Box Score (.pdf)

Spartanburg, S.C. – Brittany Case homered and Holly McKinnon pitched a complete game in relief as the USC Upstate softball team closed out the Spartan Classic Sunday afternoon with a 2-0 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes at Cyrill Stadium.

The Spartans improve to 11-2 on the season while Ohio State falls to 9-4. Upstate finishes the Spartan Classic with a 4-1 record, tying the Buckeyes for the best record over the three-day tournament.

Case recorded two of Upstate's four hits on the afternoon and drove in two runs after hitting her second home run of the season. Ansley Gilstrap and Megan Obier both had one hit each. Cammi Prantl led Ohio State with two hits.

McKinnon (5-1) came on in relief of Spartan starter Lexi Shubert two batters into the game and collected her team-leading fourth complete game of the season. The junior struck out eight batters over the course of seven innings and gave up five hits while allowing no walks. Shelby Hursh (4-2) took the loss after surrendering two runs on four hits, two walks and seven strikeouts.

Shubert ran into trouble early in the top of the first after hitting Maddy McIntyre to start the contest. McIntyre would then advance to second after a wild pitch leading to McKinnon entering the game. McKinnon followed by striking out Alex Bayne and Erika Leonard before ending the frame when Prantl flew out to Case in left field.

The Spartans looked to strike first in the bottom of the second after Amy Szymanowski led off the inning with a walk. She moved across to third after a groundout by Karla Beasley and Ansley Gilstrap's infield single. Hursh got out of the inning by striking out the next two Upstate hitters.

Case put the Spartans ahead 2-0 in the third with her second homer of the season on a 3-2 pitch from Hursh that sailed over the right field fence. Obier led off the inning with a double down the left field line and scored on the long ball from Case.

That would be all McKinnon needed as she limited the Buckeyes to just two hits over the final four innings highlighted by a 1-2-3 fifth. After giving up a leadoff single in the top of seventh to pinch-hitter Jess Machovina, McKinnon retired the next three, and secured the two-run win, after striking out Bayne swinging.

McKinnon was named to the Spartan Classic All-Tournament Team along with Case and Kendsey Chappelear.

Upstate remains at Cyrill Stadium on Tuesday, Mar. 1 as it hosts Furman in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.

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