BUIES CREEK, N.C. – USC Upstate softball fell in its first Big South conference series against Campbell after two games on Saturday and one final eight inning game late Sunday afternoon. Upstate now sits 25-6 overall on the season and has a 3-3 record in conference play.
After more than a three-hour weather delay due to storms in Buies Creek, the two teams were set for a 4:15 p.m. first pitch time. Alyssa Kelly made her 17th start of the season in the circle for the Spartans for game three against the Fighting Camels. The Spartans struck fast and struck first as Casey Goguts sent one to the right center wall and found herself on third, while Denver Lauer came home from third base. Campbell was able to get on the board in the bottom of the first to tie the game 1-1 at the completion of the first inning. Both teams went scoreless through the second inning and scoring resumed in the top of the third via Celeste Delorenzo. Lauer hit a single to through the left side which gave Delorenzo enough time to get home and once again put the Spartans on top. The Fighting Camels initially tied the game at two runs in the third but took the lead with three runs just before the third was over. Upstate continued to trail through the fourth inning as both teams posted no runs in the fourth. Delorenzo led off for Upstate in the top of the fifth, but it would be Lauer who came up big with a homerun over left field to tie the game at three-runs apiece. Maddie Drerup relieved Kelly in the bottom of the fifth looking to shut down the Camels offense. Drerup did just that for three innings and was able to help the Spartans force the game into extra innings. Despite the exceptional effort, Upstate came up short as the Camels scored in the bottom of the eighth to end the game 4-3.
Top Performers:
Lauer: 2-3, 2 runs, 2 hits, 2 RBI, 1 HR, 2 stolen bases
Delorenzo: 1 run, 1 hit
Goguts: 1 hit, 1 RBI
Notable
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Lauer is first on the team for RBI (23) and first on the team for hits (34).
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Her homerun in the top of the fifth was Lauer's third homerun of the season.
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This was Lauer's ninth multi-hit game and her seventh multi-RBI game.
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Upstate tied its season high for at bats (29) for the third time this season; the two other times being against Campbell (3/25/23) and Queens (2/26/23).
Up Next for the Spartans
Upstate will keep the bus close with a mid-week game against Furman scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Greenville, S.C. and will finish the week with a three-game series at Longwood Friday and Saturday.
Connect with the Spartans
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