KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- With nine strikeouts against Tennessee on Tuesday afternoon, South Carolina senior All-American Megan Matthews became the 13th pitcher in Division I history to register 1,000 career strikeouts. The right-hander's effort helped the Gamecocks (24-11) even their Southeastern Conference mark at 5-5 by claiming the opener of the three-game series by a score of 5-4 at Tyson Park. Tennessee slipped to 31-15-1 overall and 6-8 in league play with the setback. Matthews has now defeated the Orange in her last five starts and is 6-2 lifetime versus her Eastern Division counterparts.

Helped by a Lady Vol fielding mistake which put junior Debralee Troesh at second base to start the second frame, South Carolina took a 1-0 lead on an RBI double to right field by sophomore Melissa Sandel. A walk to senior Adrianna Baggetta later gave USC a pair of runners on base with one out but junior Stephanie Humphrey had sophomore Samantha Jennings and junior Danielle Quinones fly out to end the inning.

Junior Jodi Fittro opened the third with a base-hit into left and was sacrificed to second on a bunt by classmate Kim Evans. Following a pop-out by sophomore Amber Curtis, the Weeklys decided to walk Troesh intentionally. The maneuver paid off, as freshman Meghan Cornett arched pop up that Stephanie Humphrey snared for the final out.

Sophomore Crystal Bobo entered the circle for the Lady Vols in the fourth stanza and the Gamecocks were able to reach the reliever for four runs on four hits to assume a 5-0 advantage. Sandel drew a leadoff walk but was erased at second on a fielder's choice from Baggetta. Jennings walked to push her teammate down to second before an infield single by Quinones loaded the sacks. A flare into right by Fittro plated Baggetta and a two-run single by freshman pinch hitter Tia Rogers enabled Jennings and Quinones to pad USC's cushion. A groundout by Curtis advanced the runners to second and third and Curtis advanced the runners to second and third and Troesh followed with an RBI single to drive in Fittro with the fifth run of the afternoon.

In the bottom of the inning, Matthews became the second USC pitcher to eclipse the 1,000-K plateau when she had senior Hannah Low chase strike three. For added measure, she whiffed senior Adrianna Wilson to end the frame.

Matthews carried a perfect game into the fifth but Tennessee freshman Amber Rhinehart led off with a home run over the left field fence to avert the shutout. The dinger was the fourth of the campaign for the rookie and came on a 1-2 pitch from the Carolina hurler.

Tennessee would rally in the sixth, as freshman Whitney Bradshaw started things off with an infield hit and sophomore Ellisha Humphrey punched a single up the middle to give UT a pair of runners aboard for the first time all day. Matthews responded by catching junior Blaine Teasley looking on strikes. Senior Hannah Low was then hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out for the Lady Vols, bringing Wilson to the dish. The slugger drew a base on balls from Matthews to trim the deficit to 5-2. Rhinehart tapped a grounder to Matthews that was misplayed as the pitcher attempted to throw home for the force. Consequently, both Humphrey and Low came across to narrow the gap to 5-4 with still one out. Matthews managed to work out of the jam by striking out junior Carissa Roustan and having senior Maria Torres line out to the shortstop.

South Carolina's All-American retired the Lady Vols in order in the seventh for her 16th complete game of the campaign. Matthews moved to 14-4 with the decision, while Stephanie Humphrey slipped to 21-10. The UT righty worked three innings, giving up two hits and a run. Bobo was charged with four runs on four hits in the fourth, while Roustan turned in the most effective outing of any Tennessee pitcher. The converted third baseman threw three scoreless frames and allowed just one hit. Fittro went 3-for-4 to lead USC, while three different players had one hit for the home team.

South Carolina 8, Tennessee 2

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - South Carolina sophomore Stacey Johnson and Lady Vol junior Stephanie Humphrey locked up in a stirring pitching duel in Tuesday afternoon's nightcap at Tyson Park. Scoreless into the ninth, the Gamecocks would erupt for eight runs on six hits to complete a stunning 8-2 victory and take the first two games of the series. USC (25-11) moved into first place in the Eastern Division with a 6-5 record, while Tennessee dropped to 31-16-1 overall and 6-9 in the SEC with its third straight defeat.

Sophomore Samantha Jennings smacked a leadoff double in the ninth before junior Danielle Quinones' fielder's choice left runners on the corners for the visitors. A sacrifice fly by junior Jodi Fittro to left brought home Jennings with the first run of the contest and Quinones took second on the relay throw. Junior Kim Evans followed with a triple to left field to plate Quinones and sophomore Amber Curtis' RBI single drove in Evans and chased Humphrey from the game with a 3-0 score.

Junior Debralee Troesh greeted Lady Vol junior reliever Carissa Roustan with a double down the left field line and sophomore Melissa Sandel then jacked a three-run homer to center field to balloon the margin to 6-0. Freshman Meghan Cornett reached on an infield error and senior Adrianna Baggetta followed with a two-run blast to increase the margin to 8-0 for head coach Joyce Compton's charges.

Tennessee answered with a pair of runs in its last at bat on RBI singles by senior Adrianna Wilson and freshman Amber Rhinehart but Johnson was able to prevent further scoring in notching an 8-2 complete-game effort. The Newton, Pa., native allowed nine hits and struck out six in improving her record to 8-5. Humphrey (21-11) was on the hook for her second loss of the day after giving up 12 hits and four runs with six K in her 8.1 innings. Roustan was tagged for four runs on three hits before senior Nicole Borg stopped the bleeding in the ninth by setting down the two batters she faced.

Way back in the fourth, Jennings doubled with two down in the fourth and reached third when Humphrey uncorked a wild pitch. The right-hander struck out Quinones to prevent the Gamecocks from tacking the initial run on the board.

Rhinehart led off the bottom of the fourth in a scoreless game by lacing a single into right field. A fielder's choice by Roustan erased sophomore pinch runner Nikki Sexton for the first out, but Roustan later took second on a passed ball. A grounder by senior Maria Torres pushed her teammate over to third but Johnson was able to strike out her counterpart Humphrey to keep the game scoreless.

Still deadlocked at zero entering the seventh, USC's Quinones stroked a base-hit into left with one down before Fittro fouled out to Rhinehart. Evans managed a seeing-eye single through the right side of the infield to give the Garnet and Black two runners on with two down. Humphrey retired Curtis for her sixth strikeout to again move out of a jam.

Humphrey helped her own cause in the bottom of the stanza by reaching on a leadoff error. Following a strikeout by freshman Whitney Bradshaw, sophomore Ellisha Humphrey's fielder's choice forced her sister at second base for out number two. Junior Blaine Teasley ripped a single into right field but a strong relay throw from Sandel to USC shortstop Curtis to third baseman Jennings nailed Humphrey trying to take third base.

Troesh opened the Carolina eighth by lining a single just in front of Lady Vol senior center fielder Hannah Low. A ground ball by Sandel pushed her teammate down to second and a fly out by Cornett left Troesh on second with two down. Baggetta reached on an infield single but Rhinehart alertly threw home to Wilson to deny Troesh's bid for the Gamecocks to score first.

Low was hit by a 2-1 pitch from Johnson to begin the Tennessee portion of the eighth. Wilson delivered a sacrifice bunt to move her teammate to second and USC then decided to walk Rhinehart intentionally to pitch to Roustan. The UT third baseman tapped a grounder that forced Low at third. Torres then reached on an infield miscue to fill the bases with two down for Stephanie Humphrey. Trying to help her own cause with the game-winning hit, Humphrey's shot to center field was tracked down on a diving catch by Fittro.

Curtis finished 4-for-5 to lead USC, while Jennings (3-for-5), Evans (2-for-5, RBI), Troesh (2-for-4), Baggatta (2-for-5, two RBI) also chipped in with multiple-hit efforts. Teasley and Wilson each managed three hits for the Lady Vols, while Rhinehart was a perfect 2-for-2. The clubs will wrap up the series tomorrow afternoon with a single game at four o'clock. UT will be looking to snap a five-game skid against the Gamecocks.

Southern Miss 2, Ole Miss 1
Ole Miss 3, Southern Miss 2

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Ole Miss split a pair of one-run games against in-state foe Southern Miss Tuesday at USM Softball Complex. The Rebels (21-12) dropped game one, 2-1, but rebounded in the nightcap, 3-2.

Ole Miss snapped its four-game losing skid in game two, striking early for two runs in the second. Freshmen Nicole Alger and DeDe Justice opened the inning with doubles, and both came across the plate – the first on a wild pitch and the other on a Megan Kozar RBI-single – for a 2-0 UM advantage. Justice finished 3-for-3 with a single-game school-record three doubles.

After the Lady Eagles (19-19) tied the game with a two-spot in the bottom of the second, Brooke Turner regained the lead for Ole Miss. The freshman from Southaven reached on a walk, stole second base and third, and then scored on a wild pitch to swipe the Rebels the victory.

Junior righthander Leslie Day (8-4) earned the win in relief, holding USM hitless the final four innings. Starter Lindsey Whatley surrendered four hits and two runs, one earned, before exiting in the fourth. Felicia Gonzales (6-6) lasted only 2.1 innings in the loss for Southern Miss.

The Rebels rallied late but fell short in game one. The Lady Eagles used an Amanda Brown single and a Rebel error to plate a run in the opening frame, and tacked on another score in the third off a Channika Gant home run.

Ole Miss sliced into the Southern lead in the seventh inning behind Desiree Layman. The sophomore from West Palm Beach, Fla., blasted her third homer, a solo shot to centerfield, to end a stretch of 27.1 scoreless innings for the Rebels.

However, USM righthander Jessica Holaway (9-5) would close out the complete-game victory, limiting Ole Miss to two hits in the outing. Rebel junior Lindsay Price (5-4) scattered eight hits with six strikeouts over the full six innings in the loss.

Ole Miss returns to Southeastern Conference play this weekend with the Florida Gators coming to Oxford. As part of Red-Blue Weekend, the teams face off in a Saturday doubleheader and a Sunday finale, with first pitch both days set at 1 p.m. CST.

LSU 3, Arkansas 0
LSU 4, Arkansas 0

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The Tiger softball team extended their winning streak to nine games by posting a pair of shutout victories over Southeastern Conference Western Division rival Arkansas, 3-0 and 4-0, on Tuesday night at Lady’Back Yard.

The Tigers improve to 29-7 overall and 14-2 in the SEC while Arkansas falls to 25-16 overall and 6-8 in the SEC. The pair will play the final game of the series on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

“We preach to the kids to always try and get ahead,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We believe that if we can get two runs, then we can beat just about anybody with the pitching staff that we have. It is especially critical to score first, especially on the road.

“Britni is a pitcher that always makes our team look good,” said Girouard, “ and tonight Kristin probably pitched the best she has pitched all year. They have very different styles, but they compliment one another.”

For the third time this season, All-American Britni Sneed earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors for her efforts last week, it was announced on Tuesday. The senior from Houston, Texas, also earned Louisiana Pitcher of the Week honors for the fourth time this year.

Last week, she went 2-0 on the week against No. 21 Georgia, allowing just four hits and three walks while striking out 25 batters against the SEC’s top-ranked hitting team. In 17 innings of work, she allowed just two earned runs on four hits and fired her third complete-game one-hitter of the season.

Sneed earned the complete-game shutout to run her record to 16-4 on the season and 10-0 in SEC play. She allowed six hits and one walk while striking out nine in seven innings. With her fifth strikeout, she moved into sole possession of ninth place in NCAA history in career strikeouts.

LSU jumped on the board in the top of the first inning. With one out, Christy Connor knocked a solo home run to deep centerfield to put the Tigers up 1-0.

With one out, Arkansas came back to load the bases in the bottom of the first on three bloop singles, but Sneed got Tiffany Woolley and Nicole Deeter to fly out to end the inning.

The Tigers threatened again in the second inning. Julie Wiese led off the inning with a single and advanced to second base on an error by the shortstop. After consecutive strikeouts, Jennie Reeves singled to left field, but Wiese was thrown out trying to score from second.

In the top of the third, Sara Fitzgerald led off with a double to right centerfield. She advanced to third on a groundout by Trena Peel, but was caught in a run down trying to score on a fielder’s choice by Aleshia Perry.

On the fielder’s choice, Perry advanced to second and scored on Connor’s RBI single to right field. Megann Steege then singled up the middle to advance Connor to second, but Wiese struck out to end the inning.

Arkansas threatened again in the bottom of the fifth inning. With two outs, an error by Blair Smith put Blaire Woodward on first base. She advanced to second on a base hit by Danica White. Woodward and White advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Sneed go Stephanie Hunter to ground out to the Sara Fitzgerald at second base to end the threat.

LSU added its final run in the top of the seventh inning. With one out, Peel drew a walk and advanced to second on a groundout by Perry. Peel scored from second when Connor reached on an error by the Lady’Back second baseman on a dropped pop fly, giving LSU the 3-0 lead.

Schmidt earned the complete-game victory in the second game, running her record to 10-3 on the year and 4-2 in the SEC. She allowed just two hits in the shutout win and struck out seven.

The Tigers jumped out early in the second game with a three-run first inning. Peel led off the game with a single and advanced to second on a stolen base as Perry struck out swinging. After consecutive walks to Connor and Erin Johnson to load the bases, Steege singled to right centerfield to score Peel and Connor.

Wiese struck out for the second out before Smith singled to left field to score Johnson from third. Steege was thrown out trying to score from third to end the inning.

Arkansas threatened in the bottom of the second as Hunter led off the inning with a triple to right field. Schmidt worked out of the inning as she got got Deeter to pop out to Smith at shortstop, Kim Eiben to foul out to Reeves at catcher and struck Rachel Talley out swinging.

LSU added another run in the top of the third inning as Perry started the inning with an infield hit to the shortstop. After stealing second, she advanced to third on a long fly ball to right centerfield by Connor. She scored on a sacrifice fly by Johnson to give the Tigers the 4-0 lead.

Schmidt faced the minimum over the next four innings, striking out five of 12 batters faced. Two batters reached in the bottom of the seventh inning on errors, but Wiese stepped on the bag at third base on a fielder’s choice to end the game.