Gamecocks Split Games on Day Two at USF Under Armour Showcase

Game Two recap:

Box Score
Gamecocks Get by Villanova, 4-1
The 2010 signing class of Hathorn, Hawkins and Sarratt power the win

CLEARWATER, Fla. March 9, 2013 – South Carolina (14-5) used doubles by Chelsea Hawkins and Julie Sarratt to help the Gamecocks get past Villanova (6-7) 4-1 in Saturday’s second game in the USF Under Armor Showcase at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.

The junior right fielder Hawkins had an RBI double and scored a run, while Sarratt went 2-for-3 with the double and two RBI. Junior second baseman Dana Hathorn also scored twice in the win for the Gamecocks. All three were a part of the 2010 signing class for South Carolina.

Hawkins’ hustle double in the fourth broke a scoreless tie, scoring Hathorn after she started the inning with a single and moved to third on freshman Ansley Ard’s hit. Hawkins scored on the next play when Sarratt reached on an error. Villanova cut the lead in half on Amanda Marquez’s RBI single in the sixth, scoring Ali Lowe.

South Carolina added some insurance in the sixth on the redshirt sophomore Sarratt’s two-RBI single, scoring Hathorn and Ard after the former started the frame by being hit by a pitch and Ard followed with an RBI single.

Sophomore pitcher Katelynn Howser (3-0) got the win, giving up one earned run on three hits and three walks in 5.2 innings. Sarratt came on to close out the win with a perfect 1.1 innings, picking up her first save of the year. Kaity Sitzman took the loss, allowing four runs, three earned on seven hits in six innings. She fanned two without walking anyone. For South Carolina, it’s the team’s first win in 2013 when scoring less than seven runs.

The Gamecocks close out the third Florida trip with an 11:15 a.m. game against Penn State.

Game one recap:

Gamecocks Drop a 3-1 Decision in Extra Innings to Northwestern

CLEARWATER, Fla. – A leadoff homer in the ninth propelled Northwestern (13-9) to a 3-1 win over South Carolina (13-5) in the first game of Saturday’s action at the USF Under Armour Showcase at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.

The teams both stranded a runner in the eighth inning with the international tiebreak rule in effect. The ninth, however, saw Marisa Bast drive the first pitch of the frame out to left, scoring the runner Mari Majam as well and handing the Wildcats a 3-1 lead.

Northwestern took a 1-0 lead in the second when pitcher Amy Letourneau hit the first pitch of the inning out to center. The score stayed that way until senior catcher Shelby Gonzales drove a 1-1 pitch in the fifth over the left-field wall, tying the game at 1. For Gonzales, it was her second homer of the year.

The Gamecocks stranded two runners in both the seventh and the ninth. With one down in the seventh, senior shortstop Samie Garcia and freshman left fielder Alaynie Page drew walks, but Letourneau got a fly out to shallow center and a strikeout to force extra innings. In the ninth, junior Brooke Barnhill ran at second to start the inning, and sophomore Olivia Lawrence drew a walk with one down. But Letourneau induced a fly ball before getting her 14th strikeout of the game to end it.

Letourneau (8-5) tossed 198 pitches in the complete-game win, walking six and giving up four hits. Gamecock freshman Katie Marks (4-2) took the loss, giving up three runs, two earned, on five hits without a walk. She struck out a career-high nine.

Page had a double for South Carolina, the only other extra-base hit besides Gonzales’ homer. Garcia walked twice, one of five Gamecocks to draw free passes in the game, and Garcia also stole two bases as well as junior third baseman Codee Yeske. Letourneau went 2-for-4 with the homer and a double, while Kristen Scharkey went 2-for-2 with a stolen base for Northwestern.