RADFORD, VA. - No. 3 seed USC Upstate softball came up short against No. 2 seed Campbell, as game one of the Big South Softball Championship finished with an 11-10 loss for Upstate after eight innings. Peyton Darnell had a stellar showing with four RBI while Summer Johnson had three hits, two RBI, and a homerun.  

Despite coming out of the gate with loads of energy, both teams went scoreless through the first two innings, and it was the Camels that were able to get on the board first with two runs in the third inning. Trailing by two runs, Upstate had a massive fourth inning, as runs from Taliyah Thomas, Celeste Delorenzo, Alanna Deal, and Mady Lanoux gave the Spartans a two-run lead. Campbell tallied one in the bottom of the fourth to make the game 4-3 in favor of the underdog Spartans after four complete innings. Upstate lost the lead in the bottom of the fifth as the Camels were able to rally back and post three runs (6-4). Bats got hot again for the Spartans in the top of the sixth as Darnell hit a three-RBI double to reclaim the lead. A two-RBI homerun from S. Johnson extended Upstate's lead by three runs, making the game 9-6. The Camels added three runs to the board in the bottom of the sixth to make the game tied up at nine apiece going into the seventh inning. A scarified fly from Darnell scored Denver Lauer in the top of the seventh, before a triple down the right field line scored another run for Campbell to make the game 10-10 after seven complete innings. In extra innings, Upstate was able to get on base but wasn't able to make it home and ultimately fell by one run to the Fighting Camels.  

Alyssa Kelly made her 30th start of the season in game one of the Big South Softball Championship. Kelly manned the circle for the first four innings to which Drerup made her 29th appearance of the season in the bottom of the fifth. Drerup occupied the circle for 1.0 innings, until Kelly returned in the bottom of the sixth. Kelly pitched 6.0 innings and had three strikeouts on the day.  

Big South Softball Championship Game One  
Score: USC Upstate 10; Campbell 11  

Record: USC Upstate (37-16, 13-8 Big South) vs. Campbell (39-15, 15-5 Big South)  
Location: Radford Softball Stadium | Radford, Va.   

How it Happened: 

B3: Parker hit a single to left field to score Swiney and give Campbell the first run of the game. 

B3: Gillespie helped Ware get home with a sacrificed fly out to right field. 

T4: Cassie Norris sent a single down the left field line to advance Celeste Delorenzo to second and score pinch runner Taliyah Thomas for Upstate's first run of the game (2-1). 

T4: Denver Lauer helped get Upstate the tying run as she grounded out to third base, but advanced Alanna Deal to second, Mady Lanoux to third, and Delorenzo home (2-2).  

T4: Sarah Price hit a single to Campbell's second baseman and reached safely while Deal and Lanoux brought runs in to give Upstate the lead (4-2).   

B4: White grounded out into a double play that also got Swiney out, but Henault was able to score one run (4-3).  

B5: Rodriguez sent a single to center field that scored both Parker and Ware and returned the lead to Campbell (5-4).  

B5: Another single by the Camels, this time from Henault to left field, advanced Rodriguez to second and McDilda home (6-4).  

T6: Peyton Darnell slammed a double to right center to score not just Domingue, but also Price and Deal to make the game 7-6 in favor of Upstate.  

T6: Summer Johnson furthered the Spartans' lead with a two-RBI homerun over the right center wall, bringing pinch runner Aime Johnson home with her (9-6). 

B6: McDilda reached first on a Spartan fielding error which advanced Gillespie to second, McClain to third and Ware home (9-7).  

B6: Rodriguez singled to third base while Thomas was called out at second, and Montgomery and McClain scored (9-9). 

T7: Darnell nearly hit a homerun but as the hit came short of the fence, it was caught by a Camel outfielder; Lauer made a break for home and made the game 10-9.  

B7: With the game on the line, White hit a triple down the right field line to score Henault and send the game into extra innings (10-10).  

B8: Henault was hit by pitch with the bases loaded, which scored Gillespie and finished the game 11-10.   

Notable                

• With her two stolen bases today, Denver Lauer set an Upstate softball record for stolen bases in a single season (44). 

• Lauer has stolen at least one base in each of the last five games for a combined 12 stolen bases in five games.  

• Peyton Darnell is riding a seven-game hitting streak as well as a 15-game hitting streak which is the longest of the season for any Spartan.  

• Summer Johnson had her 15th multi-hit game of the season while Sarah Price had her 12th, Delorenzo had her eighth, and Deal had her seventh.  

• Johnson and Price each had their sixth game with multiple RBI while Johnson had her fourth.  
• The Spartans scored more runs today than during the regular season series against Campbell (10-6).  

Big South Championship Schedule   
  
Friday, May 12 (Games 3-5) - ESPN+  
Game 3 - Upstate vs. Loser Game 2, 10:00am (elimination game)  
  
Game 4 - Campbell vs. Winner Game 2, 2:00pm  
  
Game 5 - Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 5:00pm (elimination game)  
  
Saturday, May 13 - Championship Day (Games 6-7**) - ESPN+  
Game 6 - Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 1:00pm  
  
Game 7 - If necessary, 4:00pm 

Up Next for the Spartans 

The Spartans continue in the Big South Softball Championship with a game against No. 4 seed Charleston Southern at 10:00 a.m. Should the Spartans emerge victorious, they will play a second game against the loser between No. 1 seed Longwood and No. 2 seed Campbell. 

      
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