Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Misenheimer, N.C. – Senior pitcher Kelsey Spurrier (Charlotte, NC, Butler High School) fired a one-hit shutout as Erskine (6-11-1, 4-2) split a double-header with conference foe Pfeiffer University (9-13, 2-4) yesterday afternoon winning the first game 2-0 and dropping the nightcap 3-2 in 8 innings at Jack Ingram Field.

Spurrier dominated the Pfeiffer batters in the first game, striking out seven, including the side in the first inning, and did not issue a walk in picking up her fifth win of the year.  The lone Pfeiffer hit came in the fourth inning on a double by Sadie Saine.

Offensively, the Fleet pounded out eleven hits with Ericka McCarson (Travelers Rest, SC, Travelers Rest High School), Larissa Shannon (Newberry, SC, Newberry High School) and Jordan Suther (Loganville, GA, South Gwinnett High School) each having two hits.  Erskine scored a run in the first and fifth innings.  With two outs in the first, Shannon laced a base hit to right and advanced to second on Morgan Purcell’s single.  Shannon scored on Ashlyn Hicks’ single up the middle.

In the fifth, a fine defensive play kept Erskine from blowing the game wide open.  After Suther led off the inning with a single and stole second, she was gunned down at home by Pfeiffer center fielder Emily Workman as she tried to score on McCarson’s base hit to center.  McCarson scored on Shannon’s second hit of the game, a triple to right.

In the nightcap, neither starting pitcher allowed a run until the fifth inning.  Erskine’s Whitney Brown (West Columbia, SC, Airport High School) led off the inning with a base hit and promptly stole second.  Pfeiffer pitcher Lindsey Russell was set to avoid the scoring threat inducing ground balls to the next two Fleet batters but mysteriously lost command of the strike zone.  After intentionally walking Shannon, Russell walked the next two Fleet batters to force Brown in.

In the top of the seventh, Erskine gave themselves a chance to win the game, scoring their second run to break the 1-1 tie.  Only another fine defensive play by Workman kept Erskine from tacking on an insurance run.  With two outs and no one on, Pfeiffer Head Coach, Chris Vullo, again elected to intentionally walk Shannon, putting the go-ahead run on first.  Russell walked the next batter, Purcell (Duncan, SC, Byrnes High School), and surrendered a base hit to Hicks (Caycee, SC, Brookland-Cayce High School) to load the bases.  Vullo went to his bullpen at that point, bringing in Shelby Brown, who promptly surrendered a base hit to center by Hicks scoring Shannon and a near perfect throw by Workman caught Purcell at home for the third out.

Erskine could not hold the lead in the bottom of the seventh.  Spurrier, who had relieved Heather Richey (Abbeville, SC, Abbeville High School) (Abbeville, SC, Abbeville High School) in the fifth, allowed back-to-back singles to start the seventh.  With two outs, Khristen Isley hit an RBI single to tie the game.

Erskine failed to score in their half of the eighth inning while Pfeiffer managed to push a run across to win the second game 3-2. 
Spurrier took the loss in relief, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits.  She issued uncharacteristic four walks while striking out three.  Richey, who is just not returning to form due to a preseason injury, pitched 4.2 innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits.  She also issued four free passes while striking out one. 

After pounding out eleven hits in the first game, Erskine managed just five in the second game, led by Hicks who finished 2 for 2 with a sacrifice bunt and a walk.

Erskine has struggled on the road this season, just 1-5.  The win in the first game was the Fleet’s first of the season.

Erskine goes on the road this Monday to face conference opponent Queens University in a double-header.  First game starts at 2:30 p.m.