March 25, 2008

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LAURINBURG, N.C.—The Erskine College softball team totaled 21 hits in a 9-2 and 5-2 Conference Carolinas sweep of host St. Andrews Presbyterian College on Tuesday afternoon at Knights Field.

Senior Ashlee LaFontaine (Grovetown, Ga.) collected a team-high four hits and junior Hailey Whitlock (Liberty, S.C.) drove in four runs to help the Flying Fleet remain perfect in Conference Carolinas play. Erskine maintains a 15-14-1 overall and 6-0 league record.

Senior Mika Tanji (Honolulu, Hawaii) led the Lady Knights offensively with three hits and two RBI. Senior Erin Haugen (Fort Mill, S.C.) and freshman Jasmine Dobbin (Pikeville, N.C.) each scored twice for SAPC. The Knights hold 7-26 overall and 2-10 conference ledgers after being swept.

St. Andrews next hosts Conference Carolinas foe Limestone College on Friday at 2:00 p.m. while Erskine visits league rival Pfeiffer University on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

GAME 1: Erskine 9, St. Andrews 2

LaFontaine scored the first run of the game for Erskine with an RBI-single in the top of the first. St. Andrews bounced back and took a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the home half of the first. Haugen led off with a single and later scored on an error. Tanji drove in the Knights second run with a single up the middle.

Junior Katie Knapp (Branford, Fla.) knotted the score at 2-2 with a single to center that scored sophomore Kelly Davis (Weaverville, N.C.) in the third. The Fleet took the lead for good with three runs in the fourth. Erskine plated a pair of unearned runs and Whitlock highlighted the surge with a sacrifice fly.

Lafontaine added her second run-producing single in the fifth. Lafontaine, who finished the game going 3-for-4 from the plate, led off the seventh with a double. Lafontaine’s hit was the first of three consecutive doubles by the Fleet. Sophomore Courtney Davis (Asheville, N.C.) followed with a double over the centerfielders head and freshman Lindsey LaPrad (Summerville, S.C.) then added an RBI-double down the right field line. Whitlock concluded Erskine’s scoring with a stinging two-run single past the first baseman.

Sophomore starter Lauren Gunter (Batesburg, S.C.) went the distance for the Fleet, earning her eighth win of the season. Gunter (8-7) allowed two runs on seven hits. St. Andrews senior starter Samantha Stewart (Ft. Pierce, Fla.) has three strikeouts in the loss.

Tanji had two of the Knights seven hits. Lafontaine and C. Davis each had three base hits in Erskine 14-hit attack while Whitlock drove in a game-high three runs.

GAME 2: Erskine 5, St. Andrews 2

St. Andrews jumped on the Flying Fleet for one run in first. Haugen drew a lead-off walk and later scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Brianna Shurtleff (Colton, Calif.).

Erskine got on the scoreboard with a three runs in the second. Junior Kaitlin Hunt (Lake Wales, Fla.) drilled a two-run double down the left field line and Whitlock provided an RBI-single to center. Knapp extended the Fleets lead to 4-1 with a leadoff home run in the third. Knapp’s solo blast to straightaway center was her team-high seventh homer of the season.

The two teams traded unearned runs late as Erskine held on for the three-run victory. Tanji drove in St. Andrews last run in the sixth with a RBI-groundout.

Flying Fleet junior starter Amanda Norton (Little Rock, S.C.) tossed a complete-game in the finale. Norton (4-1) allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out three for her fourth win of the season. Tanji was tagged with the loss on the mound after allowing four runs (three earned) in the first three innings.