DeLand, Fla. – In a career full of achievements, USC Upstate pitcher Morgan Childers earned the win in the first game of a doubleheader sweep of Stetson, tying the A-Sun career record for wins with 108. In addition to the Childers' career achievement, the Spartans collected 21 hits on the day and picked up two important league wins by scores of 4-2 and 5-0.
Childers (Kings Mountain, N.C.) went the distance in game one. She allowed two runs on three hits with nine strikeouts to improve to 24-5 on the year. She picked up career win No. 108 to tie the A-Sun all-time record also held by Nikki Myers, who played at Florida Atlantic from 1999-02. In addition to her A-Sun record, Childers owns 10 career records at Upstate.
"It's amazing how time flies," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "For someone who has done so much for our entire program, to have a day today where she led us to an important win and reach a tremendous career achievement is something special and well deserved.
"Getting these two wins was very important today. We obviously got very good pitching and played solid defense. Even more, it was very good to see us explode for 21 hits today after our performance on Thursday. It shows that the players are determined to do what they need to do to finish out the season they way we need to."
Upstate broke on top with two runs in the top of the first inning on Lauren Quevedo's (Wellington, Fla.) two-run home run. It was her 11th of the season and set the tone for the game. Upstate added to the lead with a run in the third inning on Janna Lewis' (Huntersville, N.C.) RBI single. Upstate made it a 4-0 game on Quevedo's RBI double.
Stetson tried to get back in the game and looked to have cut the lead to one on Katelyn Perna's three-run homer. However, she failed to touch home and was ruled out when Upstate appealed, taking the score to a 4-2 Spartan lead.
Childers recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh to get the win. Stetson's Meredith Owen went the distance, allowing four runs on 11 hits. She fell to 5-10 on the year.
Quevedo finished with three hits and three RBIs to lead the Upstate attack at the plate. Katie Zauner (Canby, Ore.) and Lewis each finished with two.
In game two, Upstate starter Hannah Alexander tossed a strong game to earn her 10th win of the season and earn the shutout in the 5-0 win. She scattered seven hits and struck out three to improve to 10-4 on the year.
After three scoreless innings, Upstate broke on top with four runs in the fourth inning. Cheyanna Ohlrich (North Bend, Ore.) doubled to drive in a pair of runs and scored, along with Katelyn Molkenthin (Valrico, Fla.), on Lindsay Kelly's (Jacksonville, Fla.) RBI double.
The Spartans added an unearned run in the fifth inning on Zauner's RBI single up the middle to make it a 5-0 lead.
Alexander was in control throughout the game. She pitched out of jams in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the shutout win. In the sixth, Stetson put runners on first and third with two outs, but Alexander induced a pop out to end the inning. In the seventh, the Hatters loaded the bases with two outs before Alexander struck out Rachel Lowe to end the game.
Ohlrich led Upstate at the plate in the game, finishing with three hits and two RBIs. Kelly had two hits with an RBI. Ericka Harris (Piedmont, S.C.) also finished with two hits.
