Game One Box (PDF) | Game Two Box (PDF)

Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate softball team claimed a dominant 8-0 victory in five innings over Maryland Eastern Shore in its first game of the Spartan Invitational, then dropped a 3-2 decision to Bryant in a matchup of 2014 NCAA Tournament teams Saturday afternoon at Cyrill Stadium.

Upstate stands 5-2 on the year following the split in Saturday's action. The Spartans will close out the action in the Spartan Invitational Sunday when it plays Bryant again in a 1 p.m. start. Bryant improved to 3-0 on the year. The Bulldogs claimed a 19-6 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore to start the day and did so in record fashion. They hit 10 home runs in the game to tie the NCAA Division I record for home runs in a game. They broke the NCAA Division I record with seven home runs hit in the third inning, topping the old record of five held by several schools.

The game between Upstate and Bryant was against teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last year. Upstate played in the Tuscaloosa Regional hosted by national runner-up Alabama and Bryant played in the Norman Regional hosted by Oklahoma. The loss snapped a 28-game winning streak at Cyrill Stadium for the Spartans. The last time Upstate lost was in the final home game of the 2013 season against Appalachian State on April 23.

Upstate 8, Maryland Eastern Shore 0
Upstate didn't take long to establish itself in the game against Maryland Eastern Shore, belting two home runs in the bottom of the first to open a 5-0 lead. Cheyenne Griffin doubled down the line to drive in two runs to start things off. Karla Beasley followed with a two-run home run and Dana Landers went back-to-back with a solo homer as the Spartans opened a 5-0 lead after one.

Shellie Robinson made it a 7-0 Upstate lead with a two-run homer in the second. It was the fourth home run of the season for the senior. The Spartans made it an 8-0 game when a run scored on a passed ball in the third.

Amanda Storch went 4 1/3 innings to earn her first collegiate victory and improve to 1-1. She struck out four, allowed just one hit and walked none to get the win. Kaitlyn Hitch took the loss to fall to 0-2.

Robinson and Beasley each went 2-for-3 with two RBIs to lead Upstate at the plate. The Spartans hit three home runs in the game to increase its season total to 11.

Bryant 3, Upstate 2
After two scoreless innings to start the game, Bryant made some noise in the top of the third. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out. After Upstate starter Lexi Shubert struck out the next batter to get two outs, Madeline Velasquez drove in two runs on a bloop single to right center to open the scoring. Bryant made it a 3-0 lead when pitcher Elle Madsen reached on an error to bring Liana Ogata home from third.

Bryant starter Elle Madsen was strong through the first five innings. She allowed just three hits and did not allow a Spartan to reach third. Despite the early effort, she ran into trouble in the sixth inning. Hayley Reinfeld singled to center to start the inning and Robinson pegged her in the shin with a line drive to put runners on first and second and no outs.

Upstate loaded the bases on Beasley's one-out single to bring up Landers. Landers grounded out to second but drove in a run to get the Spartans within 3-1. Madsen got the next Spartan to ground out to end the threat.

Upstate inched closer when Aly Schneider led off the seventh inning with a solo home run to left field to get the Spartans within a run, 3-2. The Spartans put a runner on first with two outs, but Madsen got a pop up to end the game and give Bryant a 3-2 win.

Madsen improved to 2-0 with the win. She went the distance, allowing two runs on seven hits. Shubert also went the distance and fell to 3-1 after allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits with eight strikeouts. Beasley led the Spartans at the plate, finishing with two hits.

2015 Spartan Invitational
Friday, Feb. 20
Game 1 – Bryant 11, Maryland Eastern Shore 1

Saturday, Feb. 21
Game 2 – Bryant 19, Maryland Eastern Shore 6
Game 3 – Upstate 8, Maryland Eastern Shore 0
Game 4 – Bryant 3, Upstate 2

Sunday, Feb. 22
Game 5 – Bryant at Upstate, 1 p.m.