Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Wingate, N.C. – The Erskine Flying Fleet (0-2) were swept this afternoon in their season opener against Wingate University (4-0).  The Flying Fleet lost in a pitcher's duel in the first game 2-0 and dropped a slugfest in the second game 8-7.

In her first collegiate start, freshman Danica Newton (Mt. Pleasant, SC, Wando High School) was on the short end of the pitcher's duel. Newton tossed a complete game, surrendering two runs on eight hits.  She also struck out three and issued just one walk.
 
Wingate scored their first run of Newton in the second inning.  Kayla Saliga hit a one-out double and moved to third on teammate's Amy Wingfield's single.  Shannen Adams lifted a fly ball just deep enough to score Saliga to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

The Bulldogs tacked on an insurance run in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Wingfield and Adams.  Newton limited the damage to just one run by retiring the next two batters.

Those two runs were all sophomore pitcher Stacey Houser needed.  Houser, who tossed a no-hitter in her first outing this season, limited the Flying Fleet to just three hits, all singles, in picking up her second win of the season.

Ericka McCarson (Travelers Rest, SC, Travelers Rest High School), Whitney Brown (West Columbia, SC, Airport High School) and Kaitlyn Kerley (North Charleston, SC, Fort Dorchester High School) had the three hits for the Flying Fleet.

After being shutout in the first game, Erskine erupted for seven runs in the second game, five coming in the first inning, but lost 8 to 7 with the winning run crossing the plate in the bottom of the seventh. 

After picking up her first collegiate hit in the first game, Kerley blasted her first collegiate home run to put the Fleet up 5-0 and force starting pitcher Taylor Bates from the game.

Erskine added two more runs, both solo shot home runs, in the fourth and seventh innings.  In the fourth inning, freshmanLydia Trexler (Lexington, SC, White Knoll High School) led off the inning, crushing her shot over the left field fence.  Later in the seventh inning with two outs, sophomore Taylor Fernandes (Lincolnton, GA, Lincoln County High School) tied the game at 7-7 with her first collegiate home run to left field.

Although her stat line does not show it, freshman Candace Fitch (Cherryville, NC, Burns High School) pitched well in her first collegiate start.  The freshman right-hander went six innings, yielding seven runs, five earned, while striking out one and walking two.

The Bulldogs got to her in the second inning for four runs.  After allowing four hits in a row, including a double to Saliga, Fitch bounced back to end the inning.  An inning later the Bulldogs tied the game at 5-5 on a solo blast by Taylor Laskey.  But it was three defensive miscues in the fifth and sixth inning resulting in two unearned that cost the Fleet the lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Bulldogs pushed across the winning run against senior pitcher Katherine Mulzer, who was on in relief of Fitch.

Both Kerley and Fernades finished with two hits each to lead the 10-hit attack by the Flying Fleet.

Erskine hosts Chowan University on Friday in their home opener.  First game starts at 1:00 p.m. with the second game to immediately follow.