Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Camels come up dry twice Tuesday USC squanders early leads, comes back to win both games of doubleheader by 1 Saui Smith THE GAMECOCK All it takes is one run to make or break a game for USC’s softball team. All five losses this season have been by one run, but last night in the doubleheader against the Campbell Camels, the team won each game by one run to push its record to 12-5. In both games, USC took a lead early and the Camels fought back to tie it. “I was disappointed that the other team came back to tie us,” Coach Joyce Compton said. “We made defensive mistakes that .can’t be made.” In the second game, it actually went into the 8th inning, but a hit by McKenna Hughes scored the run for USC to secure the 5-4 win. Hughes, a junior, went 3-for-4 in the second game and had 3 RBIs. Jessica Josker, a sophomore, was the designated hitter for the doubleheader. In the first game she went 3-for-3 to lead the Gamecocks to a 3-2 victory. In the second game, she hit two line drives that were caught by the 3rd baseman and the pitcher. “I think that I did alright today, but I wish I had been more consistent,” Josker said. “All that really matters is that we won, though.” Campbell played two solid games and gave the Gamecocks a tough time. Centerfielder Jessica Huffman, of the Camels, went 2-for-3 in the first game, and shortstop Stephanie Pappas went 3 for-4 in the second game. USC is proving itself as a team to be reckoned with in the Southeastern Conference so far this year. Five of the top-25 teams are in the SEC, and that is something that Compton is well aware of. “I know that we’re in a good conference, and I think that other teams are going to overlook us,” she said. This young team, with only two seniors and four juniors, has seven sophomores and five freshmen. “It’s exciting to have a young team,” Compton said. “I didn’t know what we were going to get, but I like the talent.” Ashton Payne, who played second base today, said that there is a huge difference between high school and college softball. “The pitching is much faster and the defense is much more consistent,” she said. With this young team sweeping the doubleheader, it’s clear that while one run can hurt them at the end of the game, it can also help them at the end of others. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu Jtum Skm HBGft USC third baseman Becky Martinez attempts to throw out a runner during a win against the Campbell Camels. ( Sports Payne named SEC Freshman of the Week j USC softball player | Ashton Payne was | named the Southeastern j ! Conference Freshman j 1 of the Week on j Monday. Payne went 1 from the plate and j scored five of USC’s runs as the Gamecocks went 3-1 for the week. * Payne was a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen bases j and had at least one hit and one run in three of j the four games. In the win against Georgia J Southern, Payne hit j her first-ever triple j while going 3-for- J 3 with two runs and f three RBIs. I Tennis halts skid with win over No. 13 Wake WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The USC men’s tennis team, playing without two key starters, snapped its five-match losing streak Tuesday with a 4-»3 upset of No. 13 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C. The win is the Gamecocks’ (7-5, 0-0 SEC) first against-a top-15 opponent this season, and marks USC’s 10th win in its last 11 matches with the Demon Deacons and second in a row. USC used its ninth doubles point in 12 matches this season, and sophomore Jaime Cuellar’s win at No. 2 singles to clinch the upset. The Gamecocks took an early 1-0 lead in the point with Tom Eklund and Cuellar’s 8-2 win over Marius Adamski and Cory Parr at No. 2 doubles. Wake Forest would level the point with its 8-4 win on court, three, but USC’s 47th-ranked duo of Yevgeny Supeko and Geraldo Knorr took a 9-7 victory against Deacon sophomores Todd Paul and Andrew Hamar at No. 1 doubles to earn the Gamecocks their ninth doubles point of the year. „ Singles was a battle between the two teams, as the match was tied three times, with a lead change also. Wake Forest evened the match at 1-1 with Brett Ross defeating USC redshirt-freshman Thomas Stoddard at No. 5 singles, 6-2, 6-3. USC went back into the lead with Supeko’s straight-set win against Adamski at No. 3 singles, but the Deacons tied it up again with 15th-ranked Paul’s 6-4, 6-3 win over Eklund at No. 1 singles. Wake would then take its only lead of the contest as Parr downed USC senior Knorr at No. 4 singles. The loss is just the third of the season for Knorr. —USC sports information FALL 05 FRATERNITY & SO HIGHEST aw" 3. Phi Sigma Kappa A, Sigma Nu & ■ < > _ boronties ^ 1. Alpha Delta Pi 2. Chi Omega ? 3. Alpha Chi Omega 4. Kappa Delta Congratulations! Dont Forget: Greek Impact Tuesdays # 9 pm ' falshr >. ?:. 4 Katie Kirkland/ THE GAMECOCK USC guard Tre’ Kelley guards LSU's Garrett Temple during the Gamecocks' 64-61 loss Tuesday. Kelley finished with 9 points on 3-of-14 shooting and had six assists. druis • conunucoPRomio really don’t have a lot to show for it. They brought their minds and their hearts and their bodies and their souls and their games to every practice. This team has come every day. That is a tribute to each one of them individually.” The Gamecocks have one more SEC regular season game before the conference tournament. They travel to Auburn on Saturday, where Odom feels they really need a win for acceleration heading into the tournament. “We all know Auburn is playing their best _^ basketball,” Odom said. “We’ve got to be ready to play when we get down their on Saturday.” The game will tip off at 2 p.m. and can be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu