March 16, 2008
ATHENS, Ga. – Four errors cost the Gamecocks, as South Carolina fell to No. 22/20 Georgia, 8-0, in six innings at the UGA Softball Stadium in the final game of the three-game set. The Bulldogs move to 26-8 and 3-3 after the sweep, while the Gamecocks fall to 13-12, 2-4 in league play.
The Bulldogs didn’t waste time getting on the board in the first. Victoria Sanders and Sojourner Moody got back-to-back singles to lead off the contest. A wild pitch moved the duo into scoring position ahead of Melissa Wood’s one-out, two-RBI single. Georgia tried to inflict more damage, loading the bases with two outs, but Gamecock starter Melissa Hendon struck out Brianna Hesson to get out of the inning.
Georgia added an unearned run in the second when Sanders scored on Wood’s grounder that was mishandled at second by junior Ashton Payne. Sanders had a one-out single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before taking third on a wild pitch. The Red and Black tacked on two more unearned runs in the third thanks to a pair of Carolina errors. After a Jacqueline Wetherbee fumble at first allows Brianna Hesson to reach behind Jennie Auger’s fielder’s choice, a Kristin Schnake bunt moved both into scoring position with two down. Sanders came up and grounded one to second, where Payne kicked it toward first, but neither Payne or Wetherbee could get a handle on it to tag the bag before Sanders hit it. Both Auger and Hesson scored on the play.
In the fifth, Auger and Hesson got singles to start the inning. Both moved up on Schnake’s second sacrifice. Pinch-hitter Kristen Thomas plated Auger with a single to right, but she was cut down at second trying to advance on the throw. Another pinch-hitter Christina Reed hit a grounder to third to senior Becky Martinez, but the ball hit the heel of her glove and bounced over her shoulder, allowing Hesson to cross the plate.
The Bulldogs ended the game in the sixth with a one-out run. Megan Wiggins lined a triple to right center, and Taylor Schlopy then laced one through the left side of the infield to score Wiggins.
UGA sophomore pitcher Kate Gaskill (12-3) scattered four Gamecock hits and a walk in her second shutout of the weekend. She struck out 10 hitters in the game. Carolina senior Melissa Hendon (5-6) allowed two earned runs on three hits and two walks in one inning pitched for the loss. Kate Pouliot came on in relief, going 4.1 innings while allowing 10 hits and six runs, just two earned, while striking out one.
The Gamecocks host Tennessee on Wednesday at Beckham Field. Game one starts at 3 p.m.
