March 23, 2010

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
Photo Gallery

Greenville, S.C. - Morgan Childers earned the victory in both games to move into a tie for second place on USC Upstate's all-time wins list and the Spartans benefited from costly Furman miscues to take a doubleheader sweep Tuesday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium. Upstate claimed the win in game one, 1-0, and in game two, 3-1.

Upstate improved to 17-4 on the season, extending its winning streak to six games. The Spartans have won 14 of their last 15 games. They open A-Sun play this weekend, traveling to Nashville, Tenn., Friday and Saturday to take on Belmont and Lipscomb. Furman fell to 5-9 on the year.

"Our pitching was very solid," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "After that, we didn't deserve to win. We need to work hard on picking up the intensity going into our weekend conference games."

Game one was a statistical anomaly, as Furman starter Lana Mackey tossed a no-hitter but took the loss. Upstate scored a run in the first inning when Cheyanna Ohlrich walked with the bases loaded for the game's only run. Mackey walked Kim Brasil to start the game, walked Ericka Harris, hit Katie Zauner, and gave up the bases loaded walk to Ohlrich.

The one run was all that Childers would need. She again turned in a tremendous day in the circle. She allowed just one hit and struck out 13 to earn the victory. She took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before surrendering a bloop single down the line in left for the game's only hit. She struck out at least two batters in five of the seven innings.

Amber Hamilton started the second game and pitched well before being lifted for Childers in the fifth inning. Hamilton allowed just one run on six hits and two strikeouts. With Childers in the circle, Furman could not get anything going offensively, while Upstate benefitted from costly Furman errors.

Trailing 1-0 heading to the sixth inning, Upstate came alive. The Spartans scored two unearned runs to erase the one-run deficit and open a 2-1 lead. Janna Lewis reached on an error by the Furman left fielder and Crislyn Chewning singled and stole second to put runners at second and third with two outs. Katie Zauner followed by lifting a towering fly ball to right field, but the right fielder dropped the ball and Lewis and Chewning scored with the go-ahead runs. Monica Hall gave Upstate an insurance run in the seventh with a solo home run that curved around the foul pole.

Childers was solid in relief in the second game, allowing no runs, no hits and no walks with seven strikeouts to earn the win. She improved to 15-2 on the year with both wins Tuesday. Kayla Suskauer went the distance for Furman and took the loss to fall to 1-2.

Ohlrich led Upstate at the plate. She finished 2-for-3 in the second game and collected the game-winning RBI in game one.

With two wins Tuesday, Childers increased her career total to 65 wins, tying Carrie Ethell for second on Upstate's all-time list. She is just four wins shy of the all-time record of 69 held by Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame member Kristy Middagh. In addition to moving up the career list at Upstate, the junior hurler is also marching up the career list in the A-Sun. With 20 strikeouts Tuesday, she increased her career total to 730 and moved into fourth place all-time in the A-Sun. Her 65 wins ranks sixth all-time in the league, while her 22 career shutouts stands eighth all-time in the A-Sun.