Tuesday, March 20, 2007                      

                              PC Sweeps Twinbill From USCA

CLINTON, S.C. – The PC softball team swept a doubleheader with USC Aiken 7-3, 2-0 on Tuesday afternoon at the PC Softball Complex. The Lady Blue Hose run their record to 20-7 on the year after the two wins and extend their home winning streak to 10 games.

With the loss The Lady Pacers fall to 23-15 overall.

Game One

The Lady Blue Hose overcame a 3-2 deficit with five runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning to claim the win.

Jenny Box led off the inning with a triple to right field to get things started for PC. However, it looked as though USC Aiken would escape unscathed by getting Michelle Ramsden to strikeout and forcing Kellyn Henderson to ground into a fielder’s choice back to the pitcher who threw out Box at the plate.

After Rachel Bailey was hit by a pitch to place runners at first and second the PC bats came alive. Back-to-back singles by Laura Tate and Jessica Peterka would bring in two runs, as Tate would come in herself on a fielding error by the left fielder. The inning was capped off by a two-run shot off the bat of Ashley Ford.

The dinger was Ford’s third of the season.

The middle of the order paced Presbyterian with Tate, Peterka, and Ford all contributing two hits each. The trio combined to drive in four runs as well as score four more runs.

Aiken catcher Jessica Strickland had the Lady Pacer’s only run batted in on one of the team’s two hits.

Paige Cassady (9-4) turned in another stellar outing in the circle, going the distance and allowing two earned runs on only two hits while striking out 11 batters. Toni Flessate took the loss for the Lady Pacers surrendering seven runs in six innings of work.

Game Two

PC starter Mary Gordon (11-2) didn’t need very much support in game two to pick up her 11th win of the season. The Lady Blue Hose only mustered two runs on two hits against Aiken starter Samantha Blair but it was more than enough as Gordon tossed a complete game shutout with nine strikeouts compared to only one walk.

Presbyterian got all their scoring done in the second inning on Erin Stewart’s first career home run to left center that scored Paige Cassady, who had reached on a walk the previous at-bat.

The Blue Hose used solid defense throughout the game to avoid multiple USC Aiken threats. PC was especially tough with runners on base; the Lady Pacers stranded eight in the game including at least one in every inning after the first.

Aiken’s Sherelle Brooks and Megan Lakes provided the majority of their team’s offense, each finishing with two hits each.

Samantha Blair took the loss for the Lady Pacers despite surrendering only two hits in six innings.

Presbyterian will next face Catawba for its conference opener on Saturday, March 24 at the PC Softball Complex. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.


                   Box Score Game 1          Box Score Game 2