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Softball i BRYAN JOHNSTON Sports Editor : The Lady Gamecock softball team continues on a roll as they mow down opponents with strong pitching and | timely hitting. , Carolina has won 22-straight games in a row and are 24-2 overall ( and 4-u in the b&U. JLneir last setback came on Feb. 21 with a 1-0 loss to UCLA in Las Vegas. ( The 22 consecutive wins is a school ( record. USC broke the 21-year-old record March 16 against Florida. They get a chance to extend the ] streak today when they take on i Princeton in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. While most students-were at the beach or home for Spring Break, the Lady Gamecocks were hard at work on the field. i South Carolina won the Speedline/South Florida Classic by defeating Robert Morris 1-0, Indiana 6-5, Florida Atlantic 11-2, Indiana ( State 9-0, and UT-Chattanooga 4-1 in the preliminary round. In the quarterfinals, they handed Illinois-Chicago a 1-0 loss. In the Football squac BRYAN JOHNSTON Sports Editor 1 Spring is in the air so it must be * time for football. * c The USC football team takes to the field today at 3 p.m. for its first official day of spring practice. "As you go into spring practice, ifs obviously a time of the year when, as a football team, you want to improve fundamentally, you want to improve scheme-wise and hope your returning starters can raise their level of play," head coach Brad Scott said. The biggest priority for Scott, who enters his fourth spring practice session, is to find a backup for quarterback Anthony Wright. Last year's backup, Chad Barnhardt, transferred to South Florida to get more playing time. Whc Your Sol /j y Right or wrri 1 t I w naiey Swimmir Furnishe* Laundry Flexible 1 Individu; Free Pari; Now pre-Leaf CarterHaston Properties runs wim semifinals, they defeated Iowa 2-0 and beat Michigan 2-0 in the ^llCUlipiVllOllip. The Lady Gamecocks returned home for the first game in nearly a month March 12 against Furman. Junior Sky Brown threw her firstcareer no-hitter against the Lady Paladins in an 8-0 victory. Carolina went to Gainesville, Fla, to participate in their first-ever SEC game against the Gators. Senior Trinity Johnson followed up Brown's performance with a nohitter of her own as Carolina won 50. It was her second of the year and fifth of her career. Sophomores Kim Pietro and Kendra McCutcheon each went 2for-3 with a run scored in the victory. In the second game of the doubleheader, Sophomore Nikki Beers started the game and went 4 173 innings, giving up only three hits and two unearned runs. Johnson came in and threw 2 2/3 hitless innings as USC erupted for six runs in the seventh inning. In the 8-2 victory, Senior AilAmericans Tina Plew and Chanda ] readv to hit t J I rhis leaves only one scholarship 1 >layer, Vic Penn, as a possible backup. Scott said there are three priorities iffensively this spring. ^ < "We must find a backup juarterback for Anthony Wright. <Ve must develop a number two QB. Ve also must replace [lineman] landy Wheeler and [running back] < )uce Staley," Scott said. "A lot of ; >eople talk about replacing Duce, i >ut Fm more excited about the young < Tinning backs." Scott said he was anxious to see Cerry Hood at the receiver position. >cott believes he can be a big-play i naker for the Gamecocks. Defensively, the Gamecocks must i eplace only three starters from last eason's squad. Only defensive end i daynard Caldwell, linebacker Benji foung and defensive back Terry iley's ution To Bettei J{ome Sweet Jiome J r ^ i the edge of c s Mill offers: ig Pool J 1-4 Bedroom Apar Facilities Leases il & Full Unit Lease :ing sing for Summe ! : . : . ' . . 254-7801 211 Main St, SPO A MIM/V Illllg-Slix Lee each went 2-for-4. Flew had three RBIs in the 10-hit onslaught. Sunday, Carolina took two more games from Florida 1-0 and 6-4. Johnson gave up only one hit midway through the game as she improved to 14-1 this season. USC scored one unearned run in the fourth inning, but that would be enough as Carolina won the 21ststraight game apd breaking the record of 20-consecutive games that has stood since 1976. Lee and Pietro were both 2-for-4 in the victory. In the final game of the series, USC won a sloppy game in which seven errors occurred. The Lady Gamecocks sco?-ed three runs in both the first and second innings and neld on lor tfte b-4 win. Brown (W 7-0) went 6 1/3 innings, giving up five hits and four unearned runs. Johnson came in to pitch 2/3 innings to preserve the win and pick up her second save of the year. As the wins keep piling up, the statistics keep getting more impressive. The pitching staff of Johnson, gridiron for sj Cousin need to be replaced. Scott said USC must improve their base defense, which is in charge of stopping the run, and their pressure package. Scott said he is excited about the play of cornerback Homer Torrance. The kicking should not be a question mark as Courtney Leavitt is expected to hold down the kicking duties. Steve Florio will also help out on special teams. Today's practice, during which the players will be in shorts, shirts and helmets only, is open to the public. Those going should enter on the south side of Williams-Brice Stadium. In case of rain, the practice will inside and closed to the public. The Spring Game is set for April 12 at 7 p.m. Milf r Living ampus, tments s r and Fall '97 Office Hours: M-F 9:30 - 5:30 ? ? ...J :: 1 ?TS ak to 22 Brown and Beers have a combined F,RA of 0 RF> and havp crivpn nn nnlv 86 hits in 182 innings played. Johnson is making a strong push for the National Player of the Year award as she keeps putting up unimaginable numbers. She has an ERA of 0.46 and a record of 14-1. She has struck out 146 batters and given up only 30 hits in the 91 2/3 innings pitched this year. At the plate, Lee and Plew are leading the way. Lee is batting .349 with 30 hits, 29 of which have been singles. She leads the team with a .378 on-base percentage and has scored 19 runs. - _ Plew leads the team in RBIs with 20 and is batting .333. She also has not been caught stealing in six attempts. The Lady Gamecocks are on pace to shatter the school record for most wins in a season (54) set in 1992. They could reach 60 wins by NCAA Regional time if they keep at this pace. )rmg practice I EARN A v x '' ' WEGIVI TO GO \ The Navy is ac Excell Chall Reloc Profes T?r\T> \/fr^DT: IVI\ 1V1W1XU b http://w\ NAVYPH ( The 'Burgh unk TOURNEY continued from page 10 miss a free throw and they held the lead to over 10 points as the Gamecocks could just not get back into the game. The game was summed up best bv a play that happened with 1:47 left in the game when the Gamecocks played solid defense, and, with one second left on the shot clock, Danny Singletary threw up a desperation shot that hit nothing but the bottom of the net. The final score was 78-65 and when the horn sounded, it ended the game, the season, and the careers of Larry Davis and Nate Wilboume. "Congratulations to Coppin State," head coach Eddie Fogler said. "Without a doubt, they were the better team out there today. We played awful today, but the other team had a lot to do with that. Now our season is over. "I know the seniors are very disappointed" The Gamecocks ended the game Women to inva for NCAA Reg] BRYAN JOHNSTON Sports Editor The women's basketball teams of North Carolina, Notre Dame, George Washington and Alabama will battle for the right to go the Final Four in Cincinnati when they play this weekend in the Frank McGuire Arena. "This is a very exciting time for us," USC director of athletics Mike McGee said. "It's going to be three great basketball games." Saturday, in the first game, the Lady Tarheels will take on G.W. at 11:30 a.m. North Carolina is the top seed in the East and come into Columbia after surviving a scare. They had to go into overtime before defeating Michigan State, 81-71. "We feel very fortunate to be coming to Columbia," UNC coach VHILE AN II "'JBBI y>y>>>yvsoy^?>?y^^ i YOU MORE VITH YOUR ( cepting applications ient Salary And Benefi enging Assignments, ation Expenses Paid, isional Development. INFORMATION < 800-622-140 or vw.NAVYTEi TSICIAN ,, ind to Carolina by being out-rebounded by 11, which was their worst effort of the year. "Out inability to rebound the ball really hurt us," Fogler said. "We didn't get the loose balls, and they started making shots at the other end. We never really got into sync." This off-season, the Gamecocks will be motivated to build on this year's success, which included wins over Kentucky twice and at Cincinnati. There is little doubt the sting from this loss will linger in the minds of the players and fans for a while, but as the summer starts to arrive, fans will focus on Oct. 15, when the Gamecocks will be practicing as a team again and stalling the defense of their first-ever SEC Championship. Notes: South Carolina is now 4-7 lifetime in the NCAA tournament. Their first appearance came in 1989, and their last win was in 1973. i n I I icLe Columbia ional Finals Sylvia Hatchell said. Carolina is led by Marion Jones, who averages 18.9 points per game. UNC will take on George Washington, who upset Tulane to reach the Sweet 16. They are led by Noelia Gomez, who averages nearly 20 points per game. In the second game, Notre Dame will take on Alabama. "Well have to play a complete game in order for us to win," Alabama coach Rick Moody said. Shalonda Enis leads the Crimson Tide with 16.7 points per game. The Irish are led by two highscoring guards in Katryna Gaither and Beth Morgan. The two combine to average 39 points per game. The winners of the first two games will play Monday. The time is to be announced. SfTERN II 'I"""" nrn in i 'MMZCCC666MC666^ M666H66CUXM* ||& '''""?*"mm^-Mmcmm o^-yy^s^ life / " PLACES CAREER ts Package. HAT T 4 \M.com Let the ourney Begin