Box Score (.pdf)

Fort Myers, Fla. – Lexi Shubert tossed a complete game and Abbie Millete hit her first grand slam of the season as the second-seeded USC Upstate softball team defeated the sixth-seed Jacksonville Dolphins 6-1 Thursday morning in game three of the 2016 A-Sun Softball Championship from the FGCU Softball Complex.

Upstate improves to 40-13 on the season while Jacksonville falls to 28-29 overall. With the win, the Spartans have now won at least 40 games in a season for the fourth straight year dating back to the 2013 campaign.

Shubert (8-5) picked up her eighth complete game of the year after limiting the Dolphins to just one run on two hits, one walk and striking out six. Taylor Rossman (4-10) suffered the loss after giving up four runs on five hits, four walks and no strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work.

Nine different Upstate batters had one hit each in the contest while Millete drove in a season-high four RBI. Heather Roberts and Ciara Jones posted the only two hits for Jacksonville.

The Spartans stranded five runners on base in the first two innings before going ahead for good during the third. After Ryan Rector popped out to begin the third, Upstate put the next three runners on base in Karla Beasley, Amy Szymanowski and Brittany Case. Beasley started things with a one-out single, Szymanowski was hit by a pitch and Case drew a walk. All three would score on Millete's eighth home run of the season to right center field.

Upstate benefitted from several Dolphin errors to lead 6-0 heading into the sixth after plating a single run each in the fourth and fifth. Kristen Wright, pinch-running for Beasley, came home from third when Millete reached on a fielding error by the JU first baseman in the fourth. The Spartans made it 6-0 in the bottom of the fifth as an RBI infield single by Rector brought home Megan Obier.

Shubert retired the first 13 batters she faced and held a perfect game over 5.1 innings, matching the mark set by Holly McKinnon during her no-hitter on April 24. The junior had a no-hitter until one out in the top of the sixth when Jones took a first-pitch offering to center field for a single.

Roberts put JU on the board in the seventh with her solo home run to left field, making it a 6-1 contest. Following the home run, Shubert wrapped up her complete game with a strikeout and groundout.

Upstate moves on in the winner's bracket and will face the winner of the Florida Gulf Coast/Kennesaw State matchup Friday afternoon at 12:30 p.m.

Follow Upstate softball on your mobile device, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.