South Carolina Upsets Softball, 5-2

Friday, May 18

Columbia, S.C.

7:00 PM

NC State

41-20

South Carolina

35-23

South Carolina

NC State

5/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

COLUMBIA, S.C. South Carolina took advantage of hosting the Columbia Regional, downing NC State, 5-2, in the first round of NCAA play on Friday, May 18 at Beckham Field. Melissa Hendon (18-16) picked up the win, while Abbie Sims (26-7) took the loss. Jen Chamberlin led the Pack’s offense with two hits. In defeat, State falls to 41-20 on the year, while the Gamecocks climb to 35-23.

The Pack threatened early, but failed to push any runs across the plate. Chamberlin sent a two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the first, moving her hitting streak to nine games, and then stole second. Sims followed with a blooper into left, but Chamberlin got nailed at the plate trying to score.

The Gamecocks took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second on a Jacqueline Wetherbee home run over the left field wall. Sims walked Lindsay Walker to start the inning, and Hendon later singled up the middle. Wetherbee followed by nailing her third dinger of the season, putting USC on top.

State shortened the lead to 3-1 in the bottom half of the second when Shanna Smith doubled to center and scored on a Megan Dalthorp base hit up the middle.

But South Carolina added two more runs before the Pack could record an out in the top of the third, increasing the lead to 5-1. McKenna Hughes scored on a passed ball, and Jessica Josker touched home plate when Lindsay Walker singled into right.

Head coach Lisa Navas made some defensive adjustments with one out in the top of the sixth, moving Sims to right, Allison Presnell to first, and putting Shaina Ervin in the circle. Ervin shut down the Gamecocks offense, striking out three and not allowing a hit in 1.2 innings of work.

Chamberlin led off the bottom of the sixth with a double to left, and Beth Poore came on to run in her place. Poore then took third when Sims fouled out to deep right, and scored when Presnell grounded out to first.

That would prove to be the Pack’s final run, however, as Hendon sat the Wolfpack down one-two-three in the bottom of the seventh.

NC State will face Penn State in an elimination game tomorrow, Saturday, May 19, at 4 p.m. A loss would end the Wolfpack’s season, while a win would force them to play a second-consecutive elimination game at 7 p.m., against the loser of Oregon and South Carolina.