RADFORD, VA. - No. 3 seed USC Upstate softball was able to down the No. 4 seed Charleston Southern 4-2 in the morning game to advance through the first elimination game of the Big South Softball Championship. The Spartans fell 5-4 in their second game of the day to No. 1 seed Longwood to cap the 2023 season with a 38-17 overall record along with a 13-8 record in Big South play.  

Up bright and early and ready for a fight, the Spartans got a jump on the Bucs with one run in the second inning followed by one run in the third. A shaky Buccaneers team allowed Celeste Delorenzo to get on base while also allowing Casey Goguts to get home for the first run of the game. Domingue was able to further the Spartans' lead with a solo homerun over right field. After a scoreless fourth inning for both teams, Upstate tallied two more runs in the bottom of the fifth starting with pinch runner Aime Johnson who came home off what was intended to be a sacrificed bunt by Denver Lauer, but instead was a fielder's choice that got Lauer on base. Lauer came home shortly after as Domingue bat continued to stay hot with a double to right center field. The Bucs tallied one run in the top of the sixth and seventh innings, but the Spartans were able to emerge victorious and advance to the next round of the Big South Softball Championship. Maddie Drerup made her 23rd start of the season and had three strikeouts to not only throw her 15th complete game of the season but also earn her 18th with of the season. Domingue (3) and Goguts (2) both had multi-hit games while Domingue also had a two-RBI performance.  

After the No. 1 seed Longwood Lancers fell 5-1 to the No. 2 seed Fightin Camels, the Spartans took on the Lancers for the final spot in the championship game. Upstate came out hungry with three runs in the first inning to take an early lead. After her performance in game one, Domingue continued to be an offensive threat as she hit a three-RBI homerun to left field in the top of the first. The Lancers responded with one run in the bottom of the first and three runs in the bottom of the second, forcing the Spartans to trail by one run after two complete innings. Exchanging hits and strikeouts, both the Spartans and the Lancers went scoreless through the six innings. Upstate dug deep to tie the game in the top of the seventh with a sacrificed fly to right field from Lauer to score Delorenzo. However, the Bucs would put the game out of reach in the bottom of the seventh and bring Upstate's 2023 season to a close. Alyssa Kelly made her 31st game start of the season and had two strikeouts in her 7.0 innings pitched for her 22nd complete game of the year. Lauer, Domingue, Delorenzo, and Sarah Price all recorded one run each and Lauer was able to steal another two bases.  

Big South Softball Championship Game Two   
Score: USC Upstate 4; Charleston Southern 2  

Record: USC Upstate (38-16) vs. Charleston Southern (22-27)  
Location: Radford Softball Stadium | Radford, Va.   

How it Happened: 

B2: Delorenzo was able to reach first via a throwing error by the Bucs' third baseman and reached second on the unsuccessful attempt to get Goguts out at home.  

B3: Domingue hit a solo-homerun over the right field wall to give Upstate a two-run lead. 

B5: Lauer hit what was meant to be a sacrificed bunt but turned into a fielder's choice as the Bucs tried to get pinch runner A. Johnson out at home but was unsuccessful (3-0).  

B5: Domingue ripped a double to center field that sent Lauer running home (4-0).  

T6: Schoeneweis singled to second base to advance Prince and score Less (4-1). 

T7: Meckley, A. singled to right field to advance Jones and score Johnson (4-2).  

Big South Softball Championship Game Three   
Score: USC Upstate 4; Longwood 5  

Record: USC Upstate (38-17) vs. Longwood (31-20)  
Location: Radford Softball Stadium | Radford, Va.   

How it Happened: 

T1: Domingue hit a three-RBI homerun over the left field wall that scored both Lauer and Price (3-0).  

B1: Guy sent a single up the middle and was able to reach second on the throw while Anderson advanced to third and Devivi scored (3-1).  

B2: Park reached first on an error and advanced to second on the throw while Vinson reached home (3-2).   

B2: Taylor hit a double that was able to score Pone and Park (4-3).  

T7: Lauer hit a sacrificed fly out to right field to advance Norris to third and Delorenzo to tie the game (4-4).  

B7: Devivi hit a solo homerun over the left field wall to finish the game (5-4).  

Notable                

• With her combined three stolen bases today, Denver Lauer finishes the season holding the Upstate softball record for stolen bases in a single season with 47 successfully stolen bases (47-49). 

• Lauer has stolen at least one base in each of the last seven games for a combined 15 stolen bases in seven games.  

• Tiffany Domingue finished the season on a five-game hitting streak as well as a five-game reached base streak  

• Domingue finishes the season leading the team in homeruns (15), hits (59), RBI (46), and total bases (119).  

• Game one was Domingue's 16th multi-hit game of the season, while it was Goguts' 13th.  

      
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