Bulldogs drop both in doubleheader at No. 16 USC

COLUMBIA, S.C. - No. 16 South Carolina swept the Bryant University softball team during a doubleheader in Columbia. The Bulldogs first fell, 7-0, in game one before USC ended things after just six innings in game two, 10-2.

GAME INFORMATION
South Carolina 7, Bryant 0
South Carolina 10, Bryant 2 - six innings
Location: Carolina Softball Stadium (Columbia, S.C.)
W|L|S: Karly Heath (W, 6-0) | Gabrielle Ermish (L, 0-6)
W|L|S: Kelsey Oh (W, 2-2) | Sarah McKeveny (L, 1-5)

COACH FRENCH'S COMMENTS

"This was honestly one of our best days, scoreboard notwithstanding," said head coach Nick French. "We had some of our best at bats of the season and played virtually error free on defense. To play nine games in five days and still have this kind of fight against a top ranked team is encouraging for our future."

KEY MOMENT GM1

• In the second inning, the Gamecocks hit two home runs to bring in three runs to take the lead that they would not let up.

HOW IT HAPPENED GM1

• The first five runs came from four different home runs as the Gamecocks hit a two-run homer before ending the second inning.
• South Carolina notched two homers in the following inning. Kenzi Maguire led off with a solo home run before Lauren Stewart singled through the left side to get on base. The Gamecocks then bombed one over the fence to bring in two more runs.
• The Gamecocks continued their rally in the third inning with a runner in scoring position. Karly Heath popped the ball up into left field for a sac fly as Mackenzie Boesel ran home, 6-0.
• The final run of the game came off another home run as Lauren Stewart hit a solo to lead off the fourth inning.

STATS GM1

• Junior Tiffany Bell (Egg Harbor City, N.J.) led the Bulldogs batting one-for-two in game one.
• Freshman Toni Camarillo (Corona, Calif.) tallied the only other hit for the Black and Gold to lead off the game. Camarillo was one-for-four in game one.
• Gabrielle Ermish (Pottstown, Pa.) pitched the first 2.1 innings of the game giving up two walks and six hits.
• Ermish was replaced by Jocelyn Bodington (Cumberland, R.I.) for the next 1.2 innings. Bodington walked one and gave up just two hits.
• Adriana Sanchez (Clyde, Ohio) finished the final two innings allowing one hit.
• USC outhit the Bulldogs, 9-2.

KEY MOMENT GM2

• The Gamecocks rallied in the first inning to bring in four runs with a sac fly and a double to take the only lead they needed.

HOW IT HAPPENED GM2

• South Carolina started the game by immediately loading the bases with a pair of walks and a bunt. USC then hit a sac fly followed by a double to left field to bring in the first three runs. With a runner now on second, the Bulldogs committed an error and the Gamecocks capitalized by bringing in a fourth run.
• Bryant cut into the four-run deficit when Camarillo smacked the ball to the shortstop on a 2-1 pitch for a base hit to bring Bell home in the second inning, 4-1.
• Kennedy Clark led off the bottom half of the third inning with a solo home run to extend the Gamecock's lead, 5-1.
• The Gamecocks continued in the third inning by getting two bases off a 1-1 pitch to bring in one more run, 6-1.
• With runners on first and second, South Carolina hit a long single into center field to produce a run before the end of the fifth inning, 7-1.
• Bryant continued to fight into the sixth inning after Carlyn Hernandez (Cypress, Calif.) moved Jenna Cali (Franklinville, N.J.) with a single right up the middle. Freshman Allison Tomaino (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) notched her first RBI of her career with a base hit to bring in Cali for the Bulldogs' final run of the game.
• USC put runners on first and second before Mackenzie Boesel fired a 1-1 pitch over the right field fence for a walk off three-run homer to end the game an inning short, 10-2.

STATS GM2

• Camarillo led the Bulldogs by batting two-of-three and bringing in a run for an RBI in game two.
• Sophomore Alexandra Hickey (St. John, Ind.) made the most of both of her at bats tallying hits during both of her plate appearances.
• Gianna Cecceralli (Claremont, Calif.) went one-for-two in game two with one strikeout.
• Tomaino produced a run and notched a hit during her only at bat.
• Sarah McKeveny (Bohemia, N.Y.) pitched the first inning for the Black and Gold giving up two hits and walking four.
• Colby Norris (Toano, Va.) relieved McKeveny and pitched the next four innings. Norris struck out two and walked one.
• Sanchez came in again to close out the game in the final inning giving up two hits and walking one.
• Bryant was outhit, 9-6.

GAME NOTES

• Tomanio compiled her first career RBI.
• After today, Camarillo now leads Bryant with 15 total hits.
• Bryant falls to 0-2 all-time against USC.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs make their way up to College Park, Md. for the Maryland Invitational. Bryant first meets with Drexel on Friday, March 15 at 10 a.m. before taking on tournament host, Maryland, at 3 p.m.