March 7, 2009

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FLORENCE, S.C.—Junior first baseman Brianna Shurtleff (Colton, Calif.) five hits in the Lady Knights first three games at the 2009 Patriot Invitational hosted by Francis Marion University at the Freedom Florence Softball Complex. SAPC lost to Lenoir-Rhyne 10-3 on Friday night before bouncing back with a pair of wins on Saturday including a 6-2 victory over Mansfield University and a 3-2 win against Tusculum College.

Freshman Ashley Disque (pictured) had a big day for SAPC on Saturday. Disque had a 4-hit, complete-game victory on the mound against Mansfield while adding an RBI from the plate in both games including the go-ahead run against Tusculum.

The Lady Knights will take an 8-11 overall record into the final day of the tournament when SAPC wraps up competition with two games on Sunday against Lander University at 11 a.m. and Salem International University at 1 p.m.

Shurtleff hit her first home run of the season on Friday and then collected two hits in both games on Saturday.

Junior Danyell Marquez (Riverside, Calif.) continues her hot play extending her current hit streak to nine games after hitting safely in all three contests. She produced four SAPC runs with four doubles. Marquez leads the Knights with 10 doubles, three home runs, and 21 RBI in 19 games.

FRIDAY FINAL: Lenoir-Rhyne 10, St. Andrews 3
Box Score; Play-By-Play

Lenoir-Rhyne University, who is currently receiving the most votes not in the national top-25 poll, was able to rally from an early 1-0 deficit to defeat St. Andrews 10-3 for their ninth straight victory.

Freshman Kaitlin Harris (Acworth, Ga.) led off the game with a single and eventually scored to give the Knights an early advantage. Harris also had two stolen bases.

SAPC was held to five hits but Marquez smacked an RBI-double in the fourth and Shurtleff blasted a solo homer in the fifth to highlight the Knights offense.

SATURDAY MORNING FINAL: St. Andrews 6, Mansfield 2
Box Score; Play-By-Play

Junior Morgan Farroll (Newton Grove, N.C.) went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs scored to lead the St. Andrews softball team to a 6-2 victory over Mansfield University.

Freshman starter Ashley Disque (Prince Frederick, Md.) had a strong performance for the Knights on the mound, scattering just four hits over seven innings. Disque (2-7) picked up her second win of the season with her four strikeout complete-game. Disque helped out her own cause by scoring a run in the fifth and with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Junior Sarah Applegarth (Gainesville, Ga.) was a perfect 2-for-2 with two walks. Marquez belted a pair of doubles including a two-run double in the fifth. Shurtleff added a pair of singles and one RBI.

SAPC totaled 11 hits in the four-run victory but could have scored more leaving nine runners on base.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON FINAL: St. Andrews 3, Tusculum 2
Box Score; Play-By-Play

Disque broke a 2-2 tie with a single in the sixth inning that scored sophomore Jasmine Dobbin (Pikeville, N.C.) for the go-ahead run and Applegarth made it hold up from the pitchers circle as St. Andrews won its second straight game defeating Tusuculum College 3-2.

The Knights were trailing 1-0 before scoring two runs in the second to catapult into the lead. Marquez highlighted the scoring with a double that drove in Applegarth. The Pioneers were able to tie up the game in the fourth before St. Andrews was able to answer in the sixth. Dobbin led off the crucial stanza with a double before Disque provided the eventual game-winning single.

Applegarth (6-4) held Tusculum to just four hits while fanning five Pioneers in her seventh complete game and sixth victory. Dobbin and Shurtleff each had two hits in Saturday’s second game.