Monday, May 10, 2010

MACON, Ga. – USC Upstate’s Lauren Quevedo tallied her second Atlantic Sun Softball Player of the Week award after hitting .500 with three home runs,, while teammate Morgan Childers earned her seventh career A-Sun Softball Pitcher of the Week honor and third on the season.

Quevedo began the week by cranking a solo home run for the eventual game-winning hit in the 3-0 victory versus Appalachian State in game one of the doubleheader. In the second game, the Wellington, Fla. native recorded two hits with a run and an RBI to help USC Upstate to a 9-8 win in nine innings. At Campbell, Quevedo belted a home run in the second inning of game one to give USC Upstate a 1-0 lead, but the Spartans fell 2-1. The interdisciplinary studies major came back in game two with the Spartans needing a win to secure a spot in the A-Sun Tournament, and  Quevedo launched another solo home run in the second inning, accounting for the game's only run. Throughout the week, the junior first baseman collected an RBI in each game.

Childers tossed a pair of shutouts in three starts last week. The Kings Mountain, N.C. native started game one of the doubleheader with Appalachian State and struck out 14 batters and scattered seven hits to reach 30 wins on the year. Childers also started both games at Campbell Saturday as USC Upstate needed a win to ensure a spot in the A-Sun Tournament. The secondary education major tossed all 13 innings of both games, only allowing two runs in the 2-1 loss in game one. Childers posted 13 strikeouts and came back in game two to throw a complete game shutout, her 16th of the season, with six strikeouts to lead USC Upstate to a 1-0 win. The junior’s dominance in the circle was key as the Spartans managed just the one run and Childers finished the doubleheader with 19 strikeouts to increase her season total to 405, the second highest season total in A-Sun history.

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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.

Other Top Performers
Jenni Holtz, Mercer (Jr. - P - Tracy, Calif. - Business) – Against UNF, Holtz had wins in both games. After pitching her eighth complete-game shutout of the season in game one, the Tracy, Calif. native came in for 6 1/3 innings of relief work and secured the game two win. In total, Holtz pitched 13.1 scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and striking out seven Saturday. The business major moved her Mercer single season and all-time strikeout totals to 332 and 788, respectively.

Amanda Lindsey, Stetson (Sr. - P - Byhalia, Miss. - Biology) – Lindsey contributed in both ends of the Stetson doubleheader sweep of Jacksonville Saturday that clinched the No. 2 seed in the A-Sun Championship for Stetson. The senior pitcher tied her career high with 14 strikeouts and gave up just a single unearned run in 10 innings in a 2-1 victory in the opener, then pitched the final two innings to earn her second save of the season in the nightcap, which the Hatters won 3-1. On the day, Lindsey allowed two runs (both unearned) on just six hits and three walks in 12 innings.

Taylor McGee, Campbell (So. - C - Charlotte, N.C. - Health and Physical Education) – McGee drove in the game-winning run for Campbell in the first game against USC Upstate. The run allowed the Camels to officially gain access to the 2010 Atlantic Sun Championship. The Charlotte, N.C. native also caught all 14 innings for a pitching staff that allowed a total of two runs in 14 innings against the Spartans. McGee leads Campbell with 29 RBIs and six game-winning RBIs.

Kellie Sirus, Lipscomb (Jr. - 1B - Sarasota, Fla. - Psychology) – Sirus slammed two home runs and recorded multiple RBIs in two wins against Middle Tennessee State, giving Lipscomb a team-leading 14 multiple-RBI games. The Lady Bisons closed out the regular season at home at Draper Diamond with a 7-4 win and a 4-0 shutout.

Brittany Stanley, Campbell (Sr. - P - West Lafayette, Ind. - Business Administration) – Stanley allowed just two hits in out-dueling USC Upstate's Morgan Childers. The two hits marked the only two base runners allowed as she did not walk anyone and struck out four. The senior hurler also limited opponents to a .091 batting average and she raised her record to 7-3 in league play this season and 35-13 in her career against A-Sun schools. The complete game tallied Stanley’s ninth of the season and the win allowed Campbell to clinch a place in the 2010 Atlantic Sun Tournament.