April 27, 2008

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - It took two hours, 36 minutes, 26 hits, and nine errors before the final home game of the season for the Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (19-24) ended. The Lady Rams took a 14-12 loss to the South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs (8-22) in one of the most exciting games of the season for both teams.

The two teams combined for 26 hits in the game with the Lady Rams notching 10 hits in the game. The two teams also combined for nine errors in the loss with the Lady Rams committing four. WSSU junior infielder Desiree Ramirez led the attack for the Lady Rams with a two-for-four performance at the plate with four RBI and two runs scored. She also added a walk. WSSU sophomore Devyn Gillette was 3-for-5 from the plate with an RBI and a run scored as well.

After falling into an early 6-0 deficit, the Lady Rams battled back with five second inning runs to cut their deficit down to just one run. WSSU junior first basemen would score the biggest hit of the game for the Lady Rams when she hit a bases-loaded double to center field that would force an SCSU fielding error and allow Ramirez and three more Lady Rams to score and pull the Lady Rams to within one point, 5-6.

After allowing three more runs to the visitors to fall behind, 9-5, the Lady Rams rallied once again, to cut their deficit down to one run once again in the sixth inning. A WSSU single by freshman Bonika Terry drove in Ramirez for the first score of the inning, but was bad news for South Carolina State when their left fielder went down with an injury on the play. WSSU freshman Kayla Woodbury would follow with an RBI sacrifice fly that would drive in both Terry and WSSU freshman outfielder Candace Spinks. The three runs would leave the Lady Rams within one run, 9-8 heading into the seventh inning.

South Carolina State would score big in the seventh inning with five runs to jump ahead, 14-8. The Lady Rams battled back in the inning, scoring four runs in the inning, but could not manage to get enough runs across the plate to pull out the win. WSSU freshman thirdbaseman Brittany Hull singled through the left side to get on base. She later scored when Spinks forced an SCSU throwing error. A dropped Woodbury fly ball would allow Spinks to cross the plate as well. WSSU sophomore Devyn Gillette added an RBI triple that scored the final WSSU run of the game, scoring Woodbury and pulling the Lady Rams to within two runs of the Lady Bulldogs, but the team could get no closer in the loss.

WSSU junior Amber Shore (10-14) took the loss for the Lady Rams pitching all seven innings, recording seven strikeouts.

Sunday's game was the home finale for the Lady Rams, who will return to action, Tuesday when they head to Cullowhee, NC to take on the Western Carolina Catamounts in a 4:00 p.m. doubleheader.