WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Sophomore
Victoria Williams (Palmetto H.S./Williamston, S.C.) had four hits and drove in five runs as South Carolina earned its fourth straight win with a 15-10 victory over UNCW in a non-conference game at Boseman Field on Tuesday evening.
Led by Williams, the Gamecocks improved to 25-12 on the season while extending their non-conference win streak to nine straight games. The Seahawks, who have lost three of their last four games, are now 14-14 on the season.
Williams led a 15-hit attack for South Carolina, which was making its first-ever appearance to the Port City. She tallied her second double of the season to lead off the second inning along with three singles. Sophomore
Lauren Masters (Greenbrier H.S./Evans, Ga.) added two hits while driving in a pair of runs.
Senior
Julie Surratt (Gaffney H.S./Gaffney, S.C.) earned the win for the Gamecocks after striking out five hitters in 6.2 innings. She allowed eight runs with 12 hits while walking four UNCW hitters. Â
Freshman outfielder
Abby Harris (Jack Britt H.S./Fayetteville, N.C.) and sophomore third baseman
Claudia Spinelli (Marvin Ridge H.S./Waxhaw, N.C.) each drove in a pair of runs while scoring twice for UNCW, which had six players record multi-hit games.
Sophomore
Peyton Jordan (Marvin Ridge H.S./Waxhaw, N.C.) took the loss in the circle for the Seahawks after allowing five runs in two innings.
How It Happened: South Carolina surged out to a 5-0 lead by scoring twice in the first inning with three more runs in the second inning. UNCW trimmed the deficit to 5-1 in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI double by Harris. The teams traded a run in the fourth inning before South Carolina added three more runs to increase the margin to 9-2.
Spinelli narrowed the gap to 9-3 with one out in the fifth inning by blasting her second home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. Freshman
Anna DeVane (Harrells Christian H.S./Elizabethtown, N.C.) added another run when she scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.
The Gamecocks upped their advantage to 12-4 by scoring three times in the top of the sixth inning as Williams contributed a two-run single before sophomore
Kaylea Snaer (Rowland H.S./Rowland Heights, Calif.) drove in a run with a single to left field.
UNCW chipped away at the deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning with three more runs. Rowland drove in a run with a double before Spinelli brought her home with a triple down the right field line. Spinelli scored to close the gap to 12-7 on a single by junior
Darian Roberts (Pamlico H.S./Araphoe, N.C.).
The Gamecocks tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh inning to expand the score to 15-7 before UNCW added three runs of its own in the bottom of the frame on RBI singles by Harris, Rowland and Roberts, but was unable to get any closer.
Inside the Box Score: The teams combined to have 39 players appear in the game … South Carolina was 7-for-14 with two outs … UNCW was 4-for-9 with the bases loaded and had four hits in eight chances with a runner on third base … The teams combined to leave 25 runners on base … The Gamecocks had the leadoff hitter reach base in six of seven innings … Six different UNCW players posted a multi-hit game while four different players had two runs batted in … Junior
Jordan Bizzell (Hartsville H.S./Hartsville, S.C.) scored a season-high four runs for the Gamecocks while going 1-for-2 with an RBI. Â
Game Notes: UNCW set a season high by scoring 10 runs, which were also the most allowed by the Gamecocks this season … It is the first time South Carolina has allowed 10 runs in a game since giving up 14 runs against LSU on Apr. 19, 2014 … The Seahawks also matched a season high by collecting 13 hits, which were also the most allowed by South Carolina this year … South Carolina improved to 6-0 this season when scoring 10 or more runs … The Gamecocks also improved to 6-0 all-time against the Seahawks … The Gamecocks set offensive season highs for walks (8), stolen bases (5) and hit batters (4).
What's Ahead for UNCW: The Seahawks resume their Colonial Athletic Association schedule this weekend with a three-game series against Drexel. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday before a single game on Sunday afternoon.
