Box Score Game Box (PDF) | Highlights
Spartanburg, S.C. – Shellie Robinson entered Sunday's series finale against Florida Gulf Coast having been walked three times in Saturday's doubleheader. She was again walked three times in the game Sunday, but the junior came away with three RBIs to lead the USC Upstate softball team to a 3-0 victory and series sweep of the Eagles Sunday afternoon at Cyrill Stadium.
Robinson picked up her game-winning RBI with a bases loaded walk in the second and added a two-run home run in the fourth to account for the Spartan offense.
Upstate improved to 29-4 overall and 10-2 in the A-Sun with the win. The Spartans will play host to Lipscomb in a three-game series next Saturday and Sunday at Cyrill Stadium. The sweep was the third of the season for Upstate in A-Sun play, having already swept Jacksonville and North Florida. FGCU fell to 19-14-1 overall and 4-5 in the A-Sun with the loss.
"It was very good to get the sweep against FGCU. They always play us well and very tough. Now we turn our attention to Lipscomb next weekend. We are going to work very hard at getting better," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins.
After play was delayed by 2 ½ hours due to rain, the game finally started at 2:30 p.m.
Upstate starter Hannah Alexander helped herself out after running into a bit of trouble in the second inning. She had runners on first and second with one out when she faced Jeanie Verderese. Verderese hit a shot back at Alexander who was able to get a glove on it and deflect it to Maddison Kieffer at short, who gathered the ball up and tossed it to second for the force out. She then got the next batter to ground out to end the inning.
After being held scoreless in the first inning, Upstate broke through in the second inning. After Cheyenne Griffin walked to lead off the inning, Kendall Settlemyre doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs. The double came a day after the junior third baseman belted three home runs in the 11-3 victory over the Eagles in the second game of the doubleheader sweep Saturday.
The Spartans loaded the bases with one out. FGCU starter Jackie Owen got a fielder's choice force out at home for the second out of the inning, bringing up Robinson. Robinson, who was already walked her first time up, walked again to bring in the game's first run as Upstate opened a 1-0 lead. Owen got out of the inning on Dana Landers' fly out.
Robinson gave Upstate a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning when she cranked a two-run, two-out home run to left. It was the 11th homer of the year for the junior and her 121st career RBI, breaking the Division I era school record of 119 held by Lauren Quevedo from 2008-11.
Upstate pitchers Alexander and reliever Lexi Shubert, who entered the game with no outs in the fifth, kept the FGCU bats at bay. Alexander went four innings, scattering four hits and striking out two to earn the win and improve to 7-1 on the year. Shubert tossed three innings in relief, allowing two hits to pick up her second save of the season.
FGCU pitchers Owen and reliever Shelby Morgan allowed just four Upstate hits in the game. However, Robinson made them pay with three RBIs. Owen fell to 4-2 after allowing three runs on three Upstate hits.
In addition to the history made by Robinson, Kieffer also made history. She finished the game with three assists to become Upstate's Division I era career leader. She now has 176, topping the 174 by Ericka Harris (2010-13).
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