ROCK HILL, S.C. – USC Upstate softball made history on Sunday morning as the No. 1 seed Spartans downed the No. 3 seed Winthrop Eagles 5-1 in the winner take-all final game of the Big South Softball Tournament. The Spartans add Big South Tournament Championships to their list of honors this season which already included Big South Regular Season Champions.
Head coach Hawkins couldn't have been happier with the team's success saying, "I'm extremely proud of how we came together as a team over the last month. Our culture just grew today! I am really proud of AK. My coaches are a big part of this! My former player had a big part in building us back!"
With hardware on the line, both teams battled through the first and second innings and came out with zeros on the board. Junior short stop Alanna Deal was a game changer in the final game as she hit her second homerun of the tournament over left field that posted two runs on the board for Upstate in the bottom of the third. Emily Stern kept the Spartans' offense hot as she hit a double to advance Abigail Pippen to third and Denver Lauer home to give Upstate a three-run lead. Pinch hitter Olivia Hall came in and handled business as her sacrificed bunt scored Abigail Pippen, while she reached all the way to second. Amie Johnson was able to make her way home for the second time, as Taliyah Thomas reached third off an Eagles' wild pitch. With five runs on the board and two innings remaining, the Spartans knew their defensive game had to be flawless. Upstate surrendered one single run in the top of the sixth but held Winthrop to just one run for the remainder of the game. With the final out, USC Upstate claimed the Big South Softball Tournament Championship for the very first time.
After an exceptional performance on Friday night against Winthrop, Alyssa Kelly made her seventh game start of the season, her second of the tournament, in the final game. Kelly struck out six Eagles in her third complete game of the season. Both of her wins in the Big South Softball Tournament earned her the Big South Softball Tournament MVP honor. Kelly was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Alanna Deal, Cassie Norris, and Denver Lauer.
With the final win Upstate softball becomes the first USC Upstate team in history to win a Big South Conference Tournament Championship. Upstate softball will return to the NCAA Regionals for the first time since competing in the ASUN in 2017. The 2017 season also saw Upstate softball win the Regular Season Championship before going all the way through the tournament to the winner take-all game as the No. 1 seed, placed in the first base dugout, just as they were Sunday, and winning the ASUN Softball Tournament Championship.
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 5; Winthrop 1
Records: No. 1 seed USC Upstate (30-21; 13-5 Big South) vs. No. 3 seed Winthrop (25-29; 9-9 Big South)
Location: Terry Field | Rock Hill, S.C.
How It Happened
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B3: Alanna Deal hit a two-shot homerun over left field, bringing Amie Johnson home with her, to give Upstate a two-run lead in the third (2-0).
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B4: Emily Stern advanced Abigail Pippen to third while Denver Lauer advanced home with a double (3-0).
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B4: Olivia Hall hit a sacrificed bunt and made it all the way to second as Emily Stern reached third and Abigail Pippen reached home (4-0).
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B4: A wild pitch from the Eagle's gave Taliyah Thomas time to safely reach third while Amie Johnson scored at home for the second time (5-0).
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T6: With one out, Temple grounded out to third base which gave Pa. Rivas enough time to reach home and score Winthrop's lone run of the game (5-1).
Notable
Up Next for the Spartans
The Spartans have now secured a spot in the NCAA Regionals. Information regarding NCAA Regionals will be released Sunday at 7:00 p.m. For more information about NCAA Regionals, click here.
Tickets on Sale for Sparty's Ball – Saturday, May 18
Support USC Upstate Athletics at Sparty's Ball, the largest fundraiser of the year for the Upstate Athletic Fund. The UAF impacts current and future generations of Spartans, developing champions on the field, building scholars in the classroom, and preparing leaders for life. Presented by the Sports Medicine Institute, a division of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Sparty's Ball features live and silent auction items, delicious food from Cribbs Catering, beverages, and live entertainment from Under the Sun, and held at a new location, Indigo Hall in downtown Spartanburg. Come dressed in your Spartan best—cocktail attire is required. For details and tickets, log onto www.upstatespartans.com/spartysball.
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