March 27, 2010

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2

Nashville, Tenn. - Lipscomb broke open close games with runs in the fifth inning of both contests to take a doubleheader sweep of USC Upstate in A-Sun softball action Saturday afternoon at Draper Field. The Lady Bisons took game one, 4-0, and game two, 6-1.

Upstate fell to 19-6 overall and 2-2 in the A-Sun, snapping an eight-game winning streak with the losses. The Spartans make the short trip to Boiling Springs, N.C., Tuesday afternoon to face Gardner-Webb in non-conference action. Lipscomb improved to 24-7 overall and 4-0 in the league.

"I think after playing the games today, we can compete at their level," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "We just have to execute in crucial situations which we did not do today. The games were closer than the scores indicated. We didn't get THE hit, and they did. I think we will be just fine and we will only use this as a motivational day."

Game one featured a matchup of the A-Sun's two premiere pitchers in Upstate's Morgan Childers and Lipscomb's Whitney Kiihnl. The matchup did not disappoint. The game remained scoreless until the fourth inning. Childers pitched out of jams in the second and third innings. In the second, Courtney Billington tripled with one out. However, Childers struck out the next two batters to keep Lipscomb off the scoreboard. In the third, the Lady Bisons put runners on first and second with one out, but Childers retired the next two batters.

Upstate also had chances in the third and fourth innings but couldn't move the leadoff runners over. Follow-up singles could have produced runs for the Spartans, but runners ended up stranded on base.

In the bottom of the fourth, Lipscomb scored the game's eventual winning run when Mollie Mitchell singled to left to score Kellie Sirus from second. The Lady Bisons added to the lead with three runs in the fifth. Abby Keese collected an RBI-single, Sirus followed with an RBI-single, and Christen Campbell lifted a high fly ball to left that got over the head of Upstate's Kim Brasil and hit the wall for an RBI-double as the Lady Bisons took a 4-0 lead.

Upstate would not quit, stringing together back-to-back singles with one out in the sixth, but Lipscomb got out of the inning on a double play.

Upstate collected five hits in the game, while Lipscomb scored four runs on eight hits. Kiihnl went the distance and struck out eight to earn the win and improve to 16-2 on the year. Childers also struck out eight in the loss and fell to 17-3 on the year. It marked the first loss since March 16 and broke a string of eight straight wins for the junior hurler. Childers ended the A-Sun opening weekend 2-1 with 31 strikeouts in three games. She also took sole possession of second place on Upstate's all-time wins list with 67, two shy of the all-time mark of 69 held by Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame member Kristy Middagh. Childers also moved into fifth place all-time in the A-Sun with 67 wins. Brasil led Upstate at the plate with two hits.

In game two, Upstate starter Amber Hamilton was simply solid. She tossed five innings before being relieved by Blake Meredith to start the sixth. Hamilton allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits with two strikeouts before leaving.

Again, the game was close until late in the game. Lipscomb broke through with a pair of runs in the fifth. Mitchell started things off with a lead off double and Kiihnl singled with one out to put runners on second and third. Lauren Dortwegt grounded out to Cheyanna Ohlrich at shortstop, but Mitchell broke on the throw and scored. The throw from Upstate first baseman Lauren Quevedo bounced trying to get Mitchell at the plate and bounced away, allowing Kiihnl to score on the play with an unearned run.

Upstate got back in the game in the sixth. The Spartans loaded the bases with one out, but Crislyn Chewning was forced out at home on a comebacker to Lipscomb pitcher Christen Campbell. With the bases loaded and two outs, Quevedo grounded to third, but Lipscomb's Megan Rottler let the ball go through her legs. Upstate pinch runner Katelyn Molkenthin scored from third on the play, but Katie Zauner was thrown out at the plate trying to tie the game.

Trailing 2-1 entering the bottom of the sixth, Upstate could not hold Lipscomb. The Lady Bisons scored four runs in the frame to open a 6-1 lead. Mitchell collected an RBI-single and Kiihnl knocked a bases loaded triple to do the damage.

Upstate fought to the end, putting runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh before ending the game on a strikeout as Lipscomb took the game and the sweep. Hamilton took the loss in an impressive outing, falling to 1-2 on the year. Campbell went the distance for Lipscomb, allowing one run on seven hits and six strikeouts. She improved to 6-2 on the year.

Kiihnl led Lipscomb at the plate with three hits and three RBI. Chewning and Ericka Harris each had two hits to lead Upstate at the plate.