with a single and then was replaced by pinch runner, Knauer. Knauer advanced on a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball before scoring on the one-out RBI groundout by Brown.
Melissa Hendon (14-11) took the loss for South Carolina and gave up the one unearned run on two hits. The Tar Heels used three pitchers to capture the win over the Gamecocks and middle reliever, Danielle Spaulding (5-0) picked up the win on two innings pitched. Spaulding gave up one hit and one walk. Amber Johnson (2) picked up the save after entering the game in the sixth and pitched the final two innings of the game.
Jessica Josker registered the only extra-base hit for the Gamecocks when she led off the second with a double to centerfield. Adele Voigt, Lindsay Walker, Lisa Longo and Jacqueline Wetherbee accounted for the Gamecocks’ remaining four hits.
South Carolina concludes the non-conference portion of its schedule 22-6 and is now 1-9 against Top 25 teams. The Gamecocks return to SEC action this weekend when they host the Kentucky Wildcats in a three-game series at Beckham Field.
North Carolina 1, South Carolina 0 (Apr 18, 2007 at Columbia, S.C.)
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North Carolina…… 000 001 0 – 1 2 0 (41-12)
South Carolina…… 000 000 0 – 0 5 0 (29-16)
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Pitchers: North Carolina – Lisa Norris; Danielle Spaulding(4); Amber Johnson(6).South Carolina – Melissa Hendon.
Win-Danielle Spaulding(5-0) Save-Amber Johnson(2) Loss-Melissa Hendon(14-11) T-1:45 A-180
