FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-8-04

College Softball: No. 7 AASU 8-3, USC Aiken 0-0

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The No. 7-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State Pirates kept their quest for a Peach Belt Conference title alive with a doubleheader sweep of USC Aiken on Tuesday afternoon at the Pirate Softball Field. Chelce Culberson’s grand slam home run paced the Pirates in an 8-0 win in game one, while blasts by Stacy Oliver and Valeria Silvestrini gave AASU a 3-0 win in game two.

AASU improves to 35-4 overall and 13-3 in the PBC, while USC Aiken falls to 30-27, 8-12 in the PBC. The Pirates now need to win their final four games to tie Kennesaw State at 17-3 for a share of the Peach Belt Conference regular season title.

On Senior Day at Pirate Field, AASU came out in game one and plated six runs in the second inning – capped by Culberson’s grand slam – off of USC Aiken starter Amy Fox (6-7). The Pirates (35-4, 13-3 PBC) finished the game in the fifth with two runs on an RBI single by Jenny Alfirov and an RBI groundout by Lindsay Phillips to win, 8-0, in five innings. Katya Eronina pitched four no-hit innings, striking out seven, to pick up the win, while Fox gave up eight hits and eight runs – three earned – in 4 2/3 innings to take the loss.

Eronina (25-0) came back in game two and hurled a complete-game four-hit shutout, striking out eight, to win her 28th consecutive decision, tying her with Missy Paterson of Coker for the fifth-longest streak in NCAA Division II history. Junior Stacy Oliver put the Pirates up with a solo home run – the first of her career – in the fourth inning, then Silvestrini followed with a two-run shot in the fifth. JoAnn Jones (12-11) went the distance for USC Aiken, giving up seven hits and three runs to take the loss for the Pacers, who had just five hits in the doubleheader.

Oliver had three hits, including the home run, in the doubleheader to lead the Pirates offensively.

AASU travels to Spartanburg, S.C., for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader with the Rifles on Saturday, April 10, while USC Aiken’s regular season is complete.

- Pirates -