April 6, 2010

Box Score

Columbia, S.C. - Morgan Childers struck out 12 and tossed a two-hit shutout to tie USC Upstate's all-time shutouts record and the Spartans scored three runs in the first inning to set the tone in a 6-0 victory at South Carolina Tuesday afternoon.

Childers, a junior from Kings Mountain, N.C., topped 800 strikeouts for her career and now has 808. The nation's ERA leader also dropped her average to 0.60 on the year and improved to 21-3. She now has 25 shutouts to tie Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame member Kristy Middagh for top honors in the history of the program. She surpassed Middagh's school record for wins last weekend and now has a school-best 71 in her career.

Upstate improved to 25-7 on the year and will travel to Jacksonville, Fla., to take on North Florida and Jacksonville Friday and Saturday in a pair of A-Sun doubleheaders. The win over the Gamecocks was the first ever for the program against an opponent in the SEC, and it marked the first time any Upstate team has ever defeated South Carolina in a regular season contest in the history of the Upstate Athletics program. South Carolina fell to 10-27.

"We played another complete game," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "We executed the signs we were given. We played well on offense and defense. It's a pleasure to coach this team right now. Morgan showed today that she can more than compete with anyone."

It didn't take long for Upstate to set the tone and establish itself in the game. The Spartans scored three runs in the top of the first when Katie Zauner, Monica Hall and Cheyanna Ohlrich singled to drive in runs. Childers struck out two in the first inning as Upstate opened a 3-0 lead after one.

Upstate added to the lead when Kim Brasil collected an RBI single in the second inning as the Spartans opened a 4-0 lead.

Neither team scored in the next three innings before Upstate put the game away with a pair of runs in the sixth. Brasil doubled with two outs and Ericka Harris drove her in with an RBI single. Reigning A-Sun Player of the Week Crislyn Chewning later scored when Katie Zauner reached on an error.

Childers was simply dominant in the circle for Upstate. She allowed just two hits in seven innings. She gave up a hit in each of the fourth and seventh innings. She also benefitted from a key defensive play when Chewning dove to catch a line drive off the bat of P.J. Fulmer. Childers struck out two batters in each of the first, second, fifth, sixth and seventh innings, striking out the side in the fifth.

Hall led Upstate at the plate with three hits. Brasil, Chewning and Ohlrich each tallied a pair of hits for the Spartans. Chewning also scored two runs.