April 19, 2013
Auburn, Ala. - South Carolina broke a tie game with a five-run seventh inning to claim an 8-4 win over Auburn softball Friday night in the series opener.
Auburn fell to 27-19 overall and 6-13 in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina improved to 24-19 overall and 3-13 in the SEC. Auburn and South Carolina play Saturday at 5 p.m. on ESPNU.
"This was a disappointing game tonight," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We put two runs up in the first inning and then kept missing chances after that it seemed. We left runners on base and couldn't capitalize on our opportunities. We have to come out with fire tomorrow and get after it."
Marcy Harper started and took the loss to fall to 15-8. Harper allowed eight runs, six earned, on nine hits with three walks and two strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings. Hilary Mavromat recorded one out, allowing one hit.
Julie Sarratt improved to 7-5 with a complete-game win. Sarratt allowed four runs, all earned, on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
Brooke Lathan gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a two-out, RBI triple to right-center. Lathan's triple scored Emily Carosone, who reached on a fielder's choice. Caitlin Jordan followed with a single to left that scored Lathan to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
After putting runners on without scoring in the first and second innings, South Carolina was able to tie the game in the third inning. Codee Yeske reached on a throwing error by Kelsey Bogaards at shortstop. After the next two batters were retired, Dana Hathorn cranked a two-run homer to center to even the game at 2-2. It was Hathorn's third home run of the season.
Kelley Dillon gave the Gamecocks a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning with a one-out, solo home run. It was Dillon's first home run of the season.
The Tigers put two on with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Tiffany Howard led off with a single and took second on a two-out single by Jordan. Sarratt was able to work out of the jam, however, when she forced McKenzie Kilpatrick to ground out to second to end the inning.
Auburn tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Bogaards drew a leadoff walk. Pinch-hitter Caitlin Schultze put down a sacrifice bunt to move Bogaards to second with one out. Branndi Melero followed with a ground out to second base which moved Bogaards to third. Morgan Estell then tied the game with a single up the middle on a 1-0 pitch, plating Bogaards to make it a 3-3 game.
The tie was short-lived, however as Yeske crushed a leadoff home run over the scoreboard in left to give the Gamecocks a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh. It was Yeske's second home run of the season. The Gamecocks put the next three batters on to load the bases. With two outs, Sarratt helped her cause with a single to right that plated Alaynie Page (fielder's choice) and Hathorn (single) to give South Carolina a 6-3 lead. After a walk to Dillon loaded the bases again, Harper was pulled for Mavromat.
Pinch-hitter Olivia Lawrence greeted Mavromat with a single back up the middle that scored Ashlyn Masters (single) and pinch-runner Brooke Barnhill, who ran for Sarratt, to push the South Carolina led to 8-3, which would cap the scoring in the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Howard was hit by a pitch to put the leadoff batter on for the Tigers. The Gamecocks, however, forced Carosone into a double-play to clear the bases. Lathan followed with a solo home run to left, cutting the deficit to 8-4. Sarratt would the game one batter later when Jordan popped up to Samie Garcia at shortstop to end the game.