Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Due West, S.C. – After having their last three doubleheaders postponed due to rain, Erskine (8-13-1) finally took to the field for the first time in ten days against non-conference foe Tusculum College (25-14) in a doubleheader at the Erskine College Softball Complex.  The Fleet lost both games to the Pioneers, dropping the first game 7 to 3 and the second game 6 to 4.

In the first game, Erskine resembled a team that had not played in the last ten days committing six errors resulting in four unearned runs.  Tusculum broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning, scoring three runs, two runs coming from a two-run bomb by Lindsey Umberger.  After surrendering an unearned run off two Fleet errors in the fifth inning, the Pioneers put the game out of reach adding three more unearned runs on two more Fleet fielding miscues.

Erskine scored three runs in their half of the sixth off of Larissa Shannon’s ninth home run of the year, a three-run blast to center field.

Kelsey Spurrier (Charlotte, NC, Butler High School) took the loss for the Fleet, allowing 7 runs, 3 earned, on 8 hits.  She struck out five and walked one. Kaylin White (Columbia, SC, White Knoll High School) got the final four outs, giving up one hit and striking out one.

Tusculum’s Elizabeth Johnson tossed the complete game victory, surrendering 3 unearned runs, on three hits.  She fanned four batters without issuing a walk.

Tusculum took the nightcap 6 to 4 behind another complete game by Johnson, who benefited from four home runs.  Johnson went the distance again, this time giving up four runs, all earned, on seven hits while striking out five and not issuing a walk.  In fourteen innings, the right-hander did not issue a walk.

The Pioneers scored all six runs via the long ball.  Paige Sneed hit a solo blast for the game’s first run in the second while Alix Kruel and Katilyn Stroinski added two more in the third inning.  Umberger hit her second home run of the day, a two-run in the fifth, to conclude the scoring for the Pioneers.

The four long balls came at the expense of Heather Richey (Abbeville, SC, Abbeville High School), who was making just her fourth appearance and second start of the season since returning from a preseason injury.  Despite the home runs, the senior right-hander pitched well, allowing the six runs on eight hits over five innings.  She walked two and struck out four.  White and Katherine Mulzer (Donalds, SC, Dixie High School)each pitched a shutout inning in relief.

Like Tusculum, Erskine's Ericka McCarson (Travelers Rest, SC, Travelers Rest High School) hit two two-run home runs to account for all the Fleet's runs.  She launched her first two-run home run in the third inning then again in the fifth inning.  It was her third and fourth runs of the year.

Erskine travels to Tigerville, South Carolina, tomorrow to face the Crusaders of North Greenville University.  The first game starts at 3:30 p.m.  This doubleheader was originally scheduled for Thursday but was moved up a day due to the forecast of rain on Thursday.