Game one – South Carolina 5, Mizzou 2
Senior Cierra Harrison got the start for the Tigers in the opener.
Mizzou took advantage of the wind at its back early on. Freshman third baseman Addy Waits grounded out to short, and junior backstop Stefania Abruscato hit a rocket to deep right field to score the first run of the game. After a popout from freshman Abby Carr, junior first baseman Abby Hay continued her hot hitting with a towering blast to left field to extend the Tigers’ lead to two.
The Gamecocks’ offense responded quickly, with junior utility player Tori Ensley hitting a leadoff double. Ensley advanced to third on a groundout from senior catcher Lexi Winters and scored on a sacrifice fly from senior infielder Natalie Heath, bringing the score to 2-1.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Gamecocks got more leadoff magic. Senior first baseman Arianna Rodi hit her eighth home run of the year, tying the game at 2-2.
In the top of the fifth inning, Carr relieved Harrison. Senior Jamie Mackay came up to the plate and delivered a two-run shot to left field, making the score 4-2. Carr walked two more batters but was able to get out of the inning with only two runs given up.
In the top of the seventh inning, Carr was relieved by senior Courtney Donahue, who allowed a leadoff walk then a single from Rodi, and then Ensley bunted her way on to load the bases. After that, Senior Haidyn Sokoloski came in to play left field for junior Claire Cahalan. Winters came up to bat, and on the third pitch, she hit a high, deep drive to left field. Sokoloski got on her horse and scaled the wall to rob the grand slam. The drive was deep enough to drive in one on a sacrifice fly, but Sokoloski minimized damage.
Game two – Mizzou 5, South Carolina 0
Junior pitcher Marissa McCann started the second game of the series, and she was dominant.
The first scoring threat for the Gamecocks came in the top of the third inning. Senior Quincee Lilio hit a rope into left field with one on first and third — no outs. Cahalan caught the ball in a full sprint to her right, then threw a dart to home plate to double off the runner and keep the game scoreless. Mackay, who had gone deep the day before, hit a humpback liner into right field, where freshman outfielder Sidney Forrester made a diving catch of her own.
At the bottom of that inning, senior utility player Kayley Lenger hit into a fielder’s choice and took Sophie Smith’s place on first. Waits took her walk, putting two runners on. Abruscato hit a sacrifice fly, making the score 1-0, Tigers.
Following a leadoff single from Hay in the fourth inning, Forrester reached on a fielder’s choice, bringing the situation to first and second with no outs. Freshman outfielder Linny Ramsey came in to run for Hay, and junior infielder Adi Koller came in to run for Forrester. Sophomore Madison Uptegrove bunted the runners over. Freshman Gracie Britton came in as a pinch hitter for Cahalan and delivered a bloop RBI single. Koller scored from second, and Britton advanced all the way to third. Cahalan came back in to run for Britton and scored on a wild pitch from South Carolina relief pitcher Nealy Lamb.
Lenger then singled in the fourth, bringing it to first and second with one out. After getting Waits to fly out, Abruscato would single, driving in Smith, ending the scoring at 5-0.
Game three – South Carolina 4, Mizzou 0
Harrison got the call to start the rubber match of this series, putting out a solid performance. Besides a hit by pitch, Harrison got through the first inning untouched.
Senior star Jori Heard got the start for the Gamecocks and absolutely dominated the Tigers’ offense.
In the top half of the second inning, Ensley hit a leadoff home run to deep left field. Harrison rebounded quickly, striking out two in the inning.
The bottom of the second inning is when the Tigers looked most potent to strike. Forrester hit a one-out single right back up the middle. Uptegrove followed suit with a single up the middle. Cahalan was walked, making the situation bases loaded with one out. However, Heard delivered back-to-back strikeouts to keep the game 1-0, Gamecocks.
After a hit by pitch and a sacrifice bunt in the top of the fifth inning, McCann relieved Harrison. Mackay then hit her second home run of the series, which was followed by another home run by Karley Shelton, bringing the score to 4-0.
The Tigers play again Friday, April 24, at Bogle Park against Arkansas.
