THIS WEEKENDS MATCHUPS
USC Upstate (36-3, 10-2 Big South) vs. N.C. A&T (12-22, 2-10 Big South)
April 9 | 1:00 p.m.
April 9 | 3:00 p.m.
April 10 | 1:00 p.m.
*Note all games are subject to change due to inclement weather
Live Stats: Live stats will be available for all contests this week and can be accessed through upstatespartans.com.
Watch: Follow the links below to access both games via ESPN+
Game One: South Carolina Upstate vs. North Carolina A&T (Softball) | Watch ESPN
Game Two: South Carolina Upstate vs. North Carolina A&T (Softball) | Watch ESPN
Game Three: South Carolina Upstate vs. North Carolina A&T (Softball) | Watch ESPN
Spartanburg S.C. - USC Upstate softball looks to continue its successful streak after getting its 11th and 12th consecutive wins during a mid-week double header with Western Carolina. Upstate resumes Big South competition with a road trip to Greensboro, N.C. to play North Carolina A&T in a three-game series this weekend.
The Spartans took control of game one against WCU with a three-RBI double from Tiffany Domingue in the top of the third inning. Hannah Houge along with the Upstate defense were able to shut out the Catamounts until the last half-inning. WCU was able to put one on the board with a one RBI double to left center. Houge recorded her 21st win on the season with the seven strikeouts she had.
Game two brought the same success for Upstate as it took a one-run lead after the top of the second. Despite a scoreless first inning, Upstate was able to record at least one run in every inning that followed, including two runs in the top of the third and fifth, and three runs in the top of the sixth to put the game out of reach for WCU. The Catamounts were able to score one run in the bottom of the sixth, walking away with two runs on the day compared to Upstate's 12. Alyssa Kelly achieved her 13th win of the season which was also her eighth straight win along with four strikeouts.
Going into the week, Houge not only earned conference recognition, being named the Big South Pitcher of the Week, but also national recognition as she was named the NFCA Pitcher of the Week. The fifth-year senior sits second nationally for victories (21) and for shutouts (10), along with being one of two pitchers in the nation with double-digit shutouts. Houge is also ranked fourth for strikeouts (185), fifth for innings pitched (135.1), and 44th for strikeouts/ 7.0 innings pitched (9.6).
Kelly joins Houge in national rankings as she is ranked 15th in walks/7.0 innings pitched (0.85) and 18th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.54). Peyton Darnell is ranked fifth for RBI (46), 18th for RBI/game (1.18), and 22nd for home runs (12). Sarah Price is ranked fifth for stolen bases (27), 13th for stolen bases/game (.69), and 22nd for the toughest to strikeout (24.2).
Upstate is ranked third in winning percentage (.923), fourth in ERA (1.33), fifth in shutouts (16), seventh in strikeouts per walks (5.53), ninth in fielding percentage (.979), ninth in stolen bases per game (2.31), 14th in doubles (56), and 25th in batting average (.317). This is also the fifth week in a row that USC Upstate Softball has received votes for the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll (11 votes) and for the ESPN Collegiate Top 25 Poll. Along with receiving votes, Upstate sits with a 62 RPI going into this week, with the closest Big South team being Campbell at 77.
North Carolina A&T is coming off a mid-week loss after traveling to Elon, N.C. to play one match against Elon University. Despite getting a two-run lead in the first two innings of the match, the Aggies fell 3-2 after Elon hit a three-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning.
With its consistent Big South Success, Upstate sits at the top of the Big South with a 10-2 record, while North Carolina A&T sits 10th with a 2-10 record. Upstate and North Carolina A&T have faced three of the same Big South opponents so far this season: Winthrop, Longwood, and Campbell. Upstate kicked off its season with a 2-1 series with over Longwood (1-7, 5-3, 2-0) while N.C. A&T lost its three-game series with the Lancers at the end of March (1-9, 9-12, 0-8). The Spartans next took a 2-1 series win over Campbell (4-2, 10-1, 3-6) while the Aggies were swept by the Camels last weekend (0-6, 0-2, 0-8). Upstate's most recent Big South win was its three-game sweep of Winthrop (4-0, 6-0, 9-0), while N.C. A&T lost to Winthrop to open Big South competition for the season (10-17, 4-7, 2-10).
Players to Watch:
USC Upstate (36-3, 10-2 Big South):
Madison Lanoux leads Upstate with 32 runs and 45 hits, while having a .369 batting average. Peyton Darnell leads Upstate with a .697 slugging percentage after recording 12 home runs, 46 RBI and 76 total bases.
N.C. A&T (12-22, 2-10 Big South):
Icess Tresvik has started all 33 games for the Aggies. Tresvik leads N.C. A&T with 10 home runs, 64 total bases, 29 RBI, 31 hits, and a .688 slugging percentage. She sits with a .333 batting average and 19 runs.
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Sparty's Ball and Auction:
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