DUNCAN, S.C. – The Erskine College softball team (20-19, 9-11 CC) split a pair of matches to begin their 2023 Conference Carolinas Tournament campaign at Tyger River Park on Friday. The Fleet won an extra-inning thriller over No. 7 seed Mount Olive, 9-5, to qualify for the double elimination field, and then were defeated by No. 2 seed Lees-McRae in the nightcap.

THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Erskine 9-5 Mount Olive (Final / 10 innings)
Mount Olive opened the scoring in the first inning, but Erskine starting pitcher, Payton Cox, settled in and her offense broke through a few frames later. Kenzie Eagleman led off the top of the third with a base hit, and a walk drawn by Savannah Koester followed by a double steal set the table for Kyndall Chandler. And the Fleet's RBI leader delivered again, singling through the right side, giving the Fleet a 2-1 lead. A UMO home run tied the game in the fourth inning, but Cox continued to match zeroes with the Trojans starting pitcher after that. Both teams had a baserunner in the seventh but were unable to plate a go-ahead run as the game headed into extra innings. Hailey Watson's RBI single in the top of the eighth drove in the Erskine courtesy runner, but UMO answered in the bottom half by scoring their courtesy runner and tying things at 3. It appeared as if Mount Olive might be able to win the game with the winning run at third base and just one out. But, Cox induced an infield pop-up and a groundout to send the game to the ninth. Then, it was Katie Hunter who delivered for the Fleet with a pinch-hit RBI single to fire the Fleet back in front. Once again, the Trojans got the run back in the bottom half and we headed to a tenth inning. Watson led off the frame with a base knock and another pinch-hitter, Hailey Patterson, came through with an RBI single to score McKinna Taylor and put Erskine ahead once again. Chandler followed by working a walk, loading the bases, for Brooke Patterson. And the sophomore first baseman delivered the punishing blow, a huge grand slam to break the game wide open and give the Fleet a 9-4 lead. UMO scored their courtesy runner again in the bottom half, but Cox limited the damage as she tossed all ten innings on the mound and finished off a remarkable win to open the tournament.

Game 2: Lees-McRae 0-5 Erskine
A few hours later, Erskine was back in action to take on the No. 2 seed, Lees-McRae. Erskine starting pitcher, Kaley Ingle, making her first start in 24 days, held Lees-McRae out of the hit and run column through her first three frames as the Fleet's nightcap quickly became a pitcher's duel. Ingle, along with a combination of McKinna Taylor and Payton Cox, held the Bobcats to just three hits but LMC took advantage of their opportunities, scoring three times in the fourth to take the lead and adding a run in each of their final two at-bats as the Fleet came up short in Game 2.

THE PLAYER
Brooke Patterson recorded a hit in both games, but the bigger of the two was certainly her grand slam in the 10th inning of Game 1, helping the Fleet secure an epic opening-round victory over Mount Olive.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine is right back in action on Saturday afternoon in an elimination game against No. 4 Seed Emmanuel College (29-20, 15-7 CC) at 2 p.m.

MORE ABOUT THE ERSKINE COLLEGE FLYING FLEET

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