The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, May 02, 2001, Page B1, Image 13
Gamecock Sports Schedule
■ Baseball vs. Charleston Southern, 7 p.m. Wednesday
■ Baseball vs. Kentucky, 7 p.m. Friday
■ Baseball vs. Kentucky, 4 p.m. Saturday
■ Track and field at Ohio St., Sunday
%\\t (Bamecock page bi
Baseball takes two of three from Auburn
■ Gamecocks win
first SEC series
in nearly a month
by Preston Baines
The Gamecock
Over the past weekend, USC’s
baseball team took the first two games of
a three-game set with No. 24 Auburn,
but the Tigers won the third game 5-3
at Saige Frye Field to avoid the sweep.
Auburn (31-14,12-12 SEC), behind
the power of left fielder Gabe Gross,
defeated Carolina 5-3 in Sunday’s finale,
ending one of the most impressive streaks
in the SEC, the Gamecocks’ 12-game
winning streak over the Tigers.
Despite the loss, USC (34-14,12-12)
still had.a successful weekend, winning
Friday and Saturday’s games by scores of
10-9 and 7-4 respectively. The series
victory was its first in conference play
since losing four straight.
In the Auburn win Sunday, the Tigers
got a strong performance from freshman
starting pitcher Colby Paxon (4-2),
who went seven innings and gave up six
hits and three runs, two earned.
Auburn struck first Sunday in the top
of the second inning when catcher Trent
Pratt hit his fifth home run of the year off
Gamecock starter junior Chris Spigner
(64).
The Gamecocks responded quickly
by capitalizing on an Auburn error.
With one out in the bottom half of
the inning, USC junior outfielder Michael
Floyd grounded the ball to third baseman
Scott Schade, who hobbled the ball and
hurried his throw to first The throw sailed
over first baseman Todd Faulkner’s head,
and Floyd advanced all the way to
third. Carolina’s next batter, senior second
baseman Bryon Jeffcoat, hit a sacrifice
fly to left to score Floyd and tie the game
at one.
The teams again traded scoring in the
third inning. Auburn got a leadoff double
by shortstop Jonathan Schuerholtz (son
of Atlanta Braves General Manager John
Schuerholtz), and he was sacrifice bunted
over to third by left fielder Javon Moran.
Schuerholtz scored on the next play when
center fielder Mailon Kent hit a run
scoring groundout.
Senior third baseman Chris Plummer
and junior center fielder Marcus McBeth
each hit singles to start the third inning
for the Gamecocks, putting runners on
first and third Sophomore shortstop Drew
Meyer hit a fielder’s choice to score
Plummer. After junior left fielder Garris
Gonce drew a walk, Meyer stole second
and third
After Gonce stole second with two
outs, senior catcher Tim Whittaker singled
to left, scoring Meyer. When Gonce tried
for home on the same play, Gross made
a perfect throw to home and the
umpire called Gonce out.
Gonce, upset at the call, slammed his
helmet on the ground, causing him to be
ejected from the game.
USC head coach Ray Tanner thought
the ejection was deserved.
“I agree with the call completely.
When you toss your helmet in front of
the umpire like that, you should be
ejected,” Tanner said. “I don’t like that,
and I don’t condone that. I am in complete
support of the umpire’s decision.”
The Gamecocks never recovered after
the controversial call. The score remained
3-2 in favor of USC until the top of the
sixth, when Gross led off the inning for
the Tigers with a solo home run to
right, his second of the series.
No more scoring took place until the
top of the eighth, when Gross struck again.
The slugger led off with another solo
home run, running his totals to three
for the series and 12 for the season.
The Tigers were looking for insurance
in the ninth innning, and they got some
without the benefit of a hit.
Spigner walked the first batter of the
inning and was relieved by junior Blake
Baseball see page b2
Travis Lynn/The Gamecock
David Marchbanks and the Gamecock baseball team are making a
' run at the postseason.
Holtz
injured
in freak
accident
■ Football head coach
won't need surgery
by Kyle Almond
The Gamecock
mu nouz naa pieniy oi gooa lonune
this past year as head coach of the USC
football team, but his own car got the
better of him a little more than a week
ago.
When the 64
year-old Holtz
stepped out of his
car to check his mail
on April 21, the car
drifted backward,
pinning his right leg
against the car door.
A teenager who Hqlt2
lived neaiby tried to
come to Holtz’s
rescue, but instead of relieving the
pressure by moving the car forward, he
made it worse by putting the car in
reverse.
“It ripped the door and my hip and
my leg,” Holtz said.
Holtz’s back also was traumatized
by the incident. The coach had an MRI
.this past Thursday that revealed a
protruding disc between the third and
fourth lumbar vertebrae in his back. Holtz
told The State that because of the back
injury, it’s actually his left leg that’s liaving
the most problems, going numb at times.
“I’ll be OK,” Holtz said. “Actually,
I’m lucky it wasn’t worse. The right leg
looks worse, but the left leg is the
problem.”
Holtz see page b2
Aaron Hark/The Gamecock
USC’s softball team won this past weekend’s series with No. 6 Alabama and has momentum going into the SEC Tournament
Softball team finishes in style
by Jason Malick
The Gamecock
Sunday was a momentous day for the No. 23
USC softball team, which won its final regular
season game 2-1 against No. 6 Alabama in extra
innings at Beckham Field. The win gave Carolina
the season series after defeating the Crimson Tide
two out of three times.
On Saturday, the Gamecocks split a
doubleheader with the Tide. USC’s Amber Curtis
hit the game-winning single in the first game for
a nine-inning, TO win. Alabama took the second
game 8-2 after seven Gamecock errors, but the
Gamecocks recovered on Sunday with another
extra-inning performance.
Before the start Sunday, the Gamecocks (37
17-1,18-8 SEC) honored three graduating seniors.
Each of the three players, left fielder Megan
Donohoo, right fielder Joyce McMillin and catcher
Adrienne Genovese, were presented with a bouquet
of flowers and warm wishes from fellow teammates
and head coach Joyce Compton.
“Anytime you lose quality people, not just
players, it’s tough,” Compton said. “We’re losing
three people that have put in a lot of ball games
for us (more than 200 games combined). Seniors
just want to go out with a win, and I’m sure our
team is very happy that they were able to do that.”
Alabama (44-6, 23-5) took an early lead
Sunday with a solo home run by Suzanne Olcott
on the first pitch of the game. The Crimson Tide
was able to hang on to the 1-0 lead for six-and-a
half innings before the Gamecocks rebounded off
an RBI triple by Curtis, which tied the game.
The Alabama series was a phenomenal one
for Curtis, who also won Saturday’s game with a
timely hit.
“It felt great,” Curtis said about her two critical
hits in the series. “It was great to do it for my team;
that’s what we’re here for.”
The game remained tied for three extra innings,
until the 11th, when USC second baseman Debralee
Troesh hit a line drive to left, giving the Gamecocks
the 2-1 win.
“It was agood hit, I felt comfortable with it,”
Troesh said about the game-winner. “This was an
awesome way to do it — against Alabama through
extra innings. It was just the best. You can’t ask
for a better weekend.”
Alabama pitcher Shelley Laird (28-4) took
the loss after pitching the complete game. Megan
Softball see page B2
use softball
statistical leaders
OFFENSE
Batting average
1. Joyce McMillin .294
2. Adrienne Genovese .283
3. Kim Evans .269
Runs scored
1. Joyce McMillin 27
2. Megan Donohoo 25
3. Jodi Fittro 19
Hits
1. Joyce McMillin . 48
2. Debralee Troesh 44
3. Adrienne Genovese 43
Runs batted in
1. Joyce McMillin 34
2. Amber Curtis 20
3. Debralee Troesh 18
Home runs
1. Joyce McMillin 6
2. Megan Donohoo 3
3. three players tied at 2
PITCHING
Earned run average
1. Megan Matthews 1.11
2. Stacey Johnson 1.13
Opposing batting average
1. Megan Matthews .165
2. Stacey Johnson .189
Wins
1. Megan Matthews 20
2. Stacey Johnson 17
Strikeouts
1. Megan Matthews 274
2. Stacey Johnson 104
by Kyle Almond
The Gamecock
The USC volleyball team announced
two freshman recruits for the 2001 season
on Monday. Outside hitter Yajaira
Cadet and defensive specialist Bridget
White will join the Gamecocks in late
August.
Both players are expected to make
major contributions to next year’s squad,
bringing USC a great deal of experience
and talent. Cadet comes to Carolina from
Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, and
White is from Naperville, 111.
Cadet attended Liceo Jose’ Marti
High School and was a member of the
Dominican Republic’s national indoor
team from 1994-96. f[cr ^ several
tournamcnts’ 'nc*uding tlreNorceca
Tournament in Mexico. Cadet was one
Volleyball brings aboard two new players for 2001 season
of three candidates for MVP for the Higher
Volleyball Cup of the National District,
and she was named Defensive Player of
the tournament.
After her indoor career, Cadet played
on the Dominican Republic’s national
beach volleyball team from 1997-2000.
In the National Games, her team won first
place in beach volleyball. That team also
won five straight national tournaments
and played in the Central Caribbean
Games in Venezuela.
Individual honors Cadet garnered
included Beginner of the Year in the
Higher Volleyball District in 1994. She
was also the MVP in the Cibao Cup in
1996 and 1998, and was her city’s athlete
of the year in 1994.
Cadet’s athleticism shines ofi'tlic court
as well. As a junior national athlete, Gidct
was ninkcd second nationally in the jivclin
and third in the discus.
“I think that God brought me
here,” Cadet said. “I am excited to come
to South Carolina. I like the team; they
are very nice. The coaches are wonderful.
1 can’t wait to get started.”
Carolina head coach Kim Christopher
can’t wait, either.
“Yajaira brings a wealth of experience
and maturity to our team,” Christopher
said.
“She has competed at the highest
level, and that experience will be
tremendous for our team. Yajaira is a great
player and a quality individual that has
studied very hard to get where she is now.”
White, a defensive specialist who
played at St. Francis High School in
Naperville, III., was the captain of her
team that finished as runner-up at the
2000 state championship. White’s team
went to the Sweet 16 in 1999 and finished
third in 1998.
White also plays for the Sports
Performance Club of Wfcst Chictgo, which
was AAU champion in 1999 and 2000.
It was also third at Nationals in 2000 and
recently traveled to China, where it won
the tournament and qualified for the
National Junior Olympic Tournament in
Salt Lake City, Utah.
Off the court, White was her school’s
student government president in the 2000
01 school year. She was vice president
last year. A member of Wlio’s Who Among
American High School Students, she has
made the honor roll every year of high
school.
“I chose South Carolina because of
the coaches and the team,” White said.
‘I think that God brought me here. I am
excited to come to South Carolina.’
Yajaira Cadet
USC volleyball signee for 2001
“I am also excited because USC is an up
and-coming program.”
Christopher spoke highly of White’s
ofT-the-court intangibles.
“Bridget was a great fit for us from
the beginning because of her work ethic
and character,” Christopher said. “She
plays relentless defense and is a good
serve-receive passer. Bridget will help to
solidify our team defensively.”
Cadet and White will look to
fortify an already powerful returning squad
that advanced to the second round of the
NCAA Tournament this past season. USC
finished 22-7 and knocked off George
Washington in the first round of postseason
play before losing a five-set tliriller against
No. 1 Nebraska in the second round.
The sports desk cun be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com