Upstate Sweeps Mercer To End Season
4/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 27, 2008
Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
Macon, Ga. - USC Upstate ended its first season playing as a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference with a sweep of A-Sun foe Mercer Sunday at Sikes Field. The Spartans gutted out a 4-3 victory in game one of the doubleheader and ran away with a 10-4 win in game two.
Upstate had a tremendously successful first year in NCAA Division I, finishing the season with a 34-15 record. The Spartans also finished 16-6 in the A-Sun and has assured itself of at least a share of second place in the league standings. If Florida Gulf Coast, which currently leads the A-Sun with a 16-4 record, loses twice at Stetson Tuesday, Upstate would win a share of the regular season title with FGCU and Lipscomb. The 16 conference wins marks the most league wins in school history, breaking last year's 14 wins in the Peach Belt Conference.
"I could not be happier with how we finished in our first year in Division I and the A-Sun," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "You can always point to some games we didn't win and wish we could get some back, but to finish with 34 wins and finish at least second in the conference is a very good result. I am proud of the effort the girls gave throughout the year and look forward to next year."
Morgan Childers earned the wins in both games, tossing a complete game in extra innings in game one and tossing three and 2/3 innings of relief in game two. She finished the day with 10 strikeouts. She finished the season with a 27-5 record. The freshman from Kings Mountain, N.C., broke two single-season school records with 27 wins and 258 strikeouts.
In game one, Kim Brasil nearly hit for the cycle before settling for a triple, two doubles and a single to lead Upstate at the plate. She started the scoring in the first inning when she tripled to leadoff the game and later stole home to give Upstate a 1-0 lead. In the third, she doubled to leadoff the inning and later scored on Heidi Gibbs' sacrifice fly to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
Mercer cut into the lead with a run in the sixth inning on Jamie Madruga's solo home run. The Spartans opened a 3-1 lead with a run in the top of the seventh on Vanesa Flores' RBI double. However, Mercer plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh after an Upstate fielding error to send the game into extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth inning, Upstate took a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth on Brasil's RBI double. Childers got a strikeout, ground out and pop out to end the game. Despite allowing three runs in the game, Childers was only charged with one earned run and gave up just two hits. Brasil finished the game 4-for-5 with two runs and the game-winning RBI. Lauren Quevedo had two hits for the Spartans.
After a scoreless first inning in game two, Upstate broke open the game with three runs in the second inning. Flores singled to drive in two runs and Tiffany Pitcher scored on a wild pitch to give Upstate a 3-0 lead. Upstate added a run to the lead in the fourth inning on Amber Patterson's RBI ground out.
Mercer battled back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Bears put runners on second and third with one out and got an RBI single by Stacey Condra. Upstate starter Brittany Rice was lifted for Childers. However, Mercer remained focused to get back into the game and Ashley Anderson scored on a wild pitch and Condra came home on the play on a throwing error as Mercer got within 4-3.
Upstate answered immediately, plating a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning when Shay Slater drove in a run with a single and later scored after a throwing error.
After Mercer cut the Upstate lead to 6-4 with a run in the sixth, Upstate put the game away with four runs in the seventh inning, sending 10 batters to the plate in the frame. After the Spartans loaded the bases, Quevedo drew a walk and Patterson followed by being hit by a pitch as Upstate opened an 8-4 lead. Pitcher followed with an RBI single and Flores walked with the bases loaded as Upstate took a 10-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
Childers walked Madruga to open the bottom of the seventh, but induced a force out, ground out and strikeout to end the game and give the Spartans the sweep of Mercer.
Slater finished the game with a pair of hits with two runs and an RBI to lead Upstate at the plate. She, Pitcher and Flores played their final games of their careers Sunday, going out with two wins. Slater and Pitcher have been starters since their freshman season in 2005 and helped lead Upstate to three NCAA Division II Tournament appearances. Slater finished her career as Upstate's all-time career leader in runs, stolen bases, at bats, sacrifice flies, games played and games started. Pitcher ended her career as the school's career leader in sacrifice bunts and fielding percentage. Flores transferred to Upstate entering her junior season and was the co-Player of the Year last year in the Peach Belt in helping lead the Spartans to a school record 47 wins.
"This year's team was one of the closest teams that we have had since I have been here and their (the seniors) leadership made that possible," said Hawkins. "I think it was great that they could go out with two wins today with all three getting key hits to help us win. I am sure that they will be very successful in the future in whatever they choose to do. I am proud of what they accomplished in their careers and wish them well in the future."
