Spartans Open 2009 Season With Sweep Of Montreat

Sunday, February 8

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

Montreat

2/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Feb. 8, 2009

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2

Spartanburg, S.C. - The USC Upstate softball team opened the 2009 season in grand fashion Sunday afternoon at Cyrill Stadium, getting strong pitching from Morgan Childers, two home runs from Lauren Quevedo and solid hitting up and down the lineup that produced 20 hits combined in the wins to take a sweep of Montreat. The Spartans won game one, 8-0, and game two, 7-0, in a pair of shutouts.

Childers started both games of the doubleheader and earned the victories in both games to start the season 2-0. She pitched four innings in both games and allowed a combined one hit and one walk in both games. She struck out eight in the first game and seven in the second for 15 strikeouts on the day. Amber Hamilton finished both games for the Spartans, tossing two innings in the first game and three effective innings for the save in the second contest.

"I thought we did a good job of playing at a high level today," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "Our pitchers did well and we had pretty good hitting. I thought we hit better than even our 20 hits would suggest and our defense was very good. All in all, I would say it was a good start to the season."

Upstate started quickly and Quevedo provided the fireworks early in game one. Montreat was shaky on defense out of the gate, committing two errors in the bottom of the first inning that brought Quevedo to the plate. Already leading 2-0 after the Cavalier first baseman committed two errors in being unable to field throws that led to the first two runs, Quevedo stepped to the plate and crushed a two-run home run to left center to give the Spartans a 4-0 lead.

Upstate added a pair of runs in the second inning when Kim Brasil scored after stealing second and advancing home on a throwing error by the Montreat catcher, and Crislyn Chewning doubled to drive in a run. The Spartans ended the game with two runs in the sixth inning on Quevedo's two-run single.

Quevedo finished the game 3-for-4 with a run and four RBIs. Heidi Gibbs was also 3-for-4 in the game and scored three runs for the Spartans.

Upstate struck early in the second game as well, plating five runs in the bottom of the first to take a commanding 5-0 lead. Chewning picked up an RBI-single to start things off and Courtney Feldon's two-run single down the line in right gave Upstate a 3-0 advantage. Ana Mitchell, who was hitless in the first game while facing her younger sister, Meredith, the game one starter for Montreat, singled to drive in a pair of runs.

Quevedo smacked her second home run of the day in the bottom of the third to give Upstate a 6-0 lead. The Spartans added another run in the inning when Monica Hall drew a throw down to second and Amber Patterson scored from third on the play. Hall was tagged out at second after a rundown, but the Spartans got the run across for a 7-0 lead.

Hamilton, a freshman from Roswell, Ga., replaced Childers to start the fifth inning and held Montreat at bay, throwing three hitless innings with a pair of strikeouts to earn her first collegiate save.

"I was really impressed with Amber Hamilton today," said Hawkins. "She really threw well, got ahead in the count and hit her spots. I think it was a good debut for her."

Chewning led Upstate at the plate in game two, finishing with two hits with a run and RBI. Feldon and Mitchell picked up a pair of RBIs, while Quevedo was walked twice and finished 1-for-1 with two runs and an RBI.