March 2, 2003

PLANT CITY, Fla. - Carmen Farmer recorded a career-high four hits and Megan Evans blasted her first home run of the season, but it wasn't enough as the Virginia Tech softball team was beaten by 16th-ranked South Carolina Sunday afternoon at the Strawberry Festival Tournament. Tech's second game of the day - a contest with Troy State - started, but was called after a one-hour rain delay left the field unplayable.

South Carolina ran out to a 4-0 lead early before Evans got the Hokies on the board in the fourth inning with her first home run of the season - a towering drive that easily cleared the left field fence.

The Gamecocks tacked on two more runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to take a 7-1 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Farmer led off the inning with an infield single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Shanel Garofalo drove her in with a double to right field.

The Hokies put another run on the board in the sixth when pinch runner Callie Rhodes scored when Caitlin Murphy reached on a fielding error. Rachel Pacheco reached on a fielding error and was pinch ran for by Rhodes. She moved to second on a single by Sarah Prosise and both of them moved up on a double steal.

USC scored another run in the top of the seventh to make it 8-3, but Tech didn't give up. In the bottom of the seventh, Farmer reached on a single and moved to second on Kelly Brown's infield single. Both moved up on a groundout and Farmer scored on Mindi Wylie's sacrifice fly to center.

Pacheco (L, 2-2) got the start, but didn't make it out of the fifth inning. She went four-plus innings, giving up seven runs - three of which were earned - 10 hits and three walks while striking out one. Katie Maynard pitched three innings, allowing two hits and an earned run in relief.

The Hokies committed five errors in the game, a season high, while the Gamecocks committed four errors of their own. Of USC's eight runs, only four of them were earned.

For the game, the Hokies pounded out nine hits, led by Farmer's four and Evans' two. Brown, Garofalo and Prosise had the other three hits for Tech.

Tech (3-5) will take a few days off and stay at St. Pete Beach until Wednesday, when the team flies to San Francisco. The Hokies will open up play in the National Invitational Softball Tournament on Friday, taking on 14th-ranked Arizona State and Santa Clara in pool play.