SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate softball team will venture away from the friendly confines of Cyrill Stadium for the first time on Wednesday afternoon with a short excursion up I-85 to battle UNC Charlotte at 4 p.m.
 
The Spartans and the 49ers are meeting for the eighth time in Division-I history on Wednesday afternoon. USC Upstate (8-1) has won the past five meetings in the series dating back to the 2009 season. The last time these two teams met was in 2018, USC Upstate walked away with a two-game sweep over the 49ers.
 
USC Upstate enters Wednesday's matchup having won six consecutive games. The Spartans went 4-0 this past weekend in the Spartan Classic, with wins over Maryland Eastern Shore, Massachusetts, Oakland and Buffalo.
 
In the final game of the tournament a pair of Spartan freshman carried the team to victory. Trailing 5-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, Sarah Price got plunked by a pitch to lead-off the inning for the Spartans. A bunt single by Savannah Grigsby put a pair of ducks on the pond for the Spartans and freshman Tiffany Domingue singled up the middle to pull the Spartans within a pair of runs. One batter later and freshman Peyton Darnell hit a three-run walk-off homerun to give the Spartans the victory.
 
Statistically four Spartans are hitting at least .400 at the plate this season. Domingue leads the Spartans in almost every offensive category, batting average (.467), at-bats (30), hits (14), doubles (4), homeruns (1), RBI's (10), total bases (21) and slugging percentage (.700). The Palmetto State native also leads the team in multi-hit games (6) and multi-RBI games (4). Max Barnes is second on the team in both batting average (.412) and hits (7), while Peyton Darnell and Savannah Grigsby both have an even 10 hits on the season.
 
In the circle Celina Sullivan is coming off one of the best weeks of her career. The senior went 3-0 last week and struck out a career high 11 batters against North Carolina Central. Sullivan is currently second on the team in total innings pitched (20.0) and she leads the team in strikeouts with 25 on the season. Erin Hill currently leads the team in innings pitched (22.0) and is second on the team in total strikeouts with 22.
 
Charlotte is 5-6 overall this season and they have won three consecutive games dating back to Valentine's Day. The 49ers are 0-2 against Big South opponents this season having been swept by Gardner-Webb in a mid-week series a week ago. Charlotte is coming off an 11-1 run rule victory over Morehead State on Sunday afternoon.
 
Offensively the 49ers are led by Madelyn Wright and Bailey Vannoy. Wright leads the team in hitting percentage (.481), while Vannoy has emerged as the power hitter with six homeruns and 13-RBI's in the first 11 games of the season. In the circle the 49ers probable starters for the game are Maddux Hughes and Carson Pace both of which have started at least three games this season. Pace leads the team in innings pitched (32.1), strikeouts (27) and opponent's batting average (.313).   
 
UP next for the Spartans
USC Upstate will be back home this coming weekend as they host the Wings ETC… Classic at Cyrill Stadium. The Spartans first game of the classic will be on Saturday, February 22 against Maine at 1:00 p.m.

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