Stetson Downs Upstate in First Round of A-Sun Tournament
5/9/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Spartanburg, S.C. – Demi Meza connected on a solo home run in the second inning for the game's only run as the sixth-seeded Stetson Hatters claimed a 1-0 victory over third-seeded USC Upstate in the first round of the A-Sun Tournament at Cyrill Stadium.
Stetson improved to 25-20 on the year with the win and will face #2 Kennesaw State Thursday morning at 10:00 am. Upstate fell to 39-12 and will play in the tournament's first elimination game against #4 Lipscomb Thursday afternoon at 3:00 pm.
After a scoreless first inning, Stetson jumped on top in the second inning when Demi Meza hit a solo home run to right, giving the Hatters a 1-0 lead. Stetson threatened in the third inning, putting runners at first and second with one out, but a fielder's choice grounder and a pop up got Upstate out of the inning.
After that, there wasn't much else that happened in the game other than both team's pitchers not allowing either team to produce anything. Stetson starter Courtney Brandt and Upstate starter Hannah Alexander (Lexington, N.C.) engaged in quite a pitcher's duel. In the end, Brandt came out on top to improve to 11-10 on the year.
Brandt scattered four hits to earn the shutout win, her second win over the Spartans this season. Upstate was not able to string together multiple hits in any inning, getting solo hits in the first, third, sixth and seventh innings.
Alexander took the loss for Upstate. She fell to 26-6 on the year after allowing just two hits over seven innings. However, the homer to Meza was the difference as Upstate could not push anything across offensively. Following the third inning, Alexander retired the side in order in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings and only allowed a walk in the sixth to break up the string of outs.
In other action on the day, fifth-seeded Jacksonville claimed a 2-1 victory over fourth-seeded Lipscomb. Jacksonville advances to face top-seeded Florida Gulf Coast at 12:30 pm. Lipscomb falls to the loser's bracket with the loss and will face… in the first elimination game of the tournament at 3:00 pm.
Thursday, May 10 Schedule
10:00 am - #2 Kennesaw State vs. #6 Stetson
12:30 pm - #1 Florida Gulf Coast vs. #5 Jacksonville
3:00 pm - #3 Upstate vs. #4 Lipscomb (Elimination Game)
5:30 pm – Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 (Elimination Game)
