FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-9-05

College Softball: No. 24 USC Upstate 5-5, AASU 4-2

Release Courtesy of USC Upstate Sports Information

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – USC Upstate hung on for a 5-4 victory in game one and were opportunistic in the second game for a 5-2 win as the 24th-ranked Spartans claimed a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader sweep of Armstrong Atlantic State on Senior Day Saturday at Cyrill Stadium.

USC Upstate improves to 38-10 overall and 9-9 in the Peach Belt Conference. The Spartans travel to Milledgeville, GA, Monday to complete the PBC regular season schedule. Armstrong Atlantic State travels to UNC Pembroke Tuesday to complete its PBC schedule.

In game one, USC Upstate jumped out to a 2-0 lead after three innings. Katie Adams scored on a passed ball in the first inning and Jene Keith scored on senior Allie Cyrill’s double in the third to do the damage.

Armstrong battled back in the fourth when Amber Hunt homered to cut the USC Upstate lead to 2-1. However, the Spartans got an RBI single from senior Krista Altom and Shay Slater stole home on a double steal to give USC Upstate a 4-1 lead.

The Lady Pirates continued to fight and cut the lead to 4-2 in the fifth on a Mandi Meador RBI single. After Altom tripled to drive in senior Terra Goswick in the sixth inning, USC Upstate’s lead grew to 5-2. But the game was far from over and Armstrong made it interesting.

In the top of the seventh, Jeana Short hit a leadoff homerun to cut the Spartans lead to 5-3. With runners on first and second and no outs, Jessica Jolly came in relief of starter Kasey Heron. After getting the first out on a sacrifice that moved the Lady Pirate runners over to second and third, Jolly got a ground out for the second out, but Whitney Propes scored on the play to cut the USC Upstate lead to 5-4. However, Jolly got Meador to ground out for the final out of the game and the Spartans held on for the win.

Heron (14-4) tossed 5 1/3 innings to pick up the win, while Jolly recorded her third save of the year. Propes (6-7) took the loss for Armstrong. Altom and Cyrill had two hits each for the Spartans.

In the second game, USC Upstate jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning. Despite giving up late runs, the Spartans went on for the sweep.

Cyrill got things going with an RBI single in the first inning and Altom and Keith each scored unearned runs in the third to give USC Upstate a 3-0 lead. In the fifth, Keith homered to give the Spartans a 4-0 lead.

Deanna Beaty singled to drive in a run in the sixth to cut the USC Upstate lead to 4-1, but the Spartans got the run back on Megan Clark’s RBI double in the bottom of the inning.

In the top of the seventh, Adrian Tuttle doubled to drive in Propes and Armstrong loaded the bases with two outs, but Jolly got Hunt to ground out for the final out of the game and USC Upstate took the sweep on the day.

Jolly (15-5) tosses a complete game to pick up the win, striking out five along the way. Heather Woods (8-8) took the loss for the Lady Pirates. Cyrill finished the day 4-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Spartans cause.

- Pirates -