Hathorn’s single gives Gamecocks 6-5 victory in home midweek match
South Carolina needed a good way to finish off their six-game home stand against the UNC Charlotte 49ers after being swept in a home doubleheader Tuesday.
That finish came in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday when Dana Hathorn hit a walk-off single to beat UNC Charlotte 6-5.
“Rebounding from the double header against Mississippi State was the important piece,” head coach Beverly Smith said. “Doing the little things and getting the clutch hits when we needed them is what mattered.”
Coming into the at-bat, Hathorn had gone 0-for-3 in the game. After teammate Kaitlin Westfall had doubled in the first at-bat and Chelsea Hawkins had a single turned into a double on a key 49er error, it was Hathorne’s turn to show up. After fouling the first pitch away, she struck the ball into opposite left field to bring in Westfall for the sixth run.
“I just told myself to relax when I was on deck,” Hathorn said. “Make sure I see the ball and not to change my mentality too much.”
Things didn’t always go smoothly for the Gamecocks, however, as in the first inning it seemed that the defensive woes had carried over from the Mississippi State games. An error at third by Evan Childs brought in a 49er for the first run of the game, and then Charlotte piled on a two-run triple and another single to make the lead 4-0. South Carolina senior pitcher Kierstyn White wasn’t charged for any of the four runs.
“We talked about this pregame today that we need to get back to the basics of the game,” Smith said. “Making sure we are taking care of the ball, getting outs and if we do make mistakes to not let them snowball into something bigger.”
In the second and third innings, the Gamecocks responded with three runs of their own. In the second, Shelby Gonzales drove in pinch-runner Hannah Milks and Hathorn with a single. In the third, Samie Garcia tripled to lead off the inning. When Westfall hit a sacrifice fly out to right, Garcia took the opportunity to tag up and bring the game to 4-3.
In the top of the fifth, White was replaced by freshman Katelynn Howser after a five run, four inning showing. Howser responded by allowing only one hit in the final three innings she pitched. With the 49ers’s offense in check, it was time for the Gamecocks to play catch up.
“Before the game me and coach had a talk about focusing on every pitch,” Howser said. “As long as I feel my pitch, I know I can do it.”
After a Lauren Lackey single brought things closer in the fifth inning, the Gamecocks headed into their half of the sixth down one run. With two outs, Gonzales reached on an overthrown ball from third base to advance to second. Then the freshman first base Olivia Lawrence came through for the Gamecocks with a double, tying the game at five to set up the dramatic seventh inning.
“I feel very confident and I think this game will bring confidence to this team as well,” Hawthorn said. “I think we can take it into this weekend but we still have to work hard.”