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Nashville, Tenn. – In what was an improbable elimination game between the top two seeds in the A-Sun Tournament on the first day of eliminations in the tournament, No. 21 Upstate staved off elimination with a 3-0 victory over Lipscomb Thursday evening at Draper Diamond.
Upstate advances to play Florida Gulf Coast at 12:30 p.m. Friday at Draper Diamond in the first elimination game of Friday and third of the tournament. The game time was moved up due to the forecast of rain moving into the area. FGCU fell to Stetson in the tournament opener on Wednesday and staved off elimination with a 5-3 win over Kennesaw State Thursday. Upstate fell to Mercer, 4-3, earlier Thursday to fall into the loser's bracket.
"We dug ourselves a hole with the loss in the first game, but came back with a very strong effort against Lipscomb," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "Anna (Miller) pitched very well and we got some hits when we needed them. We have a long way to go in the tournament, but I feel good about the effort in the second game."
Upstate improved to 45-6 on the year with the win and has now won six consecutive games against the Lady Bisons. Lipscomb fell to with the loss.
Anna Miller got the start for Upstate and was on her game early on. She struck out two batters in each of the first and third innings, limiting Lipscomb to two hits. She also got a standout play from center fielder Shellie Robinson in the second.
Kristen Sturdivant singled to the gap in left center and attempted to turn it into a double. However, Robinson gunned the ball on one hop to Dana Landers in time to get the Sturdivant out by two feet at second.
With Miller solid in the circle early on, Kendall Settlemyre gave Upstate the game's first runs in the third. Robinson slapped a one-out single and Settlemyre followed with a two-run home run to left as the Spartans opened a 2-0 lead. The blast chased Lipscomb starter Ashley Anderson from the game. Anderson had gone the distance in the 2-0 loss to Stetson earlier in the day.
Lipscomb used back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with one out in the top of the fourth inning. Miller, though, stayed strong and got a pair of strikeouts to get out of the threat and keep the Spartans on top, 2-0.
Aly Schneider gave Upstate some additional insurance in the bottom of the sixth inning. With two outs and Erin Schattle on first, Schneider lifted a long fly ball that hit near the top of the wall in left. Schattle scored from first as Schneider coasted into second with a double to give Upstate a 3-0 lead.
After pitching out of the jam in the fourth, Miller sat down Lipscomb in order in the fifth and sixth. Despite allowing a two-out single, Miller closed out the game to give the Spartans the win and stay alive in the A-Sun Tournament.
Miller improved to 18-4 on the year with the win. She finished with nine strikeouts while scattering five hits. Anderson took the loss and fell to 19-6 on the year. Robinson and Settlemyre each finished with a pair of hits to lead Upstate at the plate.
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