The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 19, 1997, Page 12, Image 12
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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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