SPARTANBURG, S.C. – For the fourth consecutive season the USC Upstate softball team will host the Wings ETC… Classic at Cyrill Stadium, the Spartans will face off against South Carolina State and East Tennessee State in the two-day tournament.
 
USC Upstate (3-0) holds a perfect 13-0 record in the Wings ETC… Classic, since its inception during the 2018 softball season. Over the four-year span, the Spartans defeated Indiana twice and last season the Spartans defeated the University of Virginia in the tournament.
 
The Spartans are more than eager to get back out on the field after a week off of competition. USC Upstate started the season off in dramatic fashion, with freshman right fielder Celeste Delorenzo (Ormond Beach, Fla.) hitting the walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to give the Spartans their first win of the season against Dayton. In the night cap of the double header the Spartans defeated the Flyers by a score of 5-2 and gave Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins his 500^th Division I win. On Sunday afternoon, the Spartans battled the elements as Peyton Darnell (Fort Mill, S.C.) powered the offense with a three-RBI performance.
 
The USC Upstate pitching staff was lights out opening weekend as they combined for 35 strikeouts over three games. Savannah Brown (Mint Hill, N.C.) earned Big South Pitcher of the Week honors after pitching all 9.0 innings against Dayton and striking out a career high 14 batters in the process. Mallie Brown (Stockbridge, Ga.) finished the weekend with a 2-0 record and struck out 19 batters over 12 innings of work. The Peach State native struck out 11 batters against North Carolina Central to set a new personal best. Freshman Adison Yoder (Newton, N.C.) picked up her first save of the season in the 3-0 win over N.C. Central.
 
Delorenzo took home Big South Freshman of the week honors for her heroics on opening day, but she is also one of five Spartans batting over .300 this year. Savannah Grigsby (Elgin, S.C.) leads the team with a .500 batting average, followed by Sarah Price (Landrum, S.C.) who is batting .400 on the season. Price also leads the team in doubles (2) and is tied for the team lead with three RBI's on the season. Marisa Soterakis (Miramar, Fla.) is batting .375 and Dezi Williams (Old Fort, N.C.) rounds out the .300 hitters with a .333 batting average. Darnell and Tiffany Domingue (York, S.C.) both hit homeruns on opening weekend.
 
Since 2014, USC Upstate is a perfect 6-0 against South Carolina State and they have outscored the Bulldogs by a combined score of 70-0. Last season, the Spartans defeated South Carolina State by a combined score of 23-0 in what turned out to be the final home series of the 2020 season. Domingue and Darnell paced the potent USC Upstate offense, Domingue went 3-for-5 at the plate with 4 RBI's and a trio of run's scored. Meanwhile, Darnell ended the day with a 4-for-5 day at the plate with a quartet of RBI's and run's scored.
 
USC Upstate and East Tennessee State are meeting for the 22^nd time in Division I history this weekend. The Spartans hold a 16-5 overall advantage in the series and they have won 10 straight against the Buccaneers dating back to the 2014 softball season. The Spartans are also 9-2 inside the friendly confines of Cyrill Stadium against ETSU. The last time these two squads met USC Upstate swept the Buccaneers as Christina Biggerstaff highlighted the day with her second career perfect game.
 
Tournament Schedule
February 27        S.C. State vs USC Upstate              12:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
February 27        ETSU vs USC Upstate                     2:15 p.m. (ESPN+)
February 27        ETSU vs S.C. State                          4:30 p.m. (Neutral Site Game)
February 28        S.C. State vs ETSU                         11:00 a.m. (Neutral Site Game)
February 28        S.C. State vs USC Upstate              1:15 p.m.
February 28        ETSU vs USC Upstate                      3:30 p.m.
*Note all games are subject to change due to inclement weather
 
Live stats will be provided for all games on https://upstatespartans.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary and the Saturday afternoon USC Upstate games will be shown on ESPN+ this weekend.

Fan Attendance Information for Cyrill Stadium: Click here 
Fans will be permitted to games this spring with the wearing of masks, social distancing and other COVID-19 protocols in place. Admission is free compliments of Ingles Markets.  

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