Georgetown-Upstate Box (PDF) | #20 kentucky-Upstate Box (PDF)
Spartanburg, S.C. – Shellie Robinson had a monster day at the plate for the USC Upstate softball team, finishing two games with seven hits, including three home runs, six RBIs and seven runs, leading Upstate to an 8-1 win over Georgetown and a heartbreaking loss in 11 innings to 20th-ranked Kentucky in the final day of the Coke Zero Spartan Classic at Cyrill Stadium.
In the first game Upstate hosted at Cyrill Stadium against a nationally-ranked team, Upstate gave Kentucky all it could handle before the Wildcats prevailed in 11 innings. Upstate suffered its first loss of the season and fell to 10-1 after the day's action. Kentucky improved to 11-3. The Spartans will be back in action Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 in a single game against Appalachian State.
"I thought we played well all weekend long," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "You always wonder what is inside a team until you play a game like we did at the end against Kentucky. There was a lot of heart and energy put into our team and only our team that was very positive. I couldn't be more proud of their performance. Shellie was amazing today. Hannah showed heart in pitching in two games with the flu."
In the tournament finale, Kara Dill reached base on an error to begin the game for Kentucky. But, senior Upstate catcher Ericka Harris (Piedmont, S.C.) threw her out at second trying to steal. Harris' play spurred Upstate and the Spartans delivered in the bottom of the inning.
After Upstate loaded the bases with one out, Jessica Ujvari (Niceville, Fla.) hammered a grand slam over the wall in left to give the Spartans a 4-0 lead over the Wildcats. Ujvari's homer came off of Kentucky starter Lauren Cumbess, who claimed the win over No. 3 California earlier this season.
Kentucky got back in the game with two runs in the top of the second. The Wildcats benefitted by three walks and a hit batter to score the two runs as Kentucky cut the Upstate lead to 4-2. The Wildcats cut the lead even more, 4-3, on Alice O'Brien's solo home run to right in the third.
Upstate came back in the third inning. Robinson (DeLand, FLa.) doubled to drive in pinch runner Kara Lohr (Lexington, N.C.) after Harris' double. That forced Kentucky to change pitchers and bring in Kelsey Nunley, who picked up wins over No. 16 Washington and No. 20 Stanford. Nunley came in and quieted the Spartan bats in the inning.
Kentucky vaulted into the lead with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Dill started things off with an RBI single before Joiner hit a two-run homer to give the Wildcats a 6-5 lead. Upstate tried to answer in the bottom of the fourth, putting two runners on base, but Nunley got out of the inning.
Kentucky made it a 7-5 lead on Maisie Steed's solo home run in the top of the fifth. Upstate got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when Robinson cranked a sky-high homer to left center to cut the Wildcat lead to 7-6.
After a scoreless sixth and top of the seventh, Upstate entered the bottom of the seventh down a run. That quickly changed when Robinson put a solo home run over the wall to tie the game at 7-7 and send it to extra innings.
Playing international tiebreaker rules, neither team could push across a run in the eighth. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third, Kentucky took an 8-7 lead in the ninth inning on a sacrifice fly from O'Brien.
Just as Kentucky did in the top of the inning, Upstate started the ninth by moving the runner over to third on a sacrifice. Harris then came through with an RBI single to tie the game at 8-8. The Wildcats intentionally walked Robinson to put runners at first and second. A fielder's choice later and Upstate had runners on the corners with two outs. But, Nunley got out of the jam with a ground out.
The teams turned in a scoreless 10th. But, the top of the 11th was the difference maker for Kentucky in the game. The Wildcats plated four runs to take a 12-8 lead, which would end up being the final margin. Kentucky put runners on the corners with a bunt single to start the inning, then Joiner singled down the line in left to drive in the eventual game-winning run. Cumbess singled in a run to make it a 10-8 game and the Wildcats scored a run on a throwing error and wild pitch to take a 12-8 lead. Upstate went down in order in the bottom of the frame as the 20th-ranked Wildcats took the win.
Nunley tossed nine innings of relief to pick up the win and improve to 7-0 on the year. She allowed three runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Hannah Alexander (Lexington, N.C.) earned the tough loss. She pitched the last two innings and fell to 5-1 on the year.
Robinson led Upstate at the plate, finishing with three hits, including a pair of solo homers, three RBIs and three runs. Harris also collected three hits for the Spartans. Joiner led Kentucky at the plate, finishing with two hits and three RBIs. Dill had a pair of hits and scored three times.
In the first game of the day, Robinson turned in a tremendous effort at the plate. The sophomore from DeLand, Fla., finished the game with a home run, triple, two doubles, four runs and three RBIs to lead Upstate to the 8-1 victory over Georgetown.
After Upstate starter Jamie Ujvari tossed a scoreless top of the first, Robinson knocked her second home run of the season, a solo shot that gave Upstate a 1-0 lead in the first.
Upstate made it a 3-0 game in the fourth. Robinson led off the inning with a double and scored when Cheyenne Griffin (Moore, S.C.) reached on an error by the second baseman. Dana Landers (Simpsonville, S.C.) later drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
Meredith Barnes (Salem, Ore.) made it a 4-0 Upstate lead in the fifth, leading off with a solo home run to left. Robinson followed with an RBI double to give the Spartans a 5-0 lead. After a sacrifice bunt by Griffin put runners on second and third, Maddison Kieffer (Middleburg, Fla.) drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to give the Spartans a 6-0 advantage.
Georgetown got a run back in the sixth inning, but Upstate plated two in the bottom of the frame to open an 8-1 lead.
Alexander, who missed Saturday's action with an illness, turned in a gutsy relief effort. The junior hurler tossed 3 2/3 innings of relief to earn the win. She struck out two and allowed one run on two hits to improve to 5-0 on the year.
Robsinson was named the MVP of the tournament after finishing the three games with eight hits, including three home runs and three doubles, to go along with nine runs, six RBIs and a 2.000 slugging percentage.
Robinson was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Meredith Barnes and Maddison Kieffer, Kentucky's Lauren Cumbess, Griffin Joiner, Kelsey Nunley and Maisie Steed, and Presbyterian's Kensley Loudermelk and Shelby Petik.
Coke Zero Spartan Classic
Sunday, Feb. 24
9:00 am - Presbyterian 12, Howard 1
11:00 am – Upstate 8, Georgetown 1
1:00 pm - #20 Kentucky 14, Howard 0
3:00 pm - #20 Kentucky 12, Upstate 8
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