Wednesday, February 13, 2008

UPSTATE SWEEPS TUSCULUM IN SOFTBALL PAIR

SPARTANBURG, S.C. --- Freshman pitcher Morgan Childers started her college career in grand fashion, throwing a no-hitter and striking out a school record 18 batters in game one of the doubleheader with Tusculum, then came in to pitch two innings of relief to pick up a come from behind win on Katie Adams' two-out, two-run single in the seventh in game two. Upstate won by scores of 3-0 and 4-3.

Upstate improved to 2-0 on the year, opening the Division I era with two wins. Tusculum fell to 2-4 on the year.

Childers did not allow a runner to move into scoring position the entire game, getting key strikeouts to end each inning. She struck out 18 batters to break a school record.

Upstate scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Heidi Gibbs' ground out scored Kim Brasil from third and Courtney Feldon followed with a double that scored Shay Slater to give Upstate a 2-0 lead. The Spartans added a run in the third inning when Brasil scored on Slater's sacrifice fly to center.

The runs would be all that Childers would need as struck out the side five times in the game. Brasil led Upstate offensively, scoring a pair of runs and stealing two bases.

In the second game, Katie Adams drove in the game-winning runs with a two-out, two-run single to left that capped three-run rally to win the game.

Tusculum jumped out to a 3-1 advantage as TC scored a run in the third, fourth and fifth innings. In the third, Kristina Neal singled to drive in Ashley Basilicato. U pstate tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Brasil scored on Adams' ground out. Tusculum took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on Basilicato's RBI single and increased the lead to 3-1 in the fifth on Racheal Wilburn's RBI double.

Trailing 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, Vanesa Flores singled with one out. Melissa Lockey pinch ran for Flores and advanced to second on a passed ball. Pinch hitter Jenna Torbert popped up to the catcher for the second out of the inning. Freshman Lauren Quevedo singled up the middle to score Lockey, cutting the Tusculum lead to 3-2.

Emily Monteith was inserted as a pinch runner for Quevedo. Brasil singled and the ball was misplayed in the outfield, allowing Monteith and Brasil to move up to second and third. Adams stepped up and hammered the 1-1 pitch into the gap in left center to score Monteith and Brasil as the Spartans came all the way back for the win.

Basilicato led the Pioneers going 2-for-3 as TC finished with six hits.

Tusculum returns home on Thursday as the Pioneers host UVa-Wise at Edmonds Field for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.

- TC -