| SOFTBALL RESULTS |
South Carolina 9, Winthrop 1
|
Auburn 9, Georgia State 1
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Hathorn’s Pair of Two-Run Doubles Helps SC Defeat Winthrop 9-1 in Five
COLUMBIA, S.C. – A second-straight offensive onslaught sent South Carolina (7-3) to a 9-1 win in five innings over in-state rival Winthrop (4-4) on Wednesday afternoon at Beckham Field.
Sophomore second baseman Dana Hathorn led the Gamecocks with a 2-for-3 day, posting a pair of doubles and a career-high four RBI. Junior shortstop Samie Garcia went 2-for-3, extending her hitting streak to nine games, with two runs scored and a stolen base. Junior rightfielder Hannah Milks and sophomore designated player Chelsea Hawkins both went 2-for-3 as well, with Hawkins driving in two with her first-inning double.
Hathorn and Hawkins both drove in two in the first on doubles to make it 4-0 Gamecocks. That grew to 7-0 in the second after senior third baseman Evan Childs drove home Garcia with a bloop single and Hathorn followed with her second double, plating senior centerfielder Lauren Lackey and Childs.
The Eagles got a run back in the fourth, loading the bases for Paige Hartfield, who drew the two-out walk to bring home a run.
South Carolina ended things in the fifth with consecutive bases given with the bases loaded. Senior leftfielder Kaitlin Westfall got hit by a pitch for the second time in the game to score senior pinch-runner Kylie Morin, while Childs drew a walk to force home Milks to close the contest.
Gamecock redshirt junior Audrey Broyles (2-1) captured the win, allowing one earned run on four hits and two walks in four innings of work. Natalie Becker (2-3) took the loss for the Eagles, giving up four earned runs on two hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning.
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No. 24/19 Softball Cruises To 9-1 Win Over Georgia State
Panthersville, Ga. - The No. 24/19 Auburn softball team got home runs from Baylee Stephens, Morgan Estell and two from Brooke Lathan to cruise to a 9-1 victory in five innings over Georgia State Wednesday night.
Auburn improved to 9-0 with the victory and will next travel to Boca Raton, Fla., for the Strike Out Cancer Tournament hosted by Florida Atlantic University. The tournament runs Feb. 24-26. Georgia State's record dropped to 7-3 with the loss.
"I was very happy with the way our team came out focused and ready to play," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "They got after it from the very first pitch and didn't let up. Jenee did a great job in the circle. This was a good win for us."
Jenee Loree started and went the distance to improve to 3-0. Loree allowed one run, earned, on two hits with one walk and nine strikeouts.
Alana Thomas started and took the loss to fall to 3-1. Thomas allowed six runs, all earned, on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Branndi Melero gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a bases-loaded single to center that scored Morgan Estell (single). Caitlin Jordan, who reached on a one-out single, was thrown out at home on the play for the second out of the inning.
With two on and two outs, Brooke Lathan took a 3-1 pitch over the fence in left-center for a 4-0 Auburn lead. It was Lathan's second home run of the season.
The Panthers answered in the bottom of the first. Jessica Clifton reached on a one-out single and moved to third on a pair of wild pitches. With two outs, Loree unleashed her third wild pitch of the inning to plate Clifton and cut the Auburn lead to 4-1.
Lauren Guzman gave the Tigers a 6-1 lead in the top of the second with a two-run double to center. Guzman's double scored Caitlin Schultze (single) and Estell (single).
Estell opened the top of the fourth inning with her second home run of the season. Estell took a 1-0 pitch over the fence in center to give the Tigers a 7-1 lead.
Another leadoff home run, this time off the bat of Lathan in the top of the fifth, gave Auburn an 8-1 lead. It was Lathan's second home run of the game and her third of the season.
Two batters later Baylee Stephens connected on her second home run of the year and the Tigers' fourth of the game, taking a 1-2 pitch to center to make it a 9-1 game. The four home runs were the most since Auburn hit five against Alabama State on Feb. 12, 2011.
After allowing a run in the first, Loree struck out eight of the next 14 hitters and never allowed the Panthers to threaten. The nine strikeouts were one shy of Loree's career best of 10 set last season against Oklahoma State.