University of North Florida
USC Upstate
Softball Drops Series to USC Upstate
4/1/2011 8:44:36 PM | Softball
Game One Box Score ::: Game Two Box Score
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The University of North Florida softball team dropped its doubleheader series on Friday evening to USC Upstate at Cyrill Stadium, including a heartbreaker in game one on a walk-off homerun by the Spartans.
After the day, North Florida drops to 17-20 overall and 1-5 in the A-Sun, while Upstate improves to 32-5 and 4-2 in the league.
Up next, North Florida continues its Atlantic Sun road trip with a matchup against East Tennessee State on Saturday, April 2 in Johnson City, Tenn. The first pitch of game one is slated for 1 p.m.
GAME ONE
After holding arguably the top team in the conference scoreless for six innings, USC Upstate's Ericka Harris hit a one-out solo walk-off homerun in the seventh to lead the Spartans over North Florida, 1-0, in game one.
The Ospreys' freshman hurler Cortney Radke (15-12) was tagged with the loss after pitching a near flawless 6.1 innings. The rookie allowed just one run on two hits, while fanning eight batters and walking two.
USC Upstate threatened to score early in the second inning with runners on second and third with two outs, but Radke worked out of the jam by striking out the following batter.
In the top of the seventh, North Florida was in an identical situation with runners on second and third with two outs, but just like the Spartans in the second, the following batter was struck out to end the threat.
USC Upstate's Morgan Childers (22-3) hurled her team to victory in a complete-game effort, which included no runs on four hits, 11 strikeouts and just one walk.
GAME TWO
North Florida scored first in game two but Upstate answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, never looking back as the Spartans claimed the game, 5-1, to take the series.
The Ospreys opened the scoring, plating one run in the first inning. North Florida loaded the bases and sophomore Jackie Reese singled up the middle to score the Ospreys lone run of the game.
The lead was short-lived, however, as USC Upstate plated three runs of its own in the bottom half of the first frame. The Spartans tacked on one more run in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 5-1 lead, which would be the final score.
Morgan Childers (23-3) of USC Upstate picked up the win in relief after working four innings, allowing no runs, no hits and striking out six. North Florida's junior Richelle Raley (0-5) was tagged with the loss after just one inning of work in which she allowed three runs – all earned – on three hits.
