Columbia, S.C. – Morgan Childers tossed her fifth career no-hitter and USC Upstate hit three home runs to open the 2011 season in grand fashion by taking an 8-0 victory over Coastal Carolina Friday night in the nightcap of the Palmetto State Showdown at Beckham Field at the University of South Carolina.
Childers, a senior from Kings Mountain, N.C., tossed a gem. She struck out 14 batters in six innings after the game ended one inning short because of the 8-run rule. She was never in any trouble in the game. The no-hitter was the fifth of her career. She tossed one each as a freshman and a sophomore before recording two last season.
Lauren Quevedo (Wellington, Fla.) and Katie Zauner (Canby, Ore.) each supplied the power for Upstate. Quevedo finished with two home runs, belting a three-run homer and a two-run bomb. Zauner connected on a solo shot.
"For the first game of the season, I would say we played as complete a game as we could," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "Morgan was unstoppable pitching and we hit very well. We used power and we manufactured runs. We also played excellent defense when they put the ball in play. It was a very good start to the season and now we have to turn our attention to Charleston Southern."
Quevedo got things started in the top of the first inning, knocking her first home run of the game, a three-run shot with Kim Brasil (Mississauga, Ontario) and Ericka Harris (Piedmont, S.C.) on base.
Childers struck out the side in each of the first two innings to set the tone defensively. Zauner made it a 4-0 game with a solo shot to left field. The home run cleared the fence by more than 30 feet.
Childers remained in command and Upstate added to the lead with Quevedo's second dinger of the game, a two-run shot with Harris on base. The Spartans made it an 8-0 lead with a pair of runs in the sixth. Brasil singled to left to drive in Haley Sheehan (Graniteville, S.C.) and Zauner picked up another RBI with a single to center that scored Lindsay Kelly (Jacksonville, Fla.).
Childers ended the game in the sixth when she struck out two and induced a pop-up.
Quevedo finished the game with five RBIs to lead the Upstate offensive attack. Zauner, Harris and Brasil each finished with two hits. Kelly, a freshman, began her college career in grand fashion, finishing 3-for-3 with a run scored. Fellow freshman Ashley Butler also picked up her first college hit as well.
