Kent State Box Score (.pdf)

N.C. Central Box Score (.pdf)

Spartanburg, S.C. – Amanda Storch's no-hitter against the North Carolina Central Eagles Sunday afternoon highlighted the final day of action for the USC Upstate softball team as it wrapped up play at the Upstate Invitational from Cyrill Stadium.

Upstate began the day by dropping its first game of the season, 2-1, versus the Kent State Golden Flashes before bouncing back with a 4-0 triumph over North Carolina Central.

The Spartans exit the weekend with a 7-1 overall record and hit the road Wednesday for a doubleheader against Charlotte beginning at 3 p.m.

Game 1 – Kent State 2, USC Upstate 1
Ronnie Ladines (6-0) remained unbeaten for Kent State after tossing a complete game as Upstate fell 2-1 for its first loss of the season.

Holly McKinnon (2-1) suffered the loss for the Spartans after also going the distance on the mound. McKinnon gave up two runs on six hits, two walks and six strikeouts while registering her third complete game of the year. Ladines allowed one run on five hits and struck out six Spartan hitters.

Ryan Rector led Upstate offensively with a two-hit performance and Brittany Case had one RBI. Erika Warren had two hits including the go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the second.

Kendsey Chappelear started the game for the Spartans with a leadoff triple in the bottom of the first against Ladines. Case would bring her home two batters later with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

McKinnon managed to get the first two Golden Flashes hitters out in the second before Jen Cader reached on a double. Warren followed by giving Kent State the one-run lead with her home run over the left field fence.

Upstate was held two hits until it looked to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth after Amy Szymanowski and Karla Beasley recorded back-to-back singles to begin the frame. Ladines got out of the jam by retiring the next three batters including two strikeouts.

The Spartans attempted a late rally in bottom of the seventh as Rector collected a single up the middle to start the inning. She would advance to second following a sacrifice bunt by Abbie Millete. Upstate was unable to do anything else as Ladines wrapped up the complete game victory with a pop out and strikeout.

Game 2 – N.C. Central 0, USC Upstate 4
Storch is the first Spartan pitcher to toss a no-hitter since Lexi Shubert accomplished the feat on Apr. 25, 2015 in game one of a doubleheader against Northern Kentucky.

Storch (2-0) picked up her second win of the weekend after tying a career-high with nine strikeouts and surrendering just one walk. Jennifer Allison (0-1) suffered the loss for the Eagles as she pitched 6.0 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits, no walks and two strikeouts.

Case, Beasley and Millete each had two hits during the contest, and Beasley drove in a team-high two RBI. Millete added an RBI, while Szymanowski and Kayla Hussey both recorded one hit apiece.

Neither team scored in the first three innings before Upstate got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the fourth with two runs. Beasley accounted for both runs with her homer as the Spartans took a 2-0 lead. Upstate added a single run each in the fifth and six innings to increase its advantage to 4-0. Case had a two-out triple in the fifth and scored the next at-bat on a wild pitch. Millete doubled home Gemma Miller, who pinch ran for Beasley after her single, with one out in the sixth inning.

Storch allowed just two base runners on the afternoon with a first inning error and a walk in the top of the third. The sophomore turned in five 1-2-3 innings and retired the final 12 N.C. Central batters she faced.

Spartans Place Three on Upstate Invitational All-Tournament Team
The Spartans concluded the Upstate Invitational with a 5-1 record and had three players named to the All-Tournament Team. The three selections for the Spartans were Storch, Case and Rector.

Storch went 2-0 on the weekend, highlighted by Sunday's no-hitter, with a 0.00 ERA in 14.0 innings of work.

Case and Rector combined to go 17-for-32 at the plate with three homers and 10 runs batted in. Case led Upstate offensively with a .533 average while contributing seven runs, six RBI, three doubles, one triple and one home run. Rector posted a .529 average at the plate to go with six runs scored, four RBI, two doubles and two home runs.

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