Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Due West, S.C. – Senior pitcher Kelsey Spurrier threw a two-hitter to win today’s first game of a doubleheader 3 to 1 against the Bulldogs of Wingate University (3-1) as Erskine (1-1) opened their 2013 softball season.  Wingate won the nightcap 7 to 5.

In the first game, Wingate’s lone run came in the first inning.  Betsy Braswell drew a two-out walk and teammate Taylor Laskey hit a double off the fence to score her.

It appeared that one run would be all Wingate pitcher Stacy Houser would need as she allowed just three singles through the first five innings.

The Fleet finally got to Houser in the sixth inning for three runs.  Sophomore Lindsay Waters (Simpsonville, SC, James L. Mann High School) lead off with a single and moved to third on a single by senior Morgan Purcell (Duncan, SC, Byrnes High School).  Junior Ashlyn Hicks (Caycee, SC, Brookland-Cayce High School) then fisted a Texas-leaguer into the outfield scoring Waters to tie the game.  After the second out, Colleen Gardner (Matthews, NC, Butler High School) had an RBI single and Spurrier followed with another RBI single for an insurance run.

After yielding a one-out walk, her seventh of the game, Spurrier induced a game-ending double play to win the game 3 to 1.
Spurrier went the distance giving up the one earned run on two hits while striking out six and issuing seven walks to earn her first win of the season.

Houser also went the distance giving up three runs, all earned, on 8 hits.  She struck out two and walked one in picking up her first loss of the year.

In the nightcap, Wingate again scored in the first inning.  Alexis Burrell drilled a home run over the center field wall to stake the Bulldogs to an early 3-0 lead.

Erskine came back immediately scoring two runs in the first two innings.  In the bottom half of the first, the Fleet trimmed the Wingate lead to one on two rbi singles by Purcell and Hicks.  Erskine scored two more runs in the second inning on an rbi ground out by Thornton and an rbi single by Waters.

Wingate tied the game at 4 to 4 in the top of the third as Burrell lead-off the inning with a double and scored on teammate Hayley Whitley’s rbi single.

SeniorLarissa Shannon (Newberry, SC, Newberry High School) broke the tie with her first home run of the season, an opposite field blast to left field.

Unfortunately, Erskine could not hold the lead as Wingate rallied to score three runs in the top of the seventh. 

Kaylin White took the loss in relief for the Fleet.  Erskine starter Katherine Mulzer (Donalds, SC, Dixie High School) pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing four earned runs on six hits while whiffing two and walking six.

Miranda Paul picked up the complete game win surrendering five runs on twelve hits.  She struck out two and walked just one.

Erskine returns to action this Saturday against non-conference opponent Brevard College.  First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.