Banner Elk, NC – Erskine continued their late season run taking two games from the Bobcats of Lees-McRae College today in Conference Carolinas softball action at Bobcat Field.  Erskine has won six of their seven games to improve to 13-15 overall and 11-5 in conference.

Game One – Box Score

Erskine pitcher Kelsey Spurrier (Charlotte, NC, Butler High School) out dueled LMC’s Laurel Gregg while junior catcher Larissa Shannon drove in two runs as the Fleet overcame a 1-0 deficit to win 3-1 in eight innings.

Entering the sixth inning trailing 1-0, Shannon lifted a fly ball to right to score Ericka McCarson (Travelers Rest, SC, Travelers Rest High School) to tie the game at 1-1.  Later in the eighth, after a fielder’s choice by McCarson scored the go ahead run, Shannon drilled a triple off the wall to score Lindsay Waters (Simpsonville, SC, James L. Mann High School), who also reached on a fielder’s choice.

McCarson led the Fleet at the plate going 3 for 4 with a run scored and an rbi.  Shannon finished 1 for 3with two rbis.  Sophomore Ashlyn Hicks (Caycee, SC, Brookland-Cayce High School) had the other Fleet hit, going 1 for 2.

Meanwhile Spurrier scattered seven hits over eight innings.  The lone run Spurrier surrendered in the third inning was unearned.  She struck out nine and walked two in earning her fifth win of the season.

LMC’s Gregg also went the distance giving up three runs, only one earned, on five hits.  She struck out five and issued one walk in taking the loss.

Game Two – Box Score

Erskine scored a run in each of the first four innings and cruised to a 5-2 victory.  Erskine pitcher Heather Richey (Abbeville, SC, Abbeville High School) limited the Bobcats to five hits, allowing two runs, while fanning six and walking two in picking up her seventh victory.

Shannon and McCarson again provided the offensive spark for the Fleet.  Shannon went 3 for 4 and blasted her conference-leading ninth home run of the year while McCarson had two doubles in four at-bats and drove in two.  She also had a stolen base.  Whitney Brown (West Columbia, SC, Airport High School) and Colleen Gardner (Matthews, NC, Butler High School) both hit a double as well with Brown scoring a run in the sixth.

Erskine stays on the road travelling to Greenville, Tennessee, on Monday to play non-conference opponent Tusculum College.  First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.