Box Score - 1 (PDF) | Box Score - 2 (PDF)
Shellie Robinson's Interview on ESPN Upstate's "Straight Up with Sturg"
Fort Myers, Fla. – Shellie Robinson belted a grand slam to lift the Spartans to the win in game two and Lexi Shubert picked up two wins on the day, one in a complete game start and one in relief, as USC Upstate swept Florida Gulf Coast in an A-Sun doubleheader Friday night at the FGCU Softball Complex.
Shubert tossed a six-hit shutout in game one as the Spartans claimed an 8-0 victory in six innings. She then tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the 7-2 win in game two. She improved to 20-4 on the year with the wins, becoming the first 20-game winner in the A-Sun this season.
Upstate improved to 28-6 overall and 10-1 in the A-Sun with the sweep of FGCU. FGCU fell to 20-21 overall and 3-8 in the league. The teams will complete their series with a single game Saturday starting at 1 p.m. at the FGCU Softball Complex.
Game 1 – Upstate 8, FGCU 0
Upstate used two FGCU miscues to open an early lead in the top of the first inning. After Robinson singled to begin the game, the Spartans put runners on first and second when Aly Schneider reached on a fielder's choice and Robinson was safe at second on a dropped ball. Cheyenne Griffin then laid down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw went wide and Robinson and Schneider came around to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
Upstate made it a 3-0 lead in the second inning when Kaitlyn Jaeger singled down the line in left and Hayley Reinfeld scored from second. Robinson was the catalyst as Upstate opened a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning. She hit a double down the line in left with two outs and scored on Schneider's single up the middle.
Upstate loaded the bases in the sixth and if the game wasn't already out of reach, Griffin put it out of reach when she slapped a two-out double down the line in left to score two and give the Spartans a 6-0 lead. An error by the left fielder allowed two more runs to reach as pinch hitter Ryan Rector moved around to second as Upstate opened an 8-0 advantage.
With Upstate threatening to end the game an inning early due to the run-rule, FGCU worked to make the game go the distance. That did not happen, though. The Eagles put runners on first and second with back-to-back singles and second and third with one out. However, Shubert got a pair of ground outs to end the inning and the game as the Spartans took the win.
Shubert improved to 19-4 with the win. She scattered six hits and struck out seven. Robinson led Upstate at the plate with two hits and three runs. Schneider also had two hits and two runs, while Reinfeld added a pair of hits. For just the second time this season, the Spartans were held without a home run in the game. FGCU starter Ashley Dobson took the loss. She allowed eight runs on 10 hits and three errors to fall to 10-6.
Game 2 – Upstate 7, FGCU 2
After Upstate scratched out eight runs on 10 hits in game one, a classic pitcher's duel broke out in game two. Upstate starter Amanda Storch and FGCU starter Gabbee Draney combined to allow just two runs each in the first six innings. Both pitchers tossed five shutout innings through the first six as well.
After Storch and Draney tossed two scoreless innings to begin the game, Upstate got things going in the third inning. Reinfeld started things off with a double to right center. Schneider followed with a two-run home run to right center as the Spartans opened a 2-0 advantage over the Eagles. It was her sixth home run of the season, and it led to the only runs that crossed the plate in the game.
Storch only allowed one hit in the first five innings. However, she ran into trouble in the sixth as FGCU tied the game. She allowed a two-out single and then Kelsey Carpenter lifted a two-run home run to center to even the game at 2-2. Shubert then entered the game for the Spartans and struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Upstate responded in the top of the seventh. Paris Prusak led off the inning with a single. Pinch runner Kendsey Chappelear advanced to second on Kaitlyn Jaeger's sacrifice bunt. Reinfeld beat out a slow grounder for an infield single to put runners on the corners with one out. The Spartans loaded the bases when Schneider was hit by a pitch, bringing Robinson to the plate in a key spot. She delivered.
Robinson worked the count to 3-2 and pulled a towering foul ball that cleared the fences. One pitch later, she belted a towering grand slam seven feet inside the left field foul pole to give the Spartans a 6-2 lead. It was the game-winning hit.
Upstate was not done. The Spartans loaded the bases with one out and Draney was lifted for Taylor Wade. Ryan Rector plated a run on a sacrifice fly to give Spartans a 7-2 advantage.
After FGCU put the leadoff runner on first following a Spartan error, Shubert hunkered down. She also got a standout play by Griffin at first. Following her error to begin the inning, the first baseman dove to catch a low line drive down the first base line and dove back to the bag to complete the double play.
Shubert tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win and sweep of the doubleheader. Draney took the loss after allowing seven runs on eight Upstate hits to fall to 2-6 on the year.
While Robinson's big hit spelled the difference in the game, Schneider led the Spartans at the plate with a hit, two runs and two RBIs. Prusak also finished with two hits in the game.
