USC drops two games after winning Friday
South Carolina got off to a hot start but failed to close the series against Kentucky this weekend, as the Wildcats took two out of three games.
After starting conference play 2-9 this season, the Gamecocks rebounded Friday with their first five-run rule win in SEC play, from a 9-1 rout of the Wildcats.
“I was disappointed that we didn’t walk away with two wins this weekend,” said head coach Beverly Smith. “Kentucky is a very good team, as are the rest of our SEC opponents, but I thought we matched up well enough and could have very well walked away with two.”
Friday was an impressive offensive showing for South Carolina, something this year’s team had been missing in SEC play. Seven Gamecocks registered a hit and three players hit home runs. Chelsea Hawkins, Molly Brossart and Evan Childs each registered a two-run homer and Kaela Jackson added a three-run double to account for all of their team’s runs. Pitcher Audrey Broyles backed up her offense by picking up her seventh win of the season in a one-run complete game effort.
“We really came out in attack mode from the first pitch of the game,” Smith said. “We took advantage of some walks and we scored five runs in the first inning. Chelsea and Kaela came up with some huge timely hits for us. We attacked from the first pitch and Kentucky never really recovered.”
However, the rest of the weekend saw the Gamecocks’ offense burn out. Saturday Kentucky fired back with a 7-0 shutout of South Carolina, the eighth time this year USC has failed to score a run in a game. Kentucky’s Rachel Riley held the Gamecocks to five hits on 24 total at-bats. Katelynn Howser dropped her fifth game of the year, going 2 2/3 innings and allowing three runs on four hits.
“We face some of the country’s top pitching in our conference, so it’s not easy to score eight or nine runs in conference regularly.” Smith said. “Our offensive mentality just wasn’t there Saturday. We just couldn’t get anything going to get us in the ball game.”
For Sunday’s grudge match, South Carolina saw Friday’s offense but with Saturday’s results, as the Gamecocks dropped the final game 10-5. Samie Garcia became only the second Gamecock this season to hit two home runs in one game. Kaitlyn Westfall would add to the Carolina attack by going 3-for-4 with an RBI. However, the Gamecocks just couldn’t keep pace with the Wildcats’ offense. Seven Kentucky batters reached base safely and six players drove in runs.
“Sunday our offensive approach was excellent,” Smith said. “We faced one of their top pitchers and hit her really well. Samie led off the game with a home run and I think that’s what really set the tone for us offensively. But to win you have to pitch and play defense and we gave them way too many opportunities.”
South Carolina continues its SEC road trip Wednesday in Athens, Ga., for a two-game series with the No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs.