DUE WEST, S.C. – The Erskine College softball team (13-25, 11-13 CC) defeated Ferrum College (10-32, 3-23 CC) in both games of a doubleheader on Family Day at the Erskine Softball Complex on Saturday. 

Amber Clark's walk-off single in game one was the final blow in a back-and-forth opener, and Gabby Burroughs' game-winning two-run double capped a four-run fourth in the Fleet's furious rally in game two.

THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Erskine 6-5 Ferrum (Final / 9 innings)
Ferrum spoiled the start of Family Day with a pair of runs in the third inning, but starting pitcher Layla Clayton posted zeroes outside of that two-run single. It took the Fleet until the fourth inning to get on the board, but a solo home run from Gabby Burroughs, her eighth of the year, cut the deficit to 2-1. That scoreline remained all the way until the bottom of the seventh, with the Fleet needing a run to stay alive. Emily Johnson started the inning with a leadoff double and was immediately in scoring position as the tying run. Kara West pinch ran for Johnson, while Mckinna Taylor pinch hit, with the Fleet hoping for a spark from their bench. Taylor put the ball in play and an error from the Panthers allowed West to come around and score. The Fleet had the bases loaded later in the frame but could not scratch across the winning run yet, sending the game to extra innings. In the eighth, Johnson and Savannah Koester each delivered clutch two-out RBI singles that canceled out the two runs from the visitors in the bottom half to force a ninth inning. Ferrum scored its courtesy runner in the top half but nothing else, and a pair of walks by Hannah Lewis and Burroughs loaded the bases for the Fleet in the bottom half with no outs. DC Still delivered a game-tying RBI single, and two batters later, Amber Clark's base hit to right center field scored Lewis and the Fleet won the opener in walk-off fashion.

Game 2: Erskine 7-5 Ferrum
The Fleet used their momentum from game one to start game two strong, thanks to an RBI single from Ellie Rapson to open the scoring in the second inning. However, Ferrum responded with a five-spot in the top of the third and Erskine suddenly was in a big deficit. Gabby Burroughs' RBI single in the bottom half got the Fleet a run closer, and after a scoreless inning in the circle by Ali Meeker, the Erskine offense posted a five-run inning of its own. Kara West's RBI single started the scoring in the bottom of the fourth, followed by an RBI from Savannah Koester to get the Fleet within one, before Gracie Merrill's run-scoring single tied the game at five. After a Panthers error, Burroughs delivered the punishing blow, a two-run double that put the Fleet back in front, 7-5. Kinsley Kay took over in the circle with the Fleet in some trouble in the fifth and got a strikeout to put out the fire. Kay then surrendered just one baserunner combined in the next two frames, closing out a game two victory for the Fleet.

THE PLAYER
Gabby Burroughs had multiple hits in both games, going 5-for-6 combined at the plate. The senior third baseman homered in the fourth inning of game one and then was walked three times in the opener. In game two, Burroughs totaled three hits, including the game-winning two-RBI double that capped a five-run fourth inning.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine has its road finale on Friday, when the Fleet visit Converse University (11-35, 7-17 CC) for a doubleheader that starts at 1 p.m.

MORE ABOUT THE ERSKINE COLLEGE FLYING FLEET

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