ASU Box Score | USC Upstate Box Score
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The University of Dayton softball team (4-9) ended USC Upstate’s (16-1) 16-game unbeaten streak in a 3-1 win on Saturday at Cyrill Field in the Subway Spartan Classic. Dayton also beat Appalachian State (7-6) 7-3 in the first game of the day.
Today’s win against USC Upstate is believed to be the first time that the Flyers have knocked off a team that was receiving votes in the NFCA national poll.
Freshman pinch hitter Tiffany Ricks was clutch in both of her at-bats on Saturday, as each of her home runs proved to be the difference in their respective games. Her first home run was a three-run home run to left field in the win over Appalachian State. Ricks’ second home run was a two-run blast that cleared the wall in right center field, helping Dayton over the previously unbeaten Spartans.
“Tiffany did an excellent job for us at the plate today,” Dayton Softball Head Coach Cara LaPlaca said.
Junior Kathleen Maloof had a two-run home run on Saturday. Senior Brandy Brown had a solo home run, and sophomore Kasi Vazquez had an RBI-double. Senior Lauren Nacke also doubled.
Freshman Kayla English (1-2) pitched a complete game against the previously unbeaten Spartans. English had two strikeouts and allowed one earned run. It was the second complete game by English this weekend, and her first collegiate win.
“Kayla pitched a great game today as both of our pitchers picked up their first wins this season,” LaPlaca said.
Junior transfer Sydney Cicchetti (1-1) pitched a complete game against Appalachian State for her first win as a Flyer. Cicchetti had five strikeouts, walked one and did not allow an earned run to the Mountaineers.
The Flyers opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning against the Mountaineers. With sophomore Alysha Isaacson on first, sophomore Rachel Archer laid down a bunt, which resulted in a two-base throwing error bringing Isaacson home to take a 1-0 lead. Maloof homered in the next at-bat, scoring two more runs and setting off an offensive flurry by UD.
With two runners on base later in the inning, Ricks pinch-hit for Carlyn Harlow and smacked a three-run home run. It was her first collegiate home run, putting the Flyers ahead 6-0.
Appalachian State scored on a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 6-1. However, UD answered back in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Brown giving Dayton a 7-1 lead.
Appalachian State scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning, but could not come back as Cicchetti and the Flyers closed out ASU.
In the second game of the day, Dayton took an early 3-0 lead against the undefeated Spartans. Vazquez’s double brought home Brown. Ricks pinch hit once more for Harlow, and crushed her second career home run, which also brought home Vazquez extending UD’s lead to three.
USC Upstate’s RBI-single in the bottom of the sixth cut the lead to 3-1. With two runners in scoring position, English forced a pop up to end the inning with only one run scored.
The Spartans had the tying run at the plate with one out in the seventh inning, but English and the Flyers held off USC upstate to retire the side.
Dayton returns to action on Sunday at 9 a.m. against the NC Central Eagles in its final game of the Subway Spartan Classic.
