Carolina Softball Earns Split in battle with Furman and the Cold

COLUMBIA, S.C.- Once again the Gamecocks (31-15-1) faced cold conditions in a split with instate rival Furman (22-22). In 40 degree weather, the Lady Paladins took game one 1-0, while the Gamecocks took game two 4-0. No. 19 Carolina broke a three-game losing streak with the game two win.

The Lady Paladins took the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Kay Brittain tripled to right center field to lead off the inning. Brittain scored when the next batter Kelli Leachman singled just past the glove of shortstop Amber Curtis. Carolina managed only three hits against Chrissy Hacker who has an ERA under 1.00. USC had runners on base in the first, fourth and sixth innings, but only got one runner past first base. Megan Matthews (15-11) took the loss despite allowing only four hits. Matthews struck out 14 Lady Paladins in the loss. The junior now has 10 starts in which she has struck out at least 10 batters.

In game two despite the cooling temperatures the Gamecock offense heated up. In the first inning, Carolina took its first lead of the day when Megan Donohoo walked with one out. Donohoo moved to second with her seventh stolen base of the season. The senior is 7-7 on the basepaths this season. Debralee Troesh reached on one of the Lady Paladin's five errors. Donohoo moved to third on the play and scored on a RBI single by Adrianna Baggetta who was 3-3 with one run scored and one RBI in game two. Carolina increased its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Melissa Sandel doubled to left center and scored on two wild pitches by Missy Baldwin (3-5).

With two outs, Joyce McMillin singled to right field. One of Megan Donohoo's two doubles and an error by leftfielder Chrissy Hacker, the game one pitcher, score McMillin. USC added insurance run in the fifth. Baggetta doubled to left center and moved to third on an Adrienne Genovese ground out. Baggetta scored on and error by first baseman Amanda Lewis on a Melissa Sandel ground out. Only two of the four USC runs were earned.

On the mound, Stacey Johnson held the Lady Paladins to one hit, a fourth inning hit by Kelli Leachman. Johnson moved to 16-4 with six strikeouts in seven innings, walking only one.