March 26, 2010

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2

Nashville, Tenn. - Morgan Childers was simply outstanding in the circle, picking up two wins in 13 1/3 innings of work to lead USC Upstate to a doubleheader sweep of Belmont to open A-Sun play Friday afternoon at Aquinas Field. The Spartans won game one, 7-2, and game two, 2-0.

Childers tossed 6 1/3 innings in the first game, exiting the game after one out in the fifth and re-entering the game in the sixth. She allowed just one hit and struck out 11. In game two, she went the distance, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning before taking the complete game shutout. She struck out 12 and allowed just one hit to earn the win and improve to 17-4 on the year. She struck out 23 on the day. She moved into sole possession of second place on Upstate's all-time wins list with 67, two shy of the all-time record of 69 held by Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame member Kristy Middagh. She also topped 200 strikeouts on the year and now has 218 this season.

Upstate improved to 19-4 overall and 2-0 on the year with the wins. The Spartans take on Lipscomb Saturday afternoon at 2:00 in an A-Sun doubleheader. Belmont fell to 3-23 overall and 0-2 in the league with the losses.

"The lower half of the order really stepped up in the second game and provided some run support," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "For Morgan to pitch as much as she did and give up just two hits is a testament to the type of player and competitor she is. It was good to get off to a solid start to open conference play."

Katie Zauner provided some punch early on in game one when she connected on a two-run homer in the top of the first to give Upstate a 2-0 lead. The Spartans added to the lead in the third when Ericka Harris and Cheyanna Ohlrich each collected RBI doubles. Upstate went up 7-0 with three runs in the fifth. Ohlrich picked up her second RBI of the day with a single down the line in left to score Kim Brasil, and Monica Hall drove in a pair of runs on a single.

Childers exited the game in the fifth inning, but had to re-enter in the sixth when Belmont put a couple of runs on the board. She pitched the Spartans out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth to limit the damage. She struck out two of the three outs in the seventh to secure the win.

Ohlrich finished the game with two hits and two RBI to lead Upstate at the plate. Ericka Harris tallied three hits, while Brasil and Keri Sarratt each had two hits.

Childers was simply dominant in game two and Haley Sheehan came up with the game's key hit to lead the Spartans to the 2-0 win. In a classic pitcher's duel, the game went into the fourth inning scoreless. In the fourth, Upstate put runners on second and third with one out. Sheehan came up and knocked a double down the line in left to score Hall and pinch runner Katelyn Molkenthin to give Upstate a 2-0 lead.

Again, the 2-0 lead was all that Childers would need. She struck out two batters in each of the first, second, third and seventh innings and finished with 12 strikeouts. She allowed just one hit in the sixth inning in the win. Sheehan finished with two hits to lead the Spartans at the plate.