Valparaiso Box Score (.pdf)
SIU-Edwardsville Box Score (.pdf)
Spartanburg, S.C. – Ryan Rector hit four home runs Friday afternoon to lead the USC Upstate softball team to back-to-back wins over the Valparaiso Crusaders and SIU-Edwardsville Cougars on the opening day of the Buffalo Wild Wings Spartan Invitational from Cyrill Stadium.
Upstate improves to 15-2 on the season after defeating Valparaiso 12-4 in five innings during game one before holding off SIU-Edwardsville in the second game for a 10-8 victory.
The Spartans host Presbyterian College Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
Game 1 – Valparaiso 4, USC Upstate 12 (5)
Rector tied the school record for home runs in a game with three as Upstate began play at the Buffalo Wild Wings Spartan Invitational with a 12-4 victory over Valparaiso in five innings. She is the third Spartan in school history to record three homers in a contest joining Kendall Settlemyre (Mar. 22, 2014) and Michelle Bequette (Apr. 6, 1993).
Rector finished the game with three hits, three runs scored and five RBI. Kori Wancheck added two hits and three RBI. Taylor Nadler had one hit and two RBI for the Crusaders.
Kinsley Jennings (1-0) earned the second win of her career in relief after pitching 4.0 innings and giving up two runs (none earned) on one hit, one walk and four strikeouts. Mollie Lindeman (0-2) took the loss after allowing five runs on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts in 1.0 inning of work.
Nadler put Valparaiso ahead 2-0 in the top of the first after her two-run homer off Upstate starter Lexi Shubert. Rector sparked a five-run inning for the Spartans in the bottom of the first to take a 5-2 lead. Wancheck doubled home two more runs and Karla Beasley followed Rector's homer two batters later with an RBI single to left field.
Upstate extended its lead to 7-2 in the second following a two-run frame on Rector's second homer of the day. The Crusaders trimmed their deficit down to three, 7-4, in the top of the third highlighted by a solo homer from Stephanie Moreno to left center field.
The Spartans finished the game scoring five runs over the last two innings with one in the fourth and four in the fifth. Rector capped off her impressive performance with a solo home run to left center field, her third of the game, for the lone run in the bottom of the fourth. Wancheck, Megan Obier, Brittany Case and Amy Szymanowski all had an RBI in the fifth. Szymanowski's RBI infield single ended the game giving Upstate the eight-run victory.
Game 2 – SIU-Edwardsville 8, USC Upstate 10
Abbie Millete and Kendsey Chappelear both had three RBI, while Holly McKinnon picked up her team-leading eighth win of the season, as the Spartans ended their day with a 10-8 win over SIU-Edwardsville.
Szymanowski and Kristen Wright both led Upstate offensively with two hits, while Szymanowski drove in two runs along with Rector. Haley Adrian collected two hits for the Cougars, and Tess Eby and Allison Smiley had three RBI apiece.
McKinnon (8-1) hurled 4.1 innings to pick up the win while surrendering eight runs on seven hits, three walks and three strikeouts. Baylee Douglass (2-2) received the loss after pitching a complete game and allowing 10 runs (one earned) on nine hits, one walk and three strikeouts. Amanda Storch (1) picked up her first career save pitching the final 2.2 innings without giving up a run on one hit and one strikeout.
For the second straight game, the Spartans fell behind 1-0 in the first inning as Alyssa Heren hit a one-out homer to center field. Rector continued her hot-hitting in the bottom of the second as her two-run blast, and fourth of the afternoon, put Upstate back in front 2-1.
The Spartans broke the game open in the third courtesy of seven runs to push their advantage out to 9-1. Szymanowski started the scoring with her RBI single and Millete followed with a three-run homer the next at-bat. Chappelear later cleared the bases with her three RBI triple to center field.
SIU-Edwardsville outscored Upstate 7-1 over the final three innings but fell short in its comeback attempt. The Cougars began things with a three-run fourth all coming on a home run from Smiley. After Szymanowski homered to make it 10-4 in the bottom of the fourth, SIU-Edwardsville added four more runs to cut its deficit down to 10-8. Eby was responsible for three of the four runs with her home run, while Rachel Keller added an RBI single.
Storch retired eight of the nine batters she faced, including the final six in a row, to extend Upstate's winning streak to five games.
Follow Upstate softball on your mobile device, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
