South Carolina Ekes Past Bulldogs In Series Opener, 3-2
May 25, 2016 | Softball
Official Game Statistics
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Things started for a bang for Mississippi State in their series opener with South Carolina, but the Gamecocks plated three runs behind an effective pitching performance by senior righthander Aleca Johnson to erase an early 1-0 deficit and capture its series bookend with the visiting Bulldogs by a 3-2 count Saturday afternoon at Beckham Field.
The win gave South Carolina (27-25-1, 10-15 SEC) its 10th consecutive series-opening victory against the Bulldogs (31-26, 11-17) and pushed USC's overall lead in the series out to 19 wins against 8 losses.
Katie Johnson singled twice in three trips to the plate to pace the hits column for the Bulldogs, who also got solo home runs from Jennifer Jessup and Callye Williams. Jessica Josker drove in a run and crossed the plate on time on a 2-for-3 hitting line for the Gamecocks. Meghan Cornett hit a two-run homer to highlight a 1-for-3 hitting line for the Garnet and Black as well.
MSU starter Stephanie Comeaux (9-8) opened the game with two and two-thirds innings of hitless ball, but still took the loss for the Maroon and White after allowing three earned runs on three hits and a pair of walks. Johnson (7-7) picked up the victory for South Carolina, offsetting a pair of MSU home runs with five strikeouts over her sixth complete game of the season.
State wasted no time in lighting up the left field scoreboard as Jessup took a 2-and-1 offering from Johnson and hammered it over the score display and into the USC track and field complex for the 1-0 lead in the first. South Carolina would go down quietly for the first two and two-thirds innings of play until Josker broke up Comeaux's no-hit bid with a flare into left field to give the Gamecocks their second baserunner of the contest.
Cornett would give USC its first lead of the game moments later, putting everything into Comeaux's 2-and-2 offering to give the hosts a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth. However, the lead would be short lived for the Garnet and Black as Williams crushed Johnson's first pitch of the next frame deep down the left field line and off of the foul pole to knot the game back up.
A leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth, coupled with a one-out bunt single from Darcy Norem, gave the Gamecocks runners at the corners and chased Comeaux from the circle, but Josker laced another ball into rightfield to plate Chrissy Schoonmaker from third base and give USC the 3-2 advantage.
SOUTH CAROLINA 3, MISSISSIPPI STATE 2
Mississippi State (31-26) 100 000 0 - 2 6 1South Carolina (27-25-1) 002 010 x - 3 4 0Comeaux, Miller (5) and Geddings. Johnson and Smith. W * Johnson (7-7). L * Comeaux (9-8). Save * None. HR * Jessup (MSU), Cornett (USC), Williams (MSU).
