SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Savannah State University softball team (2-7) dropped both games by falling to Akron (2-7) 5-4 in nine innings and to host USC Upstate (6-0) 14-4 in five innings at the USC Upstate Tournament Saturday at the Cyrill Stadium.
 
Center fielder Shelby Eccles went 5-for-6 with an RBI in both games, while second basemen Molly Lillis 2-for-2 with an RBI, while junior designated hitter Amanda Hallman went 2-for-7 with two RBIs.
 
Akron 5, Savannah State 4 (9)
Eccles went 4-for-4, while Lillis went 2-for-2 with an RBI, while sophomore Ashley Eichenlaub went the distance giving up four earned runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts and no walks. 
 
Akron scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning after a single and the throw allowed a runner to score to lead 1-0 after the first inning.
 
The Lady Tigers tied the game at one in the bottom of the second inning as Eichenlaub scored by an error by the catcher.  SSU took the lead in the next inning after a third baseman Cortni Jones' solo home run to lead 2-1.
 
Akron took the lead with three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead after a three-run home run by Alyssa Nicholas.
 
Savannah State tied the score at four in the bottom half of the inning scoring after five innings.  The inning started out with a groundout, followed by senior first baseman Torrian Wright double.  Jones reached on an error and advanced to second allow Wright to score.  After a groundout for the second out of the inning, Lillis singled home Jones to tie the score.  A strikeout ended the inning.
 
Neither team scored a run in the first extra-inning in the eighth inning, but the Zips scored in the top of the ninth inning off an RBI single to win the game. 
 
With Jenkins starting on second base, shortstop Brianna Harris groundout into a fielder's choice that got Jenkins out on third.  With a groundout to advance Harris to second with two outs, Wright walked to put runners on first and second.  Harris was caught steal third to end the game. 
 
The Zips were led by Kayla Schlosser went 3-for-3 with a run scored, while Nicholas went 2-for-4 with a run scored and four RBIs. 
 
USC Upstate 14, Savannah State 4 (5)
Hallman went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Eccles went 1-for-2 with an RBI, while Hallman pitched 2.0 innings, giving up eight runs on nine hits and pitcher Faith Dickerson pitched the final 2.0 innings with five earned runs with six hits.
 
The Spartans scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning to lead 5-0 that included a three-run double with the bases loaded. 
 
The Lady Tigers scored two runs in the top half of the next inning to cut the lead to 5-2 after an inning and half.  Jones started the inning with a walk and after two outs, catcher Kelsey Cyrus walked to put runners on first and second with two outs.  Eccles doubled to bring home Jones and Cyrus scored on an error by the catcher and allowed Eccles to advance to third.  The inning ended on a strikeout.
 
USC Upstate added three more runs in the bottom of half of the inning to lead 8-2 that included a two-run home run Amy Szymanowski.
 
The Lady Tigers added two more runs in the top half of the next inning to cut the lead to 8-4 after two and half innings after Hallman doubled home two runs to bring home Harris and right fielder Alexis Singleton.
 
USC Upstate added three more runs to increase its lead to 11-2 after three innings, which included a two-run home run by Szymanowski.
 
The Spartans scored the final three runs in the top of the fourth inning for the 10-run win, which included an Abbie Millete two-run home run
 
The Lady Tigers finish the USC Upstate Tournament with Akron at 11 a.m., followed by host USC Upstate at 3 p.m.
 
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