Quevedo Slams Stetson In Upstate Sweep
4/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 11, 2008
Spartanburg, S.C. - Lauren Quevedo slammed two home runs on the day, the first a grand slam to push USC Upstate to a 6-2 win in game one, and the second a two-run shot in the second game to lead Upstate to a 5-1 victory as the Spartans swept an A-Sun doubleheader from Stetson Friday night at Cyrill Stadium.
Upstate improved to 27-12 overall and 11-5 in the A-Sun. The wins also extended Upstate's winning streak to a season-high eight games and marked the fourth straight doubleheader sweep for the Spartans, including the last three in the A-Sun. Upstate takes on A-Sun leader Florida Gulf Coast Saturday afternoon at 2:00 at Cyrill Stadium. The doubleheader is Senior Day at Upstate as seniors Vanesa Flores, Tiffany Pitcher and Shay Slater will be honored in a pregame ceremony. Stetson fell to 31-18 overall and 5-6 in the league.
Another piece of history was made in the second game for Upstate as Shay Slater stole a base to improve her career total to 127, tying the Upstate all-time record shared with Krista Altom. Slater already owns the all-time records for runs (189), games played (221) and games started (220).
"Those two games were examples of doing the things at the critical times in order to win a ball game," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "We got good pitching from Morgan (Childers) and Brittany (Rice) which allowed our hitters to deliver when they had two. Lauren (Quevedo) and Courtney (Feldon) came up huge for us today in key situations and got us the hits when we needed them."
Stetson broke on top first, plating a run in the top of the first inning in game one. Lindsay Wightman singled up the middle to drive in Amy Joyce from second. After three scoreless innings by Upstate, the Spartans broke through with the first of three home runs on the day. Courtney Feldon drove a ball opposite field for a two-run homer to left in the bottom of the fourth inning to give Upstate a 2-1 lead. It would not be the only key hit she would deliver on the day.
Stetson tied the game with a run in the sixth inning on Joyce's RBI single. However, in the bottom of the sixth, Upstate and Quevedo turned the tide for good. Kim Brasil led off the inning with a single and Heidi Gibbs reached as she tried to bunt Brasil over, but the throw to first was overthrown. The error allowed Brasil to move to third and Gibbs to move to second with no outs. Feldon was intentionally walked to load the bases with Quevedo stepping to the plate. The freshman first baseman hammered a line drive over the fence just left of center to give Upstate a 6-2 lead.
After Morgan Childers walked the leadoff batter in the top of the seventh, the freshman hurler got Wightman to foul out and then struck out the next two Hatter batters to end the game. Childers finished the game with 10 strikeouts marking the 10th time this season she has struck out 10 or more batters in a game. She scattered five hits and gave up two runs to improve to 21-5 on the year. The 21 wins tops the A-Sun. Erica Demers also went the distance for Stetson, allowing five earned runs and striking out four to fall to 14-7 on the year.
Childers pitched out of a key jam in the third inning. Stetson loaded the bases with no outs but got a force out at home on a squeeze bunt and then struck out the next two batters to end the Hatter threat.
Brittany Rice was sensational in the circle in game two. The sophomore struck out five and scattered just four hits and one run to improve to 5-6 on the year. Like game one, Stetson broke on top with a run in the first inning when Wightman again singled to drive in Joyce to give the Hatters a 1-0 lead. It would be all that Rice would give up the rest of the way.
Slater got Upstate on the board in the third inning with an RBI single up the middle that scored Brasil. Feldon followed with a two-run single to left that drove in the eventual game-winning run as Upstate took a 3-1 lead. The Spartans added to the lead in the fifth when Quevedo launched her second missile of the game, a two-run shot over the left center wall to give Upstate a 5-1 lead.
Rice was in command throughout the game. She allowed just one runner to reach second base after the first inning and retired the side in order in the second, fourth and seventh innings to take the win. Amanda Lindsey, who entered the game leading the A-Sun with a 1.06 ERA, allowed five earned runs on four Upstate hits to take the loss and fall to 17-11 on the year for Stetson.
Quevedo finished the doubleheader with six RBIs on two home runs, while Feldon tallied four RBIs on the day. Wightman led Stetson at the plate with two RBIs, while Joyce added two runs for the Hatters.
