SPARTANBURG, S.C.  – The USC Upstate softball team hit five homeruns on Wednesday afternoon on their way to a double-header sweep of South Carolina State at Cyrill Stadium.
 
USC Upstate (12-4, 3-0 Big South) pounded out 18 runs and 24 hits between the two games against South Carolina State. In game one Peyton Darnell (Fort Mill, S.C.) led the Spartans offense with a 3-for-3 day at the plate with four RBI's and her fifth homerun of the season. Bre Cooper (Massillon, Ohio) and Madison Lanoux (Fleming Island, Fla.) got in on the fun in the first game as they each hit a round tripper. Celeste Delorenzo (Ormond Beach, Fla.) finished the first game with a pair of hits and a pair of runs.
 
In the second game of the afternoon, the Spartans found themselves in a bit of a pitchers dual through the first two and a half innings of action. The Spartans put a run across the plate in the bottom of the third and the bottom of the fourth innings. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Spartans scored six runs with no outs to complete the run rule victory over the Bulldogs. Bella Bertot (Coral Springs, Fla.) led the offense with two homeruns and a 3-for-3 day at the plate with four RBI's and two runs. Delorenzo also recorded a three hit day, while Sarah Price (Landrum, S.C.) and Tiffany Domingue (York, S.C.) each collected a pair of hits in the victory. Savannah Brown (Mint Hill, N.C.) pitched a complete game, one hit shutout to pick up her fifth win of the season.
 
Game 1: USC Upstate 10, S.C. State 2

Scoring Breakdown
 
Bottom 1^st: Cooper walked with one out in the inning and stole second to get into scoring position. Darnell doubled to right center field to bring in the first run of the game.
 
Bottom 2^nd: Marisa Soterakis (Miramar, Fla.) reached on an error to start the inning and she stole second to move into scoring position. Delorenzo singled through the right side to score Soterakis from second base. Delorenzo stole second and came around to score on a Savannah Grigsby (Elgin, S.C.) double to left field.
 
Bottom 3^rd: Cooper began the inning with a solo shot over the left field wall. Domingue reached on infield single and Kaylea Evans came in to pinch run. Darnell, then smashed a two run homerun to left center field to give Upstate a 6-0 lead. Delorenzo doubled to left center and came around to score on a Cassie Norris (Powell, Tenn.) RBI double to left center field.
 
Top 4^th: DeAsia Lowther homered to right center field for the Bulldogs first run of the game.
 
Bottom 4^th: Cooper doubled through the right side of the infield with one out in the inning to give the Spartans a runner in scoring position. Darnell hit an RBI single to center field and Lanoux homered down the right field line to end the scoring for the Spartans.  
 
Top 5^th: Jade Hendricks homered to center field to end the scoring for South Carolina State.

Notables
Darnell went 3-for-3, 1 run, 1 homerun, 4 RBI's
Cooper went 2-for-2, 3 runs, 1 homerun, 1 RBI
Delorenzo went 2-for-2, 2 runs, 1 RBI
Lanoux went 1-for-3, 1 run, 2 RBI's
Mallie Brown: Picked up the win after 4.0 complete innings of work and 8 strikeouts.

Game 2: USC Upstate 8, S.C. State 0
 
Scoring Breakdown
 
Bottom 3^rd: Lanoux reached on a fielder's choice and moved to third on a single to right field by Price. The shortstop stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position, a Domingue RBI through the left side of the infield ended the scoreless tie.
 
Bottom 4^th: Bertot homered to left field to start the inning.
 
Bottom 5^th: Price doubled to right center field to start the inning and came around to score on Domingue double down the left field line. Grigsby tripled to right center to bring in another Spartan run. Soterakis walked and then stole second to move into scoring position. Bertot bombed a three-run shot off the scoreboard to give the Spartans a 7-0 lead. Cooper tripled to right center and Delorenzo hit a walk-off single to center field to complete the run rule win for the Spartans.

Notables
Bertot went 3-for-3, 2 runs, 2 homeruns and 4 RBI's
Delorenzo went 3-for-4 with an RBI
Price went 2-for-3 with a run
Domingue went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI's
Savannah Brown pitched 5.0 complete innings of 1 hit softball to pick-up the win.
 
UP next for the Spartans
The Spartans will stay at home this weekend to battle conference foe Presbyterian on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
 
Spartans win today, You save tomorrow!
Save 50% off online orders at Papa John's locations across the Upstate.  Use the code USCUP50 when placing online orders the day after Upstate victories.  Also tomorrow, visit The Beacon Drive-In located in Spartanburg and show the win graphic posted to the @UpstateSpartans Instagram account to claim a free sweet tea as part of the "Sweet Taste of Victory" promotion. No purchase necessary.
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