The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 05, 1997, Page 9, Image 9
Lady Gan
Johnson r
BRYAN JOHNSTON Sports Editor
Coming off a productive weekend
in Las Vegas, where the Lady
Gamecocks won three of five games,
South Carolina's sofiball team proved
it could do even better in Georgia.
The Lady Gamecocks won six
games to capture the NFCA Leadoff
Classic in Columbus, Ga., this
weekend.
"I think it's a confidence booster,"
Carolina head coach Joyce Compton
said. "I thought our defense played
well. We're playing well enough to
win and right now, that's the key."
Senior Ail-American Trinity
Johnson was her usual, dominating
self. Johnson, who was last week's
National Player of the Week, went
4-0 in 25 1/3 innings pitched. She
struck out 41 in that time and allowed
only one earned run (0.28 ERA).
At the plate, Johnson was 4-foreight
with one homerun and three
RBIs.
"She's a veiy good player and you
expect very good players to rise to
the occasion," Compton said.
The performance earned her the
National Player of the Week honor
for the week of March 4.
Junior Sky Brown batted .444 (8for-18)
with four RBIs for the
tournament,
i Carolina (11-2) has won nine
games in a row after winning six
games in Georgia. USC defeated
Massachusetts, Illinois State, USL,
Texas A&M, Notre Dame and
Washington in the championship.
As a result of their streak, the
Lady Gamecocks moved up to No. 4
in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25
released today,
i In the first game, USC beat
UMass, 1-0.
Senior Ail-American Chanda Lee
and Tina Plew each went l-for-3.
Lee drove in the lone run when
she knocked in Carrie Lyons in the
bottom of the second inning.
Brown went the distance, giving
up only one hit and striking out two.
^ In the second game, Carolina
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Two-time Ail-American Trinity Jo
2/3 innings of work. She also has
defeated Illinois State, 3-2, in nim
innings. Freshman Kim Schultzt
lined a shot over the shortstop's heac
with two outs to drive in Kelb
Dammer to win the game.
Dammer went 3-for-3 and Browr
went 3-for-4 as the Lady Gamecock;
pounded out 10 hits.
Sophomore Nikki Beers pitchec
5 2/3 innings and gave up only on(
earned run. Johnson entered in th(
sixth inning and closed the door
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Special to The Gamecock
hnson has struck out 77 batters in 51
an ERA of 0.27 and a record of 8-1.
i striking out eight in only 3 1/3 innings
i work.
1 South Carolina then entered the
/ Gold Medal Double Elimination
Championship Bracket In their first
i game in the championship bracket,
3 Carolina shutout USL, 3-0, in eight
innings. Lyons and Johnson were
1 each 2-for-4 with an RBI.
3 On the mound, T. J.' struck out
3 11 in the eight innings as she picked
, up her second win of the day.
I" Carolina defeated Texas A&M in
the quarterfinals, 4-1.
Johnson was on her game as she
contributed both on the mound and
at the plate. She was 2-for-2 with
two RBIs and a home run against
Lady Aggie pitching. Johnson also
picked up another victory. Despite
giving up her only earned run of the
weekend, Johnson gave up only two
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hits and struck out 12 in only seven
innings of work.
In the semifinals, USC capitalized
on four Fighting Irish errors as they
defeated Notre Dame, 3-2.
Brown was the star of the game
for the Lady Gamecocks. On the
mound, Brown (3-0) went the
distance, giving up two runs and
striking out two in the process. At
the plate, Brown was 2-for-3 with
an RBI.
With one out in the bottom of the
seventh, Plew got on with a double
and Brown's single to left-center
drove in Plew to send USC to the
chan.p:?"2hip.
In the championship game,
Carolina had to face Washington, a
team they defeated 9-2 Feb. 22.
The game was a bit closer this
time, but the outcome was the same
as USC defeated the Lady Huskies,
1-0 to win the title.
Brown drove in Plew in the top
of the fourth to produce the only run.
That would be all that Johnson
needed as she held Washington to
three hits, while giving up zero runs
and striking out 10.
The Lady Gamecocks could earn
the nickname of'The Cardiac Kids"
if they keep waiting to win until the
end.
Compton said she is both pleased
and discouraged by the trend.
"I'm not that happy that we go
extra innings, because the ones that
did go extra innings, I felt we should
have been able to take care of early,"
Compton said. "Anytime you have
close ballgames, I think they're a lot
more helpful to you in the long run."
Through 13 games this year, the
pitching staff has been the brightest
light on a team full of stars.
The trio of Johnson, Brown and
ti i 1* . . J 1 1 n Dn A
oeers nas a comDinea jl.io n<rv/\.
Johnson (8-1) has an ERA of 0.27
while striking out 77 in only 512/3
innings of work.
Lee is batting .318 (14-for-44).
Plew is leading the team in RBIs
with nine. Lee and Plew are tied for
the lead in steals, each with two.
The Lady Gamecocks will travel
to Tampa, Fla., this weekend for the
Speedline/South Florida Classic.
Friday, they take on Robert
Morris, Indiana and Florida Atlantic.
Saturday, they play Indiana State
and UT-Chattanooga. Saturday and
Sunday, the team will play in the
Championship Brackets, yet to be
determined.
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HONORS continued from page 8
Fogler was added to the list of
those honored as he was named the
SEC Coach of the Year by the
coached, his second such honor in
five years. Fogler was the 1993 SEC
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S. Carolina is g
HUNT continued from page 8
in overtime.
The Gamecocks survived against
Florida at home, a game in which
the players and the fans just went
through the motions as they had
Kentucky game lag.
After the Florida game, the
Gamecocks hit the road to Athens
to play the Georgia Bulldogs again.
When the Bulldogs won the game
77-74, the Bulldog fans stormed the
court, a sure sign the Gamecocks
were stalling to get a bigger, brighter
spotlight on the dance floor.
inen trie uamecocKs spotiignt
got real big when the went up to
Cincinnati and beat the then No. 8
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The Gamecocks may have the
best three-guard offense in the nation,
but Monday it was confirmed they
have the best one in the SEC.
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irtner because
oing dancing
Bearcats 97-83.
Of course the spotlight grew to
gigantic proportions when the
Gamecocks won on Sunday at Rupp
Arena. The Gamecocks overcame
the legendary ceremonies of a
Kentucky basketball senior day that
included the going away party for
sophomore Ron Mercer.
Now the Gamecocks are No. 4 in
the country in both polls and they
will be looking to defend their spot
on the "March Madness" dance floor
at the SEC Tournament.
If the Gamecocks can win the
SEC Tournament, the chances are
pretty good that they will receive a
No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. Maybe
this time they can be the teacher
instead of the pupil.
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