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Gamecocks sweep Florida in three BY MATT ROTHENBERG THE GAMECOCK For the first time since 1997, the Gamecock softball team was able to take out the Florida Gators in a series sweep. No. 15 USC won all three games from No. bo Florida, and the Gamecocks moved up in the SEC Eastern Division standings. Carolina won both ends of Saturday’s doubleheader with scores of 2-1 and 3-1 before win ning the final game 2-1 on Sunday. “I thought we came out and played very enthusiastic and very intense both days,” USC head coach Joyce Compton said. On Sunday, “I thought when we got ourselves into a hole in the first inning and the seventh inning, we held our composure and did a good job to get out.” Game 1: USC 2 - Fla. 1 The Gamecocks started their series against the Gators with a big come:from-behind victory in the first game of the doublehead er. USC fell behind in the top of the fifth inning, when Florida catch er Kristen Butler singled to cen ter field, scoring Brittani Houghton all the way from second base. But that is all Gamecock pitcher Stacey Johnson would al low the Gators. Carolina began its comeback in the sixth inning, when Debralee Troesh’s triple to center field brought in Jodi Fittro to tie the game at one run. Then, with two outs in the bot tom of the seventh, Fittro led off the inning with a walk and ad vanced to second base on a walk to Troesh. The winning run came home when Danielle Quinones smashed a double to score Fittro. Johnson pitched a complete game for the Gamecocks, allowing one run on six hits and striking out five. Game 2: USC 3 - Fla. 1 Melanie Henkes pitched her H tenth complete game of the sea son, giving up one unearned run on five hits while striking out five Gators as the Gamecocks rolled Henkes over Florida. The Gators once again pushed ahead early when Lindsay Norfleet scored af ter stealing home plate. Yet that would be all Florida would get. Ashley Smith started the scor ing in the second inning as she drove in Quinones with a base hit to tie the game. Quinones went 2 for-3 in the second game of the doubleheader. Carolina broke through again in the third inning, when Meghan Cornett’s single brought in Troesh and Fittro with the go-ahead runs. Cornett also went 2-for-3 in the game. With the victory, Henkes’ record improved to 13-2. Game 3: USC 2 - Fla. 1 Johnson got the call for USC in the final game of the three-game series, and started shakily before settling down. Florida went ahead in the first inning when Johnson walked Nikki Baldwin with the bases loaded to bring in Jackie Marchetta. But through each of the next five innings, Johnson retired the Gators in order, allowing USC to make another comeback. Carolina started in the third in ning; Troesh hit a double with two runners on base to score Melissa Sandel. Despite being largely stifled by Gator pitcher Jenny Gladding, the Gamecocks broke out the bats again in the sixth inning, when Smith doubled to center field to bring in Cornett for the eventual game-winning run. “We were able to put a couple of hits together when we needed to,” Compton said about USC’s clutch hitting. “We didn’t hit as well as we would have liked to see, but the bottom line is that we got it done.” Yet Florida wasn’t about to leave so soon. The Gators loaded the bases in the seventh inning be fore Henkes entered to record the final two outs. Johnson (15-6) re ceived the win after tossing a three-hitter, while Henkes notched her first save of the sea son. The Gamecocks will return to action this weekend with a three game series against Alabama. “Every win’s a good win. I don’t care who it’s against at this point,” Compton said. “We’re sitting here with six more SEC games, and we need to look to run the table and get help somewhere else. We’re right in it, and that’s where we want to be.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com PHOTO BY MARK SCHILLING/THE GAMECOCK Debralee Troesh, right, cheers as Meghan Cornett scores the game-winning run in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over the Gators. USC swept Florida for the first time since the 1997 season. Offense CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 have a number of sure-handed op tions to throw to, along with Chavez Donnings, with four catches and 35 yards, and Mikal Goodman, with four catches and 50 yards. “I gained some more confidence catching the ball. I’m still a little rusty knowing all the plays, but I just did the best I could do and did what coach asked me to do,” Muhammad said. Pinkins also was impressed with Muhammad. “Youcouldjusttellhe had a feel for the ball,” he said. Also coming on were the tight ends, a group that many fans thought Holtz long ignored. Brian Brownlee caught five passes for 53 yards, while Andy Boyd had one catch. The offensive lines performed mostly well in the scrimmage, de spite Rathe and inexperienced backup center Kris Mick having some snapping difficulties. But it was nothing Holtz thought was particularly hard to correct, especially if he would have Mick “snap the ball all sum mer to his mother.” USC’s placekickers were some what effective Saturday, with Daniel Weaver missing a 43-yard field goal but making three extra points. Charlie Carpenter made one of his two extra point attempts, as well. Returning kickoff specialist Joey Bowers also had some com petition with newcomer Kip Covington. Even though there is plenty of room for improvement after 12 practices, with some additional fine-timing,'the Gamecock offense appears ready for the challenges it will face in 2003. “I think when the first team gets together and the second team gets together, like we have been all spring, I think we’ll be a lot bet ter than we were today,” Pinkins said. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com Defense CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 “I think as a team we did a pret ty good job,” Robinson said. “Right now, it’s a lot more think ing for us. Only thing that’s dif ferent than last year’s defense is the formations and having to think a little bit more at corner.” The weakness for' the Gamecock defense on both squads was at the linebacker position. With Ricardo Hurley, Jeremiah Garrison and Lance Laury out with injuries, a thin linebacker po sition left head Coach Lou Holtz with many questions. “I don’t know how tough we are at linebacker,” Holtz said. “That’s probably been the most disap pointing thing this spring. I’m con cerned about linebacker because that’s where toughness starts on de fense.” Without the presence of many starters at linebacker, Orus Lambert and Marcus Lawrence got a chance to play well. Cosh said Lawrence, who led the Garnet team with eight tackles, said Lawrence was definitely making plays. Lambert led all defensive players with nine tackles, eight of which were unassisted. Holtz did think there were sev eral positives for the defense. “We were a little better on third down; we’ve worked hard on that,” Holtz said. “We still aren’t as good as we need to be.” “I thought we deflected more passes today at the line of scrim mage then we did in the last two years combined,” he said. The Garnet team was able to force one fumble, the only turnover of the game. One of the highlights for the White team was a fumble recovery by Jason Capers in the second quarter on the Garnet’s 45-yard line. Holtz said the lack of intercep tions was because of good deci sions by the quarterbacks and the receptions receivers did make were under tough man coverage. Josh Brown, who Holtz was pleased with, punted well for the White side with four punts for an average of 46.8 yards. Morgan Cooke and Tyler Ford punted for the Garnet team and managed 31 yard and 26-yard averages, re spectively. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com BRIEFLY McPherson wins at Boilermaker Invite USC’s Kristy McPherson shot a two-under-par 70 on Sunday to take the title at the Lady Boilermaker Invitational in West Lafayette, Ind. McPherson, an All-American, was in the lead of the Invitational from beginning to end and earned her first title of the season. Last month, McPherson tied for first place at the Bryan National Collegiate, but lost a playoff. Adrienne Gautreaux tied for 14th place after firing an 80 on Sunday. In Saturday’s rounds, Gautreaux had been as high as third place. She fin ished 11 strokes back at 229. The two Gamecocks used the Lady Boilermaker Invitational as preparation for the SEC Championship next weekend in Lexington, Ky. ~ McPherson is looking to win her third-straight SEC ti tle, while the Gamecock team hopes to defend its SEC cham pionship. Women’s tennis swept by Florida The 37th-ranked USC wom en’s tennis team dropped a match 7-0 to the 3rd-ranked Florida Gators on Saturday in Gainesville, Fla. Florida im proves to 22-2 overall and 10-1 in the SEC, while USC falls to 12-9 overall and 5-6 in the SEC. The Gators have now won 21 in a row against the Gamecocks. Florida swept the three dou bles matches to earn an early point. The pair of Lindsay Dawaf and Julia Scaringe shut out Catherine Brown and Audrey George 8-0, while the Gamecocks’ pairs of Kathy Boyanovich and Jodi Kenoyer as weE as DanieEe Wiggins and Magda Wojdylo both lost 8-3. The Gators also won aE six singles matches over Carolina. USC will return to the courts on Thursday when they participate in the SEC Tournament in Knoxville, Tenn. - Senkiw CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 had his ups-and-downs, but in the end, maybe the hottest player on the tour took his third victory of the year. "Weir just’had the confi dence this weekend. Don’t get me wrong, his game was good, but Weir didn’t falter with vet erans like Singh and Jose Maria Olazabal breathing down his neck. _ There is just something tru ly special about the Masters. Seeing the smile of the man who wears the green jacket shows you every year that the ’ happiest person in the world is on that special Sunday. It was captivating, culmi nating and titillating like it is every year. Whether you like the winner or not, watching the Masters gives me the feeling, that spring is in the air and magic can happen at Augusta National. There is and never . will be a greater sight than the azaleas and life that the won derful course brings. I don’t see how anyone, whether golf is your choice sport or not, can turn their nose up to the most prestigious golf tournament ever. No mat ter what controversy sur rounds that very surreal envi ronment, it will represent tra dition and triumph. . Senkiw is a third-year print journalism student. Baseball CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 and Jon Coutlangus both had RBI singles. Mario Garza, who was 1-for 3 with a three-run home run and C.J. Smith, who hit a two run home run in a 2-for-4 day, led the Gators. Mike Pete (2-1) recorded the win for Florida, who used four pitchers in the win. Carolina now returns home to play Wofford on Wednesday at 7 p.m. _ Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com Makin§ a difference. 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