Thursday, May 12, 2011

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Lipscomb’s Mollie Mitchell scored the lone run of the contest in the bottom of the sixth inning, lifting the Lady Bisons to a 1-0 victory over USC Upstate on Thursday afternoon at Cyrill Stadium on day two of the 2011 Atlantic Sun Softball Championship.

With one out in the sixth and Mollie Mitchell standing on first, Lipscomb’s (29-18) Courtney Billington doubled to the gap in left center. A fielding error by Upstate’s center fielder, Katie Zauner allowed Mitchell to score on the play.

The Spartans (42-12) were retired in order in the top of the seventh.Janna Lewis and Kim Brasil recorded the two hits for Upstate in the game with singles coming in the first and third innings.

Whitney Kiihnl (20-9) earned the win after allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out eight. Morgan Childers (29-7) took the loss after giving up four hits and no earned runs with 11 punch outs and four walks.

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Read the Atlantic Sun Insider Column: Two Storied Careers Create Memorable Contest

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With the victory, Lipscomb advances to face Jacksonville in a battle of unbeaten and top seeds on Friday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. Upstate will begin its battle to avoid elimination at 5:30 p.m. today when they face the Mercer Bears in the fourth and final game of the day.

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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.