Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Softball 1 BRYAN JOHNSTON Sports Editor The Lady Gamecock softball team will look to make their third trip in school history to the NCAA Women's College World Series when they host the NCAA Regionals this weekend. USC, South Florida, Kansas and UNCGreensboro will battle it out for the right to advance to the World Series when they take to the field today, Saturday and Sunday. Tm real excited to be home." head coach Jovce Compton said. "The fan support this year has been the best that it's been in the 11 years I've been here. If d be great to put a couple thousand fans out there in the stands and really open up [the opponent's eyes]." The No. 2-ranked Lady Gamecocks will take on UNCG today at 4:30 p.m. The Spartans (40-23, Big South Champions) are making their first-ever appearance in the Championships. Head coach Melody Cope said the key to beating USC is to figure out pitcher Trinity Johnson, but that's no small task. "Everyone that has had a chance to see her this year is just overly positive about her," Cope said. "They say 'if you can figure Trinity out, you can do well against South Carolina.' But with a 60-3 record, it doesnt seem like anyone has figured i ? nci uutjrct. UNCG is led offensively by Steph Workman, Carolina SOU HALL continued from page 1 Sunday senior A Schultze each went 2-fbr-3 in the victory, was one Saturday, Carolina made quids went She 1 of the upset-minded Auburn Tigers, the who knocking them off 9-0 in five innings, two hits Plew was the offensive hero in the record game as she went 2-for-3 with five RBI. tourna] Her triple in the third inning and double Carolim in the fourth helped end the game early a seasor due to the mercy rule. Cam Those victories sent USC into in the se The Lady Gamecock softball team captor SEC Tournament Championship this past w o host reg Lara Long and Danielle Sekula. Workman, a lefty slapper, is leading the team in batting average with a .360 clip. Long is leading the team in RBI with 38 and is batting .337. Sekula, who has been injured a good part of the season, is batting .319 in the 17 games she has played. On the mound, Christine Hornak is the ace. The junior right-hander is 27-14 with a 1.98 ERA. In 263 1/3 innings pitched, Hornak has. struck out 259 batters. South Florida is the No. 2 seed and will play Kansas at 2 p.m. today. The Bulls (49-11) qualified for the Championships by winning die Southern Atlantic Softball Alliance. USF is making their secondstraight appearance in the Championships. Last season was the first time the Bulls made the tournament. USF head coach Ken Eriksen said his team is not a team of superstars, but it has gotten the job done. "We won ugly all year long with a lot of comefrom-behind victories," Eriksen said. "I wouldn't say we've been stellar on the field, but we've done the job and the team knows how to win." Kansas is the third seed and is an at-large qualifier from the Big 12 Conference. The Jayhawks come into Columbia with a 36-21 record and are making their seventh NCAA appearance. Kansas coach iracy tiunge said that Carolina tft ball bree 's championship game where tripled to right a Jl-American Trinity Johnson junior Carrie El e again the key to the victory, middle. Elliott mov sept the lady Gators off-balance sacrifice bun ile game as she gave up only McCutcheon's sir on her way to improving her Senior Chand to 32-2 on the season. The with an infield sir nent's MVP tied the South was driven in wl i school record for victories in Pietro's reached i with her performance. USC scored ag lina put three runs on the board Schultze was driv cond inning. Junior Sky Brown Peters' sacrifice f PIpw rpnr-VipH " " ~ in the fifth and si toui^ Job 0.46 ERA. She combined with so] to no-hit Auburn. The champii Johnson's MVP tr BRYAN JOHNSTON The Gamecock pi6C6S of h&rdwi ed the school's first-ever back to USC. Sev eekend in Columbus, Ga. were named to t rionals Colun has an advantage playing at home. "Playing at home, you know the field, youll have a good crowd Qame 1: Is as well as avoiding last-minute ' , travel arrangements," Bunge said _ ' "As far as the players are Uame l\ concerned, they get to sleep in UON their own beds and it's probably a comfort level that they're happy to have." Bunge said the strengths of ^036 o: v\ Kansas lies in their pitcher, Sarah Gazog 4: L Workman, and a balanced hitting Game 5: V attack. Workman is 26-18 with an ERA of 1.55. Workman has also 1. l ooo i?4-1.? no a on W anship trophy and UWU-Ureensboro today at ophy weren't the rally and will play either South ire making the trip Kansas Saturday. The wir en Lady Gamecocks regional will advance to t he All-Tournament Women's College World Seri * su uua. uut uatucia ui ao xjciujc KJ. ?1 innings. At the plate, Sarah Holland, Shannon Stanwix and Sarah rre i_ f . d?j McCann are leading the way. . Holland is leading the team All S6SS1 with a .392 batting average and Availahlp seven homeruns. Stanwix is batting .343 with 18 doubles, and McCann is batting .333. Senior All-Americans Chanda Lee and Trinity Johnson said a lot of fans would be great for the team. "Our fans have been phenomenal and I think it gives us another reason to go for our goals," Lee zes to town nd was driven in by team. liott's single up the Besides Johnson on the ed to third on Hoesh's mound, Brown, t and to third on McCutcheon, Schultzeand igle. Hoesh helped make a clean a Lee knocked her in sweep of the infield awards igle and McCutcheon for Carolina. Plew made len sophomore Kim it from her outfield position on a fielder's choice, and Lyons made the team ain in the fourth when for her play as the en in by junior Karri designated player, ly. Although the pitching . on an infield single was strong, the awakened tole second. She was bats of Carolina were a big in by Elliott's second key in the tournament. , Elliott finished the In their last 10 regular -3 with two RBI and season games, USC averaged four runs on ked Lady Gamecocks seven hits. But in the three run across in the sixth tournament games, m reached on a single Carolina broke loose for 21 d to second on Lee's runs on 29 hits, drove her in with a 1 think this is probably 0 cap off the scoring, the best three games that 1 be more than enough we've put back-to-back as n she is pitching, one far as our offensive output," f plenty. For the Compton said. nson was 2-0 with a Up next for the SEC struck out 22 and Champs is the regional phomore Nikki Beers tournament, which they will host this weekend. Car 7 NCAA Regional Information nbia.SC Lady Gamecock Raid May 16-18 today Jo. 2 seed South Florida (49-11) vs. No. 3 seed Kansas (36-21), 2 p.m. No. 1 seed USC (60-3) vs. No. 4seed C-Greensboro (40-23), 4:30 p,m. Saturday, May 17 taerGame 1 vs. Winner Game 2,11 am aser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2,1:30 pm Pinner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3,4 pm Sunday, May 18 Pinner Game 3 v& Winner Game 5,1pm ft /TA1T \ A AA une /: ui .Necessary), cwu pjn. 5 adult general admission, $3 students m passes: $10 adults, $6 students at USC Ticket Office or call 7774272 i said. "We want to do well not just for our team, but for them as well." "I think this weekend will be real exciting," Johnson said. "It's nice to know we have so much fen support and hopefully well be able to get some more. It helps us to play better when we have a lot of people out there." lament title ft dt/F ' ' '^Iff BRYAN JOHNSTON The Gamecock Senior Trinity Johnson was named the SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player. 26 in Oklahoma City, Okla. olina plays "The SEC Championship is a , 4:30 p.m. stepping stone to our ultimate goal of Florida or the World Series," Lyons said. "It is nice iner of the to bring this back to Columbia, and ;he NCAA hopefully we can do it again [this es May 22- weekend]."