USC Upstate scored three runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to rally from an early 3-0 deficit and earn the 4-3 win over the Presbyterian College softball team in action Wednesday night at Cyrill Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C.
PC drops to 15-14 overall, while USC Upstate improves to 26-6. The Blue Hose head up the road to Lynchburg, Va., next for a Big South series against Liberty April 3-4. PC takes on the Flames in a doubleheader Friday beginning at 5 p.m., and a single game Saturday at 1 p.m. All three games will be shown live on ESPN3.com.
Trailing 3-0 since the first inning, USC Upstate opened the sixth with timely hits, recording doubles by Kaitlyn Jaeger and Hayley Reinfeld, the second one resulting in Jaeger scoring to make it a 3-1 game. Shellie Robinson cleared the bases the next at-bat with a two-run home run to right and the game was tied at 3-3.
After the Blue Hose went down in order in the top of the seventh, the Spartans opened the bottom of the frame with a solo home run to left by Karla Beasley and USC Upstate came away with the 4-3 come-from-behind win.
Jill McLean opened the game with a single to second, and after a sacrifice bunt pushed her to second, she scored the game's first run off a Shelby Petik RBI single. Erin Ruff brought Petik home with her third home run of the season to give the Blue Hose the 3-0 lead.
PC threatened again in the top of the second with two hits to put runners on second and third, but could not plate any more as the Blue Hose held on to the three-run lead. USC Upstate used two walks and a single in the bottom of the second to put runners on second and third, but a foul out to third stopped the rally.
PC finished with six hits, all by different players, with Ruff pacing the team with two RBI. The Spartans collected 10 hits with Reinfeld leading the way with a three-for-three effort with one RBI. Robinson recorded two RBI off one hit.
Lexi Shubert (18-4) earned the win in the circle, going 7.0 innings and giving up three runs off the six hits with seven strikeouts.
Kensley Loudermelk (9-5) picked up the loss in just 0.1 inning of work. She struck out one and gave up one run off two hits. Katie Brown pitched 5.2 innings, and surrendered eight hits and three runs, while striking out two.
