Hartsville, SC - Kelsey Spurrier threw her second consecutive shutout and the Erskine offense exploded for six runs as the Fleet defeated the Royals of Queens University 6-0 in the semi-final round of the Conference Carolinas Championship Tournament at Byerly Park in Hartsville, South Carolina. With the victory, Erskine advances to tomorrow’s championship game at 12:00 p.m.
Spurrier (Charlotte, NC, Butler High School) limited Queens to four hits over seven innings while striking out eight and not issuing a walk. Spurrier has now thrown consecutive shutouts in the tournament; blanking Belmont-Abbey on three hits in the opening round, and currently owns a 17 scoreless inning streak. Earlier this season, Spurrier had pitched 26 consecutive innings without surrendering a run.
After being held to one hit over the first three innings, the Erskine bats exploded for five runs in the fourth inning on five hits. With one out, Ashlyn Hicks (Caycee, SC, Brookland-Cayce High School) and Bailey Thornton (Pauline, SC, Dorman High School) hit back-to-back singles to put the first Fleet runner in scoring position. Following a fielder’s choice for the second out, senior Lindsey LaPrad (Summerville, SC, Fort Dorchester HS) stroked a single through the infield to score Hicks. Whitney Brown (West Columbia, SC, Airport High School) and Colleen Gardner (Matthews, NC, Butler High School) followed with rbi singles to put Erskine up 4-0. Erskine scored their fifth run thanks to a Queens’ fielding miscue and the Fleet led by five at the end of four innings. Erskine scored another unearned run in the sixth courtesy of a Royals’ throwing error.
Gardner led the Fleet at the plate going 2 for 3 with 3 rbis. LaPrad and Hicks also had two hits for the Fleet.
Queens’ Brandy Jester took the loss giving up six runs on nine hits through six innings.
Erskine plays the winner of the #4 Queens-#5 Lees-McRae game tomorrow in the championship game starting 12:00 p.m. The Queens/Lees-McRae game was suspended in the fourth inning with the score tied 0-0 due to rain. The game is scheduled to resume tomorrow (Sunday) at 10:30 a.m.
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