Sunday, May 09, 2010

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell and USC Upstate recorded a split in Atlantic Sun Series of the Week, Saturday at the Eakes Athletic Complex, to earn the last two seeds in the 2010 A-Sun Softball Championshship.

W, 2-1, Campbell
Campbell's softball team (23-29-1, 10-10 Atlantic Sun) gained access to the 2010 Atlantic Sun Tournament with a split series with against USC Upstate (37-13, 11-9 A-Sun) on Saturday afternoon in Buies Creek, N.C. at the Eakes Athletic Complex. The Camels wasted no time and came back to defeat the Spartans by a 2-1 score in the first game before dropping the second game by a 1-0 score. The day was "Strike Out Cancer Day" for Campbell with the players wearing special designed uniforms to raise awareness about the dangers of skin cancer. The Camels will enter the tournament as the sixth seed and take on top-seeded Lipscomb (44-10, 18-2) on Thursday at 11 a.m. in DeLand, Fla. on Thursday, May 13.

Senior Brittany Stanley (11-10) allowed just two hits and one run in throwing her ninth complete game of the season in the first game. Stanley fanned four and matched zeros with USC Upstate's Morgan Childers for the entire game. Childers (31-6) went the distance for Upstate with 13 strikeouts. Needing a win in the second game the Spartans again turned to their ace in the second game. Childers was again on her game and limited Campbell to five hits and four walks in throwing the complete game shutout. The shutout was her 16th of the season. Campbell junior Lauren Stephan (3-5) was the tough luck loser and surrender just five hits and the one run in recording her fourth complete game of the year.

USC Upstate scored first with a run in the second on Lauren Quevedo's two-out home run to left field in the first game.

CU threatened in the third inning. Junior Keeli Michael started the rally with a two-out single. Freshman Sarah Forgacs then singled to right field. The threat was ended though on a strikeout.

Campbell took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Michael again began the rally with a single to right field. During a strikeout the junior alertly stole second to get into scoring position. Junior Katie Hinton then singled to center and took second on the throw home to drive in Michael. After another strikeout, sophomore Taylor McGee doubled in Hinton with the second run of the inning to take the lead.

Ericka Harris started the attempted Spartans' rally with a one-out single in the seventh. Katie Zauner was then hit by a pitch to move the lead runner into scoring position with one out. A double play started by Michael at second ended the attempted rally and allowed Campbell to escape with the win. The win guaranteed Campbell a place in the 2010 tournament.

Full Article at GoCamels.com

Game 1 Box Score

W, 1-0, USC Upstate
Lauren Quevedo belted two solo home runs, the second the only run of the second game, and Morgan Childers tossed all 14 innings as Upstate took a split with Campbell Saturday afternoon in A-Sun softball action. In earning a split with the Camels and Kennesaw State's sweep of North Florida, the Spartans earned their first ever appearance in the A-Sun Tournament in the program's first year of eligibility.

Upstate dropped the first game, 2-1, but rallied in the second for a 1-0 victory. The Spartans ended the regular season with a 38-13 overall record and an 11-9 mark in the A-Sun, matching last year's league record. The 38 wins are the most since the Spartans entered the A-Sun in 2008, topping the 34 victories by the 2008 squad. They will enter the tournament as the No. 4 seed and will face No. 3 seed Kennesaw State in a first round game Thursday in DeLand, Fla. While the men's and women's golf, cross country and track & field teams have participated in the A-Sun Championships, the softball team is the first traditional team sport at Upstate to earn a spot in an A-Sun Tournament.

Campbell stands 23-29-1 overall and 10-10 in the conference. The Camels are the No. 6 seed in the tournament and will face No. 1 seed Lipscomb in a first round game Thursday.

"I knew Campbell would be a very tough opponent to beat on the road," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "Their pitching and their defense were very good. Morgan matched both of their pitchers in both games and we did what we needed to do to win a game. I am proud of our team for the season they have had and for what we have accomplished. The entire team is thrilled to have earned a berth in the conference tournament in the first year we were eligible. Lauren really came through for us today and I couldn't be more proud of her."

In addition to securing its first berth in the A-Sun Tournament, there were other bright spots for Upstate. Childers struck out 19 batters on the day to reach the 400-strikeout plateau for the season. Her 405 strikeouts on the year stand as the second most in the history of the A-Sun. She trails Nicole Myers (Florida Atlantic) who struck out 437 in 2002. In addition, with two homers on the day, Quevedo increased her season total to nine, topping her previous season-best effort of seven set during her freshman year.

Upstate and Campbell engaged in a classic pitchers' duel in game two and Childers got the better of it, thanks in part to the heroics of Quevedo. Childers went the distance again, scattering five hits and striking out six to earn the win and improve to 31-6 on the year. She also earned her 16th shutout of the season. Campbell starter Lauren Stephan also went the distance, allowing one run on five Upstate hits to fall to 3-5.

Quevedo again cranked a solo home run in the second inning to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead in the second inning. It ended up being the only run of the game.

Childers pitched out of jams in the third, fifth and seventh innings. In the third, Campbell led off the inning with a single and a walk. But, Childers answered to induce a pop out and two fly outs to end the threat. In the fifth, Campbell put runners on first and second with two outs before the junior got a ground out to end the inning. In the seventh, Cassie Webb singled to lead off the inning and the Camels had runners at first and second with one out. However, Childers struck out Amanda Miller and got Taylor McGee to pop out to end the inning and the game.

Full Article at UpstateSpartans.com

Game 2 Box Score

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.