Due West, SC – The Erskine softball team swept the Crusaders of Belmont-Abbey College 3-2 and 7-0 to remain in contention for the conference regular season title today at the Erskine College Softball Complex. The two victories improve Erskine’s record to 19-14-1 overall and 12-4 in conference, tied with Limestone College for first place in the conference standings. The Abbey slips to 14-24 overall and 8-10 in conference.
After a quiet first inning to start game one, both teams got on the board in the second frame. The Crusaders scored two runs on a walk and singles by Carol-Anne Sherrill and Kinsey McClure. Erskine pitcher Kelsey Spurrier (Charlotte, NC, Butler High School) limited the damage by striking out the next two Abbey batters then led off the Fleet half of the second with her first home run of the season to make the score 2-1. Next inning catcher Larissa Shannon (Newberry, SC, Newberry High School) launched her ninth home run of the year to tie the game 2-2 and chase Abbey’s starting pitcher Sami Michaelis from the game.
The Fleet scored the winning run in the fifth on an Abbey throwing error. Following a single by Shannon with one out, Belmont-Abbey tried to throw her out at third on a sacrifice bunt attempt but threw the ball away allowing Shannon to score.
In the meantime, after surrendering the two runs in the second, Spurrier allowed only two more hits over the next five innings to earn her ninth win. She struck out seven and walked one in route to her twelfth complete game.
Shannon went 3 for 3 with a home run to lead the Fleet offensively.
In game two, Erskine erupted for five runs on five hits to take a significant early lead. Colleen Gardner (Matthews, NC, Butler High School) started the inning with a single and was moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Whitney Brown (West Columbia, SC, Airport High School). After Jocelyn Smith (Greer, SC, Riverside HS) worked a walk to put two on, senior Kerry Fincher (Easley, SC, Wren HS) loaded the bases with a single. Two batters, Morgan Purcell (Duncan, SC, Byrnes High School) drove a pitch into left-center scoring Gardner and Smith. Ashlyn Hicks followed with a solid single to score Fincher. Purcell scored the Fleet’s fifth run on a wild pitch. The Fleet added two more runs in the sixth on an rbi double by Shannon and rbi single by Purcell.
With a comfortable lead early, Erskine pitcher Heather Richey (Abbeville, SC, Abbeville High School) pounded the strike zone firing a seven hit shutout for her tenth victory on the season. It was Richey’s third complete game shutout this season.
Erskine started the day a game behind Limestone College for first place in the conference standings. Limestone split a doubleheader with Mt. Olive moving Erskine into a tie for first place. Both teams have one doubleheader remaining. Erskine plays Coker College on Tuesday while Limestone goes on the road to Queens University.
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
