Box Score - 1 (PDF) | Box Score - 2 (PDF)
Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate softball team cranked out 10 runs on 15 hits to cruise to a 10-5 win in game one, then dropped a 9-0 decision in game two as the Spartans split their A-Sun doubleheader with Lipscomb Saturday afternoon at Cyrill Stadium.
Upstate stands 36-8 overall and 15-2 in the A-Sun after Saturday's action. Lipscomb ran its record to 23-23 overall and 8-6 in the league. The teams will attempt play the third game of the series Sunday at 1 pm, though heavy rain is expected to hit the Spartanburg area all day.
The game two shutout loss was the first time the Spartans have been shutout at home since March 9, 2013 in a 1-0 loss to North Florida. It also marked just the third time Upstate has been shutout this season following the 2-0 loss at No. 9 Florida State on March 12 and a 3-0 loss at South Carolina on April 7. The loss also snapped a seven-game winning streak in the series for the Spartans.W
ith a home run in game one, Upstate increased its season total to 81 to tie the A-Sun all-time season record hit by Campbell in 2009.
Game 1 – Upstate 10, Lipscomb 5
Lipscomb grabbed the early lead after an Upstate miscue. Brittany Elmore doubled to lead off the game and advanced to third on a throwing error in the outfield on the play. She later scored an unearned run on a sacrifice fly to open a 1-0 lead.
After being held scoreless in the first, Upstate answered in the bottom of the second. The Spartans loaded the bases with no outs and tied the game on Kaitlyn Jaeger's sacrifice fly to center. However, that is all the Spartans could get out of the inning.
Upstate scored four runs to grab the lead in the third to open a 5-1 advantage. With the outfield playing back at the warning track, the Spartans hit four straight singles to score a runner from second each time. Dana Landers, Karla Beasley, Cheyenne Griffin and Kaitlyn Jaeger all delivered with RBI hits.
Lipscomb battled back into the game with a pair of home runs in the fifth. Caitlin Plocheck hit a two run home run to left with one out and Elmore connected on a solo home run with two outs to get Lipscomb within 5-4.
Upstate batted around in the sixth to take final control of the game. Kendall Settlemyre started things off by giving Upstate some insurance, belting a two-run single to left center as the Spartans opened a 7-4 lead. Beasley put the game out of reach with a three-run blast to left center as Upstate took a 10-4 advantage.
Lipscomb wouldn't go away and put the first three batters on to load the bases in the top of the seventh. Paige Neely lifted a sacrifice fly to left to get the Bisons with 10-5. Lipscomb, though, could get nothing else across as Upstate took the win.
Upstate starter Lexi Shubert earned the win after going the distance. She allowed five runs on eight hits with six strikeouts to improve to 26-5. Kelly Young took the loss for Lipscomb. She tossed 5 1/3 innings and allowed nine runs on 13 hits to fall to 12-13 on the year.
Reinfeld, Landers and Beasley led Upstate at the plate, each finishing with three hits. Beasley drove in four runs, while Landers scored three times.
Game 2 – Lipscomb 9, Upstate 0
After getting out of a jam in the first, Upstate was not as fortunate in the second. The first four Lipscomb batters reached on two walks and two singles. Elmore drove in two on a single to center and another run scored on a throwing error trying to pick off the runner at third as the Bisons took a 3-0 lead.
Walks again led to a Lipscomb run in the third when the Bisons drew two free passes and gave up a Plocheck RBI single as the Bisons went ahead, 4-0.
Kinsley Jennings entered the game to start the fourth inning in the circle for the Spartans, spelling starter Amanda Storch. She did her job by shutting down the Lipscomb bats over the next three innings and giving Upstate the opportunity to get back into the game. And, the Spartans did have opportunities.
Upstate looked to get back into the game in a big way in the fourth and loaded the bases with no outs. However, Lipscomb starter Tanner Sanders got two straight force outs at home on grounders and then a called third strike for a strikeout to end the threat to keep the Bisons ahead, 4-0. The Spartans loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but also came away with nothing.
Lipscomb gave itself a lot of breathing room in the seventh, plating five runs to open a 9-0 advantage as the Bisons went on for the win.
Sanders went the distance and earned the win after limiting the Upstate bats throughout the game. She improved to 11-10 on the year with the win in scattering five Upstate hits. Storch (9-3) took the loss for Upstate after allowing four runs on five hits and four walks in three innings.
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