USC Sweeps Saturday at UCSB Gaucho Classic

By: USC SID

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (USC SID) — South Carolina (11-2) picked up a win on Saturday morning in the Gaucho Classic I, defeating UC Santa Barbara (6-7) at the Campus Diamond 6-1.

Freshman right fielder Kennedy Clark put the Gamecocks up 2-0 in the first with a two-run homer to right center. That also scored freshman second baseman Alexis Mack, who had a one-out hit. Three more Gamecocks came home in the second. Senior catcher Jordan Bizzell started the frame with a double, and she scored on senior centerfielder Ansley Ard’s single. Ard came home on Mack’s sacrifice fly, and Clark doubled home senior left fielder Alaynie Page to make it 5-0.

Junior first baseman Kaylea Snaer stretched South Carolina’s lead to 6-0 with a two-out blast to left. The Gauchos tried to come back in the seventh again, getting a run on Jennifer Johnstone’s two-out hit. But Gamecock junior Jessica Elliott ended things a batter later, getting a foul out to left to close the contest.

Elliott (7-0) tossed her first complete game at South Carolina, scattering eight hits and three walks in the victory. Lena Mayer (2-2) took the loss for the Gauchos, giving up two earned runs on three hits in one-third of an inning.

South Carolina turned two double plays to end innings in the game, the biggest coming in the third. With runners at second and third, Sierra Altmeyer flied out to right. The runner at second thought the runner at third tagged, and the Gamecocks threw to second to get her scampering back. When the throw went to second, the runner at third darted home, and South Carolina threw it home to catch the runner and stop the Gauchos from scoring.

Game Changer:
The Gamecocks never looked back after Clark’s two-run homer in the first.

Key Stat:
Four of the Gamecocks’ RBI came from Clark and Snaer, both California natives.

Notables:
• Both Clark and Snaer tallied two hits with a homer, with Clark adding a double with her three RBI.
• Bizzell and sophomore Kamryn Watts also doubled for the Gamecocks.
• Kristen Clark ranked as the only UCSB player to collect two hits.
• Ashley Ludlow pitched 3.2 innings of scoreless relief for the Gauchos.

GAME TWO RECAP:

White’s Walk-off Gives Gamecocks 6-5 Win vs. Southern Utah
Snaer goes 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI in the victory

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – South Carolina (12-2) fought back with a seventh-inning rally to take a 6-5 win over Southern Utah (3-11) in Saturday’s second game of the Gaucho Classic at the Campus Diamond.

Tied 5-5 entering the final frame, the Gamecocks put runners at second and third after freshman Alexis Mack’s leadoff single and junior Kaylea Snaer’s single and obstruction call that awarded her second. Sophomore shortstop Krystan White stepped up and stroked the 1-2 pitch to center to bring home Mack and end the game.

Southern Utah held a 1-0 lead after a half inning thanks to Karlee Manzione’s two-out RBI single. The Gamecocks took the lead back in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI hits by Mack and Snaer, with Snaer’s ranking as the first of her two doubles. The lead grew to 3-1 for South Carolina after junior third baseman Taylor Williams led off the second with a home run to left center.

The Thunderbirds made it 3-2 after Jordan Theurer doubled in a run in the third. South Carolina answered with two of their own in the bottom of the inning, with White and senior second baseman Lauren Masters both posting RBI singles. Southern Utah closed the lead to 5-3 in the fifth on Manzione’s RBI single.

Loading the bases in the sixth, Southern Utah tied the game on a throwing error, letting two runs cross the plate. Masters mowed down a runner trying to score for the first out, and Gamecock reliever Jessica Elliott got two strikeouts to end the threat.

Elliott (8-0) took the victory, giving up two unearned runs in three innings of work. Cheyenne Cudahy (1-2) took the loss, giving up the game-winning run after she kept South Carolina off the board during her first 3.2 innings of relief.

Game Changer:
Masters’ throw to the plate put confidence back in the Gamecocks, and Elliott’s two K’s helped to stifle Southern Utah’s comeback bid.

Key Stat:
White’s 2-for-4 day included a double, a single and two RBI, the final ending the game.

Notables:
• Snaer doubled twice in her 3-for-4 day.
• Mack and Williams both had two hits and an RBI as well, while Mack added a stolen base.
• Four Thunderbirds had two hits, Kylee Wolf, Theurer, Manzione and Bailie Nelson, with Wolf and Theurer posting doubles.
• South Carolina posted 12 hits in the victory.

Up Next:
South Carolina wraps up the trip to California with a 9 a.m. affair against ACC foe Georgia Tech.