Due West, SC – Trailing 5-4 in the first game, junior Colleen Gardner (Matthews, NC, Butler High School) hit a two-run blast to propel Erskine to a 6-5 victory and fellow junior Bailey Thornton (Pauline, SC, Dorman High School) drilled a three-run in the second game as Erskine took two games from in-state conference rival Coker College today at the Erskine College Softball Complex.   With the two wins, Erskine remains undefeated in conference play at 4-0 and is now 5-9 overall while Coker evens their record in conference at 4-4 and now stands even at 10-10 overall.

Game One

Box Score

In game one, Coker grabbed a 5-0 lead on a pair of home runs.  Sydney Weatherford hit a three-run bomb, her fifth of the year, in the second inning just clearing the fence and staying within the foul pole to put the Cobras up 3-0.  In next inning, Stacy Burr hit an opposite field shot to stake Coker to a 5-0 lead.

Gardner ignited the Erskine rally by leading off the third inning with a double to left-center.  Freshman Ericka McCarson (Travelers Rest, SC, Travelers Rest High School) followed with a solid single moving Gardner to third.  Following a sacrifice bunt that advanced McCarson to second, Erskine caught a break on Larissa Shannon's (Newberry, SC, Newberry High School) sacrifice fly that scored Gardner as the ball skipped away from the Coker catcher plating McCarson as well.  In the next inning, Gardner smacked an rbi single to trim the Coker lead to 5-3.  Following Shannon’s fifth home run of the year, a solo shot, in the fourth, Gardner hit her two-run bomb, the first of her collegiate career, in the sixth to give Erskine a 6-5 lead.

After uncharacteristically surrendering the two home runs early, Erskine pitcher Kelsey Spurrier (Charlotte, NC, Butler High School) nailed down the seventh inning to give the Flying Fleet the 6-5 victory.  Spurrier pitched the complete game for her second win allowing five runs on ten hits while walking three and striking out four.

Pitching in relief, Bryant McLendon took her first loss of the season allowing three runs on three hits over two innings pitched.

Game Two

Box Score

Still rattled from the first game, Coker started the nightcap by committing three fielding errors on the first three balls put in play resulting in five unearned runs for the Fleet, highlighted by Thornton’s three-run blast over the left field wall.

The five runs would be all Erskine pitcher Heather Richey (Abbeville, SC, Abbeville High School) needed.  Richey went the distance giving up three runs on seven hits.  She struck out six while issuing just two free passes for her third win of the year.

Erskine added four more runs to claim the 9-3 victory.  Sophomore Whitney Brown (West Columbia, SC, Airport High School) had a two-run single and McCarson added another run with a sacrifice fly.  Junior centerfielder Morgan Purcell (Duncan, SC, Byrnes High School) closed out the Fleet scoring with her second home run of the season.

Erskine steps out of conference play to host LeMoyne College this Saturday in a doubleheader.  The first game starts at 1:00 p.m.  Admission is free to all home Erskine softball games.