April 17, 2010

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2

Spartanburg, S.C. - USC Upstate pitcher Morgan Childers tossed 14 innings of the A-Sun doubleheader against Mercer, coming within two outs of tossing her fifth career no-hitter to lead Upstate to a victory in game one, while going seven innings without a decision in game two as Mercer took the win in extra innings. Along the way, she moved into second place on the A-Sun's all-time strikeouts list. Upstate won game one, 2-0, while Mercer took game two, 5-4, in eight innings.

Childers threw 210 pitches on the day to give everything she had to get Upstate a pair of wins. She finished the day with 18 strikeouts, nine in each game, to increase her career total to 882, surpassing the 873 Brianne Mertens (Samford, 1998-01) struck out for second all-time in the A-Sun. Childers now has 347 this season, the third-highest single-season total in league history.

Upstate stands 31-12 overall and 8-8 in the A-Sun with the split Saturday. The Spartans return to action next Wednesday when they play host to Winthrop in a non-conference matchup. Mercer is 22-25 overall and 4-8 in the conference.

"Putting Morgan on the mound in both games was very stressful for me," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "She gave everything she had in the second game. You feel bad putting her through that, but she wouldn't have had it any other way. To pitch 38 innings in five days tells you what kind of heart the kid has. We are one play here or there away from having a few more wins in the A-Sun. But, we are 8-8 and battling for a position in the A-Sun Tournament. We have two more doubleheaders to play in conference and we are going to have to find a way to win some games."

Childers was masterful in the first game. She took a no-hitter through 6 1/3 innings before giving up a single to Holly Oglesbee with one out in the seventh. She then had to pitch out of a jam to preserve the win. She finished the game with nine strikeouts, tying Mertens for second on the A-Sun's all-time strikeouts list. She improved to 27-5 on the year, tossing her 12th shutout of the year and 28th of her career.

Upstate jumped on top with a run in the first inning when Kim Brasil scored from second as Crislyn Chewning reached on an error. The Spartans made it a 2-0 game with a run in the third inning on Chewning's solo home run to lead off the inning.

The rest of the game was Childers' and she delivered. She went three-up, three-down in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. After giving up the hit to Oglesbee in the seventh, she walked two batters with two outs to load the bases. However, she struck out Lilli Luke to end the game.

Mercer starter Kari Chambers went the distance. She allowed two runs, only one earned, on four hits to take the loss and fall to 6-6 on the year.

The bats came alive for both teams in the second game. Upstate opened up the scoring in the third inning when Kim Brasil singled on a bunt and took off for second on the play. Pinch runner Becca Williams, who started Brasil's at-bat on second and moved to third on the bunt, scored as Brasil got in a rundown.

Upstate added to the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Katie Zauner, Monica Hall and Cheyanna Ohlrich put together back-to-back-to-back doubles to drive in two runs as the Spartans took a 3-0 lead.

Childers was strong throughout the first four innings, but began to tire in the fifth. That's when Mercer began to catch-up to the righty. The Bears cracked the scoreboard in the fifth. They put runners on first and second with no outs when Brandy Keeter doubled to drive in a run. Childers, though, stiffened and struck out the side with runners on second and third to end the threat.

Mercer, though, began to hit its stride offensively and took the lead, 4-3, on Emi Sherrill's three-run homer in the sixth inning.

Upstate wasn't done and with one out in the bottom of the seventh, Lauren Quevedo tied the game with a solo shot to right center, sending the game into extra innings at 4-4.

In the eighth, Upstate No. 2 pitcher Amber Hamilton took the circle in relief of Childers. Sarah Santana led off the inning with a solo home run to give Mercer a 5-4 lead. Hamilton then got out of the inning on a ground out and a double play.

Upstate started to rally in the bottom of the frame when Chewning led off the inning with a single. However, Mercer starter Jenni Holtz stranded Chewning there, getting a pop out and a double play to end the inning and the game.

Holtz went the distance with eight strikeouts. She allowed four runs on eight hits in eight innings to improve to 14-14 on the year. Hamilton took the loss, dropping to 3-5 on the year. Childers finished the game giving up four runs on eight hits and striking out nine in the no decision.

Sherrill, who entered the game after Luke, the starting third baseman, was injured midway through the game, finished 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs to lead Mercer at the plate. Santana also had two hits for the Bears.

Brasil and Chewning led Upstate at the plate with two hits apiece.