By Patrick Stumpf
CLEARWATER, Fla. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – After beginning a 13-game stretch in sunny Florida yesterday, the Green Bay softball team returned to the diamond for an afternoon double-header against USC Upstate (19-2), falling to the Spartans, 8-3 in Game 1 and 10-0 (F/5) in Game 2. The Phoenix (4-15) will look to bounce back on Friday afternoon, when it takes on Quinnipiac and Army.
Game 1: USC Upstate (S.C.) 8, Green Bay 3
Green Bay struck first in the opening inning, after four consecutive batters reached with two outs. After an Acacia Tupa walk, Allie Taylor was hit by a pitch and Katelyn Huemmer singled to left to load the bases against Spartan's starter Lexi Shubert. After a pitching change just two-thirds of the way through the inning, USC Upstate's Holly McKinnon hit Tessa Mikkelson to give the Phoenix the 1-0 lead.
The Spartans responded with three runs on two hits in the bottom of the inning, the first coming on an RBI groundout by left fielder Brittany Case. Green Bay had a chance to get out of the frame without any further damage; however, first baseman Karla Beasley connected on a key 2-out, 2 RBI single that gave USC Upstate a 3-1 advantage.
Things remained that away until the fourth, when the Spartans increased its lead to 5-1 in back-to-back at-bats on a RBI double by DP Kori Wancheck and a run-scoring single by second baseman Megan Obier.
In the top of the sixth, the Phoenix closed back within two, 5-3, after RBI singles from Kelli Hutchinson and Brennan Engel. However, USC Upstate did not let up, scoring three more runs in the bottom half of the inning to win by the final margin.
Game 2: USC Upstate (S.C.) 10, Green Bay 0 (Five Innings)
USC Upstate outhit the Phoenix 12-2, scoring runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings to down Green Bay for the second time on the day.
The Spartans got a solo home run off the bat of catcher Amy Szymanowski in the top of the third, and did not look back the remainder of the afternoon.
Juniors Abby Brinkmeier and Hailee Frey both got into the hit column for the Phoenix in the game, while freshman starter Sara Simonar pitched three and 1/3 innings in the circle.
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