Due West, SC – Sophomore Larissa Shannon (Newberry, SC, Newberry High School) blasted a towering two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win game 2 of a doubleheader against conference foe Lees-McRae College 3-1. Earlier in game one, Erskine squandered an outstanding pitching performance by Kelsey Spurrier (Charlotte, NC, Butler High School) losing 1-0 in 8 innings. After today’s games, Erskine moves to 17-14-1 on the season overall and 10-4 in conference. The split drops Erskine one game behind Limestone College for first place in the conference standings.
Erskine’s best scoring opportunity came in the first inning. With two outs, Shannon doubled into the right-center gap. Sophomore Morgan Purcell (Duncan, SC, Byrnes High School) followed with a base hit to left advancing Shannon to third and moving herself into scoring position on a Bobcat throwing error. However, LMC’s Laurel Gregg struck out the next Erskine batter to end the inning.
Gregg threw 8 shutout innings holding the Fleet to just three hits while striking out ten and walking one to earn her ninth win of the season.
Neither team scored through the regulation seven innings. In the top of the eighth, Ali Armstrong pushed a sacrifice bunt attempt cleanly between two Erskine defenders for a base hit scoring Anna Carter, who began at second as part of a tie-breaking rule.
Erskine’s pitcher Kelsey Spurrier pitched eight innings giving up one run on four hits, all singles. Spurrier struck out nine and did not issue a walk in taking her seventh loss of the season.
In game two, LMC’s lead-off batter, Kierstie Moon, worked Erskine pitcher Heather Richey (Abbeville, SC, Abbeville High School) for a walk to start the game and scored two batters later on a line drive by Paige Coleman that just went off the end of the second baseman’s glove into right-center field.
Meanwhile, the Erskine bats continued to sputter failing to score through the first six innings of play. Finally, in the bottom of the seventh, the Fleet snapped their thirteen inning scoreless streak to tie the game. Purcell led off the inning with a double off the left field wall and scored two batters later on a seeing-eye single by freshman Whitney Brown (West Columbia, SC, Airport High School) to tie the game at 1-1. Two innings later, Shannon ended the game in dramatic fashion with her ninth home run of the year, a two-run walk-off blast, to give the Fleet the 3-1 win.
After giving up the one run in the first, sophomore hurler Heather Richey settled down to shutout the Bobcats over the next eight innings. For the game, Richey tossed nine innings allowing one earned run on five hits in earning her ninth win of the season.
The Fleet’s final home game is this Saturday when they host Belmont-Abbey College. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
