March 30, 2008

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2

Boiling Springs, N.C. - On a cold, blustery day, Lauren Quevedo hammered a two-run home run in the fifth inning to lead Upstate to a come from behind 3-1 victory over Gardner-Webb in the first game, while the host Bulldogs claimed a 5-2 win in game two of the A-Sun softball doubleheader at Varsity Field Sunday afternoon.

Upstate splits its seventh straight doubleheader and stands 19-10 overall and 5-5 in the A-Sun. The Spartans have split all five of their league doubleheaders. Gardner-Webb is 13-21 overall and 2-6 in the league.

"Once again, we did the things that we needed to do to get a win in the first game," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "We got solid pitching, timely hitting, and played well defensively. We did very little of that in the second game and anytime you leave 12 runners on base, which we did in the second game, you don't deserve to win."

Upstate spotted Gardner-Webb a run in the bottom of the first inning of game one when Mandy Ward's sacrifice fly drove in Melody Harrell. Upstate got the run back in the top of the third inning when Quevedo singled to drive in Heidi Gibbs. It marked the third straight team run scored by Gibbs as she accounted for both of Upstate's run Friday at Campbell.

In the fifth, Quevedo delivered her second run-producing hit, this time a long home run to left center that cleared the fence by at least 25 feet, a two-run shot that gave Upstate a 3-1 lead. Gibbs scored on the play, the fourth straight team run scored by the junior right fielder.

After giving up the run in the first inning, Morgan Childers was in control throughout the game. She allowed just two runners to reach second base after the first inning, scattering four hits and allowing just one run in seven innings to improve to 16-4 on the year. She struck out three batters in the win. Taryn Beck gave up three runs in 4 1/3 innings of work to take the loss and fall to 6-10 on the year. Quevedo was simply solid at the plate, finishing the game 3-for-3 and accounting for all three RBIs for Upstate.

Childers started the second game and went three innings to put Upstate in position to break its split streak. She left the game tied 1-1 heading into the fourth inning, giving way to Brittany Rice. Gardner-Webb again scored first, plating a run in the third inning when Kelly Linsley singled to drive in Kelsey Witter.

Vanesa Flores got the Spartans back even with a solo shot to left in the top of the fourth as Upstate tied the game at 1-1. The Bulldogs, though, scored four runs on four hits in the fifth inning to take a 5-1 lead. Linsley singled up the middle to drive in two runs and Harrell hit a two-run homer to left center, giving Gardner-Webb at 5-1 lead.

Upstate attempted to rally in the sixth inning, loading the bases with one out. However, Bulldog reliever Christine Murray got Upstate's Shay Slater and Gibbs to fly out to end the threat without a run scoring. The Spartans began a rally in the seventh inning as well. Courtney Feldon's single up the middle scored pinch runner Courtney Tate from second to cut the G-W deficit to 5-2. Upstate had runners on first and second with no outs when Amber Patterson's line drive was snagged out of the air by Bulldog shortstop Harrell and Harrell fired to second for the double play. Sasha Stepaniuk grounded out to end the game as G-W took the 5-2 win.

Murray tossed 4 1/3 innings of relief to pick up her fifth win of the season and improve to 5-5. Rice (2-6) tossed 2 1/3 innings to take the loss. Upstate out-hit Gardner-Webb 11-6 in the second game, but stranded 12 batters on base in the game. Linsley led Gardner-Webb at the plate, finishing with two hits and three RBIs. Kim Brasil, Slater, Gibbs and Feldon each had two hits for Upstate.