Gamecocks Sweep DH from Winthrop, 8-0

COLUMBIA, S.C. (USC SID) – The Gamecock offense picked up its fifth run-rule win of the year, while senior Jessica Elliott completed a no-hitter in an 8-0 (5) win over Winthrop (9-6) in game one of Tuesday’s doubleheader.

Elliott fanned a season-best seven in the five-inning no-no, only giving up a hit-by-pitch and an error on a hard-hit ball to the Gamecock second baseman.

South Carolina (13-2) ran out to a 4-0 lead in the first on sophomore Kennedy Clark’s bases-loaded double and senior Victoria Williams’ RBI single, which plated Clark. Freshman Mackenzie Boesel singled with two down in the second and came around on junior Krystan White’s double.

Two more Gamecocks scored in the fourth on Boesel’s blast over the right-field wall, scoring junior Kamryn Watts after her infield single. The final run crossed on Williams’ sacrifice fly in the fifth, plating junior Shannon Plese after she reached on an error.

Eagle starter Kiley Majette (4-5) took the loss, giving up four earned runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning.

GAME CHANGER
Elliott had all her pitches working, including a changeup that helped her ring up the season high in K’s while not issuing a walk.

KEY STAT
The Gamecocks’ Boesel led all hitters with her 3-for-3, three-run, two-RBI performance, which included her third home run of the year.

NOTABLES
– White also went 3-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI.
– Watts, Clark and Williams had the other Gamecock hits, while Williams also drew a walk.

GAME TWO RECAP:

Plese’s Seventh-Inning Double Hands Gamecocks a 1-0 Win vs. Winthrop
Junior drives ball to center, plates pinch-runner Duffy for walk-off winner

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Gamecock junior Shannon Plese came through with a pinch-hit double with two outs in the seventh to lead South Carolina (14-2) to a 1-0 win in Tuesday’s nightcap against Winthrop (9-7) at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.

In her sixth at-bat in the Garnet and Black, Plese worked her way into a hitter’s count, 3-1, and drove the offering to the base of the center-field wall, scoring junior pinch runner Tiara Duffy to end the pitchers’ duel. Duffy ran for senior Victoria Williams, who started the frame with a double. Duffy moved into scoring position on sophomore Lex Hull’s sacrifice bunt.

The late-inning heroics from Plese broke a stalemate between the two offenses, both of which managed two hits in the game before the Gamecock seventh. Neither team advanced a runner past second base until the game-winning run scored.

Gamecock senior Nickie Blue (7-0) picked up the win with two perfect innings of relief, striking out two. She came in for freshman Cayla Drotar, who twirled five shutout innings against the Eagles, scattering two hits and three walks while fanning two herself.

Winthrop’s Keleigh Romine (2-2) took the loss, giving up the one earned run on four hits and two walks in 6.2 innings.

GAME CHANGER
Plese’s double ended the pitchers’ dominance in the game.

NOTABLES
– Plese and junior Krystan White both doubled in the game, while Brooke Ellison added one for Winthrop.
– The win marks the eighth shutout of the year for the Gamecocks, exactly half of the team’s 16 games played thus far.

Quoting head coach Beverly Smith
I was proud we were able to pull that one out. Victoria Williams led us off with a hit. Lex Hull did a nice job putting down the sac bunt. And Plese gave us what we needed all night, which was a clutch at-bat. She gave us a big boost tonight.

On her pitcher’s performances in the doubleheader:
Jake had great command in game one, throwing a no-hitter. And Drotar threw a nice five, and the great thing is you can bring in a veteran to close the game for her. I thought Cayla and Nickie combined for a nice complete game.

Up Next:
The Gamecocks head to the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., where they face two Big Ten teams first in Northwestern (Fri., 8:30 PM EST) and Indiana (Sat., 1 PM). South Carolina faces its first ranked foes of the year as well, taking on Pac-12 members No. 20/20 Arizona State (Sat., 6 PM) and No. 7/8 UCLA (Sun., 2:30 PM) before closing the trip against Long Beach State (Sun., 5 PM).