Feb. 25, 2009

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2

Spartanburg, S.C. - Morgan Childers was her typical dominant self in game one, Courtney Feldon led Upstate at the plate with a pair of home runs, and the Spartans broke out the bats to the tune of 17 runs on 17 hits to take game two, 17-0, as Upstate swept a non-conference softball doubleheader from Gardner-Webb Wednesday afternoon at Cyrill Stadium. The Spartans claimed a 6-0 win in the first game.

Upstate improved to 7-0 on the year and recorded its fourth-straight shutout with two Wednesday. The Spartans jump on a bus tomorrow to head to Oxford, Miss., to play five games in the Blue & Gray Classic at Ole Miss Friday-Sunday. Gardner-Webb fell to 4-6 on the year as Upstate improved to 26-2 all-time versus the Bulldogs. The 17 runs scored in the second game was the most runs scored by Upstate as a member of NCAA Division I. The Spartans had scored 11 runs in wins over Charleston Southern and UNC Wilmington last year.

"It's rare that you get great hitting, great pitching and great defense all at the same time, but we got all three today. That was the difference in both games. These were two very good wins today. And, I am excited about the performance of Amber Hamilton," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins who earned his 495th career victory with the sweep.

Childers (6-0) was dominant in the circle for Upstate in game one. She struck out 11 and scattered four hits to pick up the win and her third solo shutout of the season. Christine Murray tossed 5.1 innings and gave up six runs, five earned, to take the loss and fall to 2-3.

Upstate offensive prowess was the story of the day. In the first game, Feldon drove in the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the first on an RBI single. Upstate increased the lead to 2-0 in the second when Heidi Gibbs scored from third after Gardner-Webb's catcher short-hopped a throw to second trying to pick off a Spartan runner with two outs.

Feldon broke open the game in the fourth when she took an outside pitch opposite field for a two-run homer to left. Two innings later, Lauren Quevedo lined a shot down the right field line and off the Bulldog first baseman's glove for a two-run double as Upstate took a commanding 6-0 lead.

Feldon finished the game 2-for-2 with two walks, three RBIs and a run. Gibbs collected three hits and scored three times for the Spartans. Kelsey Witter finished with a pair of doubles to lead Gardner-Webb at the plate.

Feldon continued her torrid play at the plate in the second game. She finished with three hits, three RBIs and two runs to lead the Spartans as Upstate pounded out 17 runs on 17 hits. The Spartans' 3-6 hitters were dominant, finishing the game with 11 of Upstate's 17 hits. In addition to Feldon's three hits from her clean-up spot in the order, Crislyn Chewning had a pair of hits with two RBIs and two runs, Quevedo was 3-for-3 with two RBIs, and Monica Hall hit her first home run in a Spartan uniform and finished with three hits, four RBIs and two runs.

After a scoreless first inning, Upstate put the game away with a 10-run second inning. Six of the 10 runs were scored with two outs in the inning. Jenna Torbert's squeeze bunt scored pinch runner Melissa Lockey to get things going. Keri Sarratt followed with a two-run single and Gibbs added an RBI-single to give Upstate a 4-0 lead. Sarratt later scored from third when the Gardner-Webb center fielder threw the ball away after recording a fly out. With two outs, Feldon drove in a run when she reached on an infield single after her hit deflected off the Bulldog pitcher's leg. Quevedo followed with an RBI double and Hall capped the inning with a three-run homer to center.

Upstate plated three runs in the third inning and four in the fourth to take the commanding 17-0 lead. Feldon highlighted the third inning with a two-run homer and Chewning added an RBI-single. In the fourth, Amber Patterson, Chewning, Quevedo and Hall each collected RBI-singles.

Overshadowed in the outbreak of hits and runs in the second game was the performance of freshman hurler Amber Hamilton. Hamilton made her first collegiate start. She went the distance with two strikeouts and allowed just three hits to earn the first win and shutout of her career.