Box Score Game Box (PDF)
Chapel Hill, N.C. – The USC Upstate softball team got key outings from a pair of Fred T. Foard High School products with Lexi Shubert's complete game one-hit shutout and Kendall Settlemyre's game-winning RBI as the 25th-ranked Spartans claimed a 1-0 victory over North Carolina at Williams Field.
Upstate improved to 4-2 all-time against ACC schools in the school's Division I era, all coming this season. The Spartans improved to 20-2 on the year and returns home to host S.C. State for a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 12 noon. North Carolina fell to 8-9.
"For Lexi not to walk a batter and only give up one hit in sleet and rain says a whole lot about her mentality and approach," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "For her to just be a freshman is amazing. We came back today with solid defense and one run was enough."
With sleet falling at Williams Field and the teams playing a scoreless first, Upstate scored the game's only run in the second inning. Cheyenne Griffin led off the inning with a double and moved to third on Maddison Kieffer's single up the middle. Settlemyre drove in Griffin from third on a fielder's choice to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
Upstate looked to add to its lead in the fourth inning. After putting runners on first and second with no outs, the Spartans stranded the runners. UNC starter Lori Spingola got two fly outs and a strikeout to get the Tar Heels out of the jam.
Shubert was outstanding in the circle for Upstate. She allowed just one hit, a two-out double in the third, and struck out five to improve to 10-0 on the year. She allowed just two batters to reach base in the complete game effort.
Settlemyre reached twice, including the game-winning fielder's choice. Kieffer and Dana Landers finished with a pair of hits, while Griffin also reached base twice and scored the game-winning run.
Spingola took the loss for North Carolina. She allowed one run on six hits to fall to 4-5.
Upstate improved to 2-10 all-time against North Carolina, picking up the win in the first meeting between the teams in the Spartans' Division I era. The teams were scheduled to play in 2008 and again in 2013, but weather caused those games to be canceled. Despite the cold, wet and icy conditions Thursday, the teams finally played.
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