SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Sarah Rappe and Allie Cashion had two hits apiece but USC Upstate scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to top Appalachian State University softball 9-8 in nine innings.
Appalachian scored a run in the top of the ninth when Michelle Gorzelle smartly scored on a foul out sacrifice fly by Megan Rembielak to give ASU an 8-7 lead.
Upstate fought back to tie the game with an RBI single from Kim Brasil. An ASU error put runners on second and third before Harris' game-winner.
The Mountaineers got on the board first in the third inning on an RBI single from Rappe.
The Spartans came back to take the lead in the fourth, with a four-run inning. Upstate used three-straight doubles to begin the inning and Cheyanna Ohlrich came up with a two-out, two run single.
ASU came right back with a four-run inning of their own in the top of the fifth. Michelle Lighton led off the inning with a walk and Meagan Squartino and Gorzelle followed with back-to-back singles, Gorzelle's driving in Lighton. Rembielak drove in a run with a fielder's choice and Katie Boyd capped the inning with a towering home run to left center to give ASU a 5-4 lead. With her run scored, Boyd is now tied with Lindsay Glover for the ASU career runs scored record with 108.
The score remained 5-4 until the seventh, when the game was interrupted by a 52 minute lightning delay. After the delay, Upstate tied the score when Brasil singled up the middle.
The top of the eighth started with Allie Cashion on second, and she was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Meghan Smith, while Smith reached on a fielding error by the first baseman. McKenzie Phillips lined a single down the left field line to drive in Cashion and Hannah Dow drove in Smith with a sac fly to center field.
Once again Upstate fought back to tie the score. Chrislyn Chewning was placed on second and scored on a leadoff double by Jackie Zauner. After a Monica Hall ground out, Lauren Quevedo knocked a single through the left side to tie the game again to send the game into the ninth.
Rembielak and Boyd each had two RBI for ASU while Brasil had three hits to lead the Spartans. Frannie Seader suffered the loss in relief, allowing seven hits and five runs, just one earned. Alex Yohe earned the win for Upstate, going two innings giving up one run.
Morgan Childers struck out 14 batters in game one as USC Upstate took the first game 3-0.
The Mountaineers were able to get the leadoff hitter on base in 5-of-7 innings and stranded the bases loaded in the fifth inning.
Lauren Quevedo put the Spartans on the board with a homer to left center in the bottom of the second inning.
The Apps had a great opportunity in the top of the fifth, Gorzelle led off with a single, and after two outs, Boyd and Allie Cashion worked back-to-back walks but Childers got a strikeout to end the inning.
Upstate capitalized in the bottom of the fifth, scoring two insurance runs on RBI hits from Kim Brasil and Crislyn Chewning.
ASU had a chance in the seventh when Gorzelle and Rappe had back-to-back hits but were left stranded to end the game.
Gorzelle led a seven-hit ASU attack with two hits. Dow held Upstate to just four hits and one earned run.
The seven hits ties the Childers' has given up in a season, but the junior buckled down when needed, stranding 10 ASU baserunners.
Appalachian is back in action tomorrow when they take on Radford in a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
