ROCK HILL, S.C.  – The USC Upstate softball team split a pair of games on Saturday afternoon at Terry Field against Winthrop University.
 
USC Upstate (20-12, 9-3 Big South) picked up their 20^th win of the season, but also dropped their first Big South series of the season against Winthrop (22-22, 9-8 Big South). Since joining the Big South Conference in 2019, the Spartans have struggled against the Eagles dropping both regular season series in Rock Hill. Despite the setback, the Spartans are still in second place behind Campbell in the Big South standings this season.
 
In the first game of the afternoon, the Spartan offense got off to a bit of a slow start as they were held scoreless in the first four innings of the ballgame. Freshman pitcher Nyah Vogel (Apopka, Fla.) got the start and pitched well throughout the game to earn her second win of the season. The Spartan offense came alive in the top of the fifth inning, as Savannah Grigsby (Elgin, S.C.) crushed her second career three-run homerun to tie the game. Moments later, Peyton Darnell (Fort Mill, S.C.) shot a two-run blast over the wall to give the Spartans a 5-3 advantage. In the top of the sixth inning, the Spartans pushed across an insurance run to end the scoring.
 
Winthrop added a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, then Adison Yoder (Newton, N.C.) came into the game to pitch. The freshman tossed a pair of no-hit innings to pick-up her second save of the season.
 
In the second game of the afternoon, the Spartans offense was once again quiet through the first few innings of the contest. Trailing 5-0 entering the top of the fifth inning, freshman catcher Bella Bertot (Coral Springs, Fla.) bombed a leadoff homerun over the fence to give the Spartans their first run of the contest. Delorenzo added a sacrifice fly to conclude the scoring for the Spartans in the second game of the afternoon.  
 
Game One: USC Upstate 6, Winthrop 4

Scoring Breakdown
 
Bottom 1^st: Ashley Westbrooks singled to keep the inning alive with two outs. Taylor Charlton blasted a two-run homerun and the Eagles broke the scoreless tie.
 
Bottom 3^rd: Reema Patel started the inning with a walk and stole second to move into scoring position for the Eagles. Bailey Wilson then singled in the run to give Winthrop a 3-0 lead.
 
Top 5^th: Back-to-back singles by Tiffany Domingue (York, S.C.) and Madison Lanoux (Fleming Island, Fla.) setup a game tying three-run homerun by Savannah Grigsby (Elgin, S.C.). Celeste Delorenzo (Ormond Beach, Fla.) then reached on a fielding error and Peyton Darnell (Fort Mill, S.C.) smacked a two-run homerun over the right center field fence to give the Spartans the lead.
 
Top 6^th: Lanoux singled up the middle with one out in the inning and moved over to second on a ground out by Grigsby. Delorenzo then singled to short to move Lanoux to third base. A fielding error by the third baseman allowed Darnell to reach and Lanoux to score from third.
 
Bottom 6^th: A leadoff homerun from Westbrooks ended the scoring for both sides.

Notables
Soterakis: 3-3
Price: 3-5
Domingue: 2-5, run scored
Lanoux: 2-4, 2 runs scored
Grigsby: 3-run Homerun
Delorenzo: 2-4, run scored
Darnell: 2-run Homerun
Vogel: Win #2, 5.0 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's
Yoder: Save #2, 2.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 3 K's
 
Game Two: USC Upstate 2, Winthrop 5
 
Scoring Breakdown
 
Bottom 2^nd: Ansley Gilreath roped an RBI double to right field to break the scoreless tie. Moments later Lauren King picked up an RBI single to score the second run of the game.
 
Bottom 4^th: Macy McCall hit an RBI ground out to second base and gave Winthrop a 3-0 advantage. Bailey Warren then hit a two-run single up the middle to conclude the scoring for the Eagles.
 
Top 6^th: Bella Bertot homered to left field to start the inning. Hallie Mele (Denver, N.C.) singled to center field for her first career hit. Olivia Marshall came in to pinch run and came around score on a sacrifice fly from Delorenzo.
 
Notables
Price: 1-4
Delorenzo: Sacrifice Fly, RBI
Lanoux: 1-3
Cooper: 1-3
Grigsby 1-3
Bertot: 1-2, HR
Mele: 1-3

UP next for the Spartans
The Spartans are headed home to play a double header against Western Carolina this coming Tuesday at Cyrill Softball Stadium. First pitch is slated for 4:00 p.m.
 
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