DUE WEST, S.C. – The Erskine College softball team (22-10, 15-5 CC) swept Southern Wesleyan University (15-15, 9-11) with a pair off 6-5 wins via walk-offs on Saturday afternoon at the Erskine Softball Complex.
 
THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
THE SERIES
Erskine now leads the all-time series against the Warriors 13-2.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
GAME 1: Southern Wesleyan hit a solo home run in the first inning to take an early lead and added another run in the third inning. But, the Fleet offense broke through in a big way in the fourth inning when Ellison Garren launched a three-run big fly as Erskine jumped into the lead.The lead did not last as SWU scored twice in the fifth inning to go back in front, 4-3. But Faith Belue put the Fleet back on top in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run single. Erskine held on to the one-run until the seventh inning when the Warriors tied the game to send it to extra innings. But, Hannah Houge stranded the courtesy runner in the top of the eighth and Parker Birch's walk-off single in the bottom half finished a come-from-behind 6-5 Fleet win in Game 1.

GAME 2: The Fleet again fell behind early as Southern Wesleyan struck for three runs in the top of the first inning. But again the Fleet battled back, starting with a Kelci Brown run-scoring single in the second inning to get Erskine on the board. In the fourth inning, the Fleet narrowed the deficit to one with a Sydney McInnis RBI double and Taylor Antley tied the game at three with an RBI groundout in the fourth inning. Then, the Game 1 hero, Parker Birch, gave Erskine its first lead with a two-run single in the following inning. Houge held the lead until the seventh inning when the Warriors again tied the game in their final at-bat to send Game 2 into extra innings. But, Houge again worked around the courtesy runner in the top of the eighth thanks to a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play. And in the bottom half, Erskine's courtesy runner, Sydney McInnis, advanced to third on an error and scored the game-winning run on a passed ball as the Fleet walked off Southern Wesleyan for the second consecutive game. With the win, Erskine also sealed a 2021 Conference Carolinas regular season title and the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament.

THE PLAYER
GAME 1: Parker Birch had just one hit in five at-bats, but it was a walk-off single in the eighth inning of the opening game.
 
GAME 2: Kelci Brown was 2-for-3, scored a pair of runs and had an RBI single to get Erskine on the board in Game 2.
 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Fleet now turn their attention to the 2021 Conference Carolinas Tournament, beginning Thursday, April 22 at Tyger River Park in Duncan, S.C. The Fleet will open the double-elimination tournament against the 8-seeded Emmanuel Lions at 4:00 p.m.

Erskine split a doubleheader at Emmanuel this past Wednesday. Both games were blowouts as the Fleet cruised to a 9-1 win in Game 1, but the Lions responded with a 12-4 victory in Game 2.

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