Feb. 23, 2008
TAMPA, Fla. – The Gamecocks tied up the game in the fifth with a four-run inning but they were unable to complete the deal in a 7-4 loss to Hofstra in South Carolina’s only game of the day in the rain-shortened USF Louisville Slugger Tournament at the USF Softball Field. The Pride moved to 5-3 on the year, while Carolina dropped to 6-8.
The Pride took the initial 1-0 lead in the first, as catcher Carolann Lubach singled home Erika Bernstein, who led off the game with a single. The advantage grew to 4-0 on Pam Dreslinski’s two-out bases-clearing double, which brought home Michele DePasquale, Casey Fee and Kris Root.
The Gamecocks answered in the bottom of the fifth, tying up the game at 4-4 with two outs in the frame. Pinch-hitter Becky Martinez and pinch-runner Whitney Wierzbicki scored on an errant throw from Pride second baseman Fee on Lindsay Walker’s grounder. After Chrissy Schoonmaker was hit by a pitch, Jacqueline Wetherbee stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and laced a double to left that scored Laura Mendes and Walker to tie up the contest.
Hofstra retook the lead just before the four-hour and 40-minute rain delay, as Dreslinski struck again with a two-out, two-run single, plating Fee and Bernstein. Fee had reached on an infield single, while Bernstein got to first on a fielder’s choice. In the first at bat after the break, the Pride got another run on Lubach’s single, bringing home Root.
Carolina once again left many runners on base, including the bases loaded in the first inning for the third straight game. Ashton Payne led off the game with a single, extending her hitting streak to nine games, and moved to second on the one-out hit-by-pitch of freshman Jill Semento. A fielder’s choice on Jessica Josker’s grounder eliminated Payne from the bases, but Semento showed her deceptive speed as she got to third before Hofstra’s Genevieve Haney could tag the bag on Mendes’ grounder. But Pride starting pitcher Sara Michalowski got out of the jam by striking out P.J. Fulmer to end the frame.
The Garnet and Black would get the first two batters on in both the second and the third without scoring a run. Walker led off the second with a walk and was followed by a single by Schoonmaker. Sophomore Adele Voigt sacrificed the runners over before a pair of line outs ended the threat. The next inning, Semento led off with her third double of the year and was followed by Josker’s infield single. But Michalowski buckled down again, getting a strikeout and two pop outs to get out of the jam. In all, Carolina left 11 runners on base.
Krystal Robinson (3-3) picked up the loss, going 1.2 innings in relief while giving up three hits, three earned runs, three walks and three strikeouts. Joanna Kralowetz (2-1) got the win in just one-third of an inning, giving up one hit. Kayleigh Lotti picked up her first save of the season with two innings of one-hit ball. She walked one and struck out five.
The Gamecocks’ game against the University of South Florida was cancelled due to Saturday’s rain in Tampa. South Carolina ends its stay at the USF Louisville Slugger Tournament on Sunday against Wright State at 11:30 a.m.
