Game 1 Box Score (.pdf)

Game 2 Box Score (.pdf)

Durham, N.C. – The USC Upstate softball team closed out a six-game road trip on Wednesday by splitting a non-conference doubleheader with the Duke Blue Devils from Duke Softball Stadium.

The Spartans move their record to 22-12 on the season while the Blue Devils are 18-15 overall.

USC Upstate captured game one of the doubleheader 3-1 in eight innings and Duke came back to win game two 6-5.

GAME ONE – USC UPSTATE 3, DUKE 1 (8)

Scoring Breakdown

• Top 4^th – The Spartans grabbed the early 1-0 lead in the fourth after a Blue Devil wild pitch. Brittany Case led off the inning with a triple to center field and scored a couple of pitches later on a wild pitch by Brianna Butler.
• Bottom 5^th – Duke tied the game at 1-1 on a leadoff home run to left field by Jazmine Moreno.
• Top 8^th – USC Upstate took the lead for good in extra innings following a two-run frame. Elisa Cecchetti was placed on second base to start the inning and was pinch-run for by Tarynn Tirpak. Tirpak scored on an RBI sacrifice fly to left field by Kristen Wright. Ansley Gilstrap, who reached base on a walk, came home on Karla Beasley's RBI single to right center field.

Notables

• Christina Biggerstaff (10-7) tied her career-long outing of eight innings and allowed just one run on six hits, three walks and three strikeouts to earn the win.
• Katherine Huey (7-6) suffered the loss in relief giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits, one walk and one strikeout in three innings of work.
• Beasley led the Spartans offensively with a 2-for-4 performance and one RBI.
• Wright also had one hit and one RBI.
• Gilstrap, Case and Tirpak all scored one run apiece.
• Case, Kendsey Chappelear and Megan Obier each collected one hit.
• Dominique Salinas had a team-high two hits for the Blue Devils while Moreno drove in one run.

GAME TWO – USC UPSTATE 5, DUKE 6

Scoring Breakdown

• Bottom 2^nd – Duke scored twice in its half of the second and led 2-0. Kortney Dry started the scoring reaching on a fielder's choice as Amelia Wiercioch crossed home plate. Moreno followed with an RBI double to right center field.
• Bottom 3^rd – The Blue Devils extended their lead to 3-0 on an RBI triple to right center field by Wiercioch.
• Top 5^th – USC Upstate cut the lead down to 3-1 as Tirpak scored from third when Makenna Helton, pinch-running for Kori Wancheck, was caught in a rundown between first and second. Tirpak was also pinch-running for Logan Morris, who led off the inning with a single to center field, and moved to third on Chappelear's sacrifice bunt and a fielder's choice from Wancheck.
• Bottom 5^th – Duke answered with a single run to go back ahead by three runs, 4-1, on Rachel Abboud's RBI single to center field.
• Top 7^th – The Spartans rallied back to take a 5-4 lead after scoring four times in the seventh. Obier highlighted the inning with a two-RBI double to open the scoring. Kayla Hussey tied the game following an RBI sacrifice fly to right field. Wright gave USC Upstate the one-run lead with her RBI single.
• Bottom 7^th – The Blue Devils added two runs to pick up the 6-5 victory. Wiercioch tied the game with her RBI single to center field and Dry drove in the game-winner the next at-bat on a single to left field.

Notables

• Peyton St. George (5-4) picked up the win throwing 2.1 innings and allowed four runs (one earned) on three hits, two walks and one strikeout.
• Kelsey Sweatt (3-1) took the loss surrendering two runs on five hits, no walks and one strikeout in 2.1 innings of relief.
• Wright and Morris both contributed two hits for the Spartans.
• Obier had a team-leading two RBI and scored one run.
• USC Upstate also received RBI's from Wright and Hussey.
• Morris, Tirpak, Chappelear and Kaylyn DeVaney all scored one run.
• Wiercioch finished with three hits and two RBI for Duke while Dry went 2-for-4 with one RBI.

UP NEXT

• The Spartans host Florida Gulf Coast this weekend, March 30-31, in a three-game series at Cyrill Stadium.

Follow USC Upstate softball on Facebook (UpstateAthletics), Twitter (@UpstateSoftball), Instagram (@upstatespartans), YouTube (USCUpstateAthletics) and text/e-mail alerts (www.upstatespartans.com/list-signup).