FGCU sweeps USCU in softball
The FGCU pitching staff limited the Atlantic Sun’s best offensive team to just seven hits in a doubleheader sweep as the Eagles won 3-1 and 2-0 over visiting USC Upstate Thursday at the FGCU Softball Complex.
The wins improve the Eagles’ overall record to 23-21, but more importantly 6-2 in the A-Sun. USC Upstate, who started the season 25-0, drops to 32-9 and 4-6 in the conference.
The combined effort in the circle from redshirt senior Catherine McDaniel and sophomore Stephanie Sullivan limited the Spartans to a .143 average, well below their conference-leading .314 clip. McDaniel (11-9) surrendered just four hits, two walks and a run, while fanning nine in game one. Sullivan (4-5) pitched a complete game shutout, her second of the season, giving up just three hits and one walk in game two.
Opposite the FGCU pitching staff, USC Upstate’s Morgan Childers (23-5) threw a one-hitter, walking four and striking out four in the loss, while Hannah Alexander (9-4) gave up seven hits and two runs, striking out four.
The Eagles got out to a quick start scoring one run in the first on senior Courtney Platt’s sacrifice fly. Freshman Tori Williams scored on the play, reaching on a walk before stealing second and advancing on an illegal pitch.
In the second inning, redshirt sophomore Kayla Gabel slugged her first home run of the season, firing a two-run shot over the right field wall to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead.
Sophomore Mariah Fernandez (Cape Coral) put FGCU on the board in the fourth inning of game two, sending an 0-1 pitch past Upstate’s diving shortstop to score Platt, who reached on a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch, giving the Eagles 1-0 lead. Platt secured the win with a home run to right field for the 2-0 advantage in the sixth inning.
Gabel and Platt each notched two RBI on their two hits, while Fernandez and sophomore Chelsea Yates rounded out the multi-hit batters.
FGCU continues conference playSaturday with a doubleheader against ETSU (14-22, 3-7 A-Sun) at 2 p.m.