2009 Season Record:     Region  26 - 4   Overall   52 - 11    Region X Champions    Region X Tournament Runner up    District Tournament Participant

Fire Ant Headlines

USC Sumter softball sweeps Wake Tech

Posted: Tuesday, March 9, 2010 6:00 am | Updated: 11:22 pm, Mon Mar 8, 2010.

The University of South Carolina Sumter softball swept its second straight doubleheader on Sunday, beating Wake Technical College 11-2 and 8-0 at the Bobby Richardson Sports Complex.

In the first game, Lauren Peterson led the Fire Ants, who improved to 5-8 on the season. Peterson was 3-for-4 with a grand slam home run and seven runs batted in. Brandi Gibson was 3-for-3 and Tabatha Whatley was 2-for-3. Mary Franklin picked up the victory, striking out five while allowing just four hits and one earned run in six innings.

Courtney Lance tossed a 5-inning shutout in the second game. She struck out five and allowed four hits. Whatley was 2-for-2 with a triple and Adams also had a triple. Peterson had a hit and three stolen bases.

USC Sumter softball sweeps Spartanburg Methodist

Posted: Saturday, March 6, 2010 6:00 am | Updated: 11:55 pm, Fri Mar 5, 2010.

The University of South Carolina Sumter softball team evened its record at 2-2 in Region X with a doubleheader sweep of Spartanburg Methodist College on Friday at the Bobby Richardson Sports Complex.

The Fire Ants, who improved to 3-8 on the season, won the first game 4-3 and the nightcap 3-2.

Mary Franklin picked up the victory in the first game, scattering eight hits while going the full seven innings. She had just one strikeout and allowed just two earned runs.

Courtney Lance led the USCS offense, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run batted in. Paige Adams had a hit and two RBI.

In the second game, Katie Smith's single in the bottom of the sixth scored Adams with what proved to be the winning run. Lance made it stand up on the mound in the top of the seventh.

Brandi Gibson and Adams each went 2-for-3.

Sumter plays host to Wake Tech in a doubleheader on Sunday with the first game set for a 1 p.m. start.

Fire Ants sweep Guilford

Posted: Sunday, March 7, 2010 6:00 am | Updated: 12:00 am, Sun Mar 7, 2010.

BY PATRICK ENZOR This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Thanks to a dominating effort by ace Tyler Christman in Game 1 and a tie-breaking grand slam homerun from Jake Kirkland in the bottom of the sixth inning in Game 2 against Guilford Tech Community College, the University of South Carolina Sumter Fire Ants started the 2010 NJCAA Region X schedule where it left off in 2009: in first place.

USCS cruised to an 11-1 win in Game 1, but with two outs in the bottom of the sixth in Game 2, it was tied 4-4. After fouling off three pitches and taking a called ball three, Kirkland sent a shot into orbit over the leftfield fence for the four-run round-tripper - his first of the year - as the Fire Ants won 8-5.

"It came at a good time," smiled Kirkland, who played his high school ball at Dorman High School in Roebuck. "I hadn't hit the ball well all day, but it finally came in the clutch. I'll take that any day."

In the first game, Christman, who led the nation in strikeouts entering the contest, recorded 13 of the first 15 outs by himself as he struck out 12 in the first five innings and caught a line drive come-backer. He gave up a run on just three hits with no walks.

About his only mistake of the game was a balk in the top of the third. To steal a line from Crash Davis in the movie "Bull Durham," Christman was very undemocratic.

"He went straight communist, fascist, all that stuff," laughed USCS head coach Tom Fleenor. "Not a lot of balls put in play, but that's the way we like it when he pitches. He was very good today."

USCS put up three runs in the first to give itself an early cushion. The first three batters - Daniel Andreu, Brent Perry and Tim Taylor - reached on an error, a double and a single respectively.

Perry and Taylor's hits drove in runs and Taylor came home on a sacrifice fly to centerfield from Daniel Rawls.

That was more than enough for Christman (3-1) and the defense.

"He was probably more upset about the run he gave up than he was happy about all the strikeouts he had," said Fleenor. "That's him. He's a competitor and all he cares about is winning. Every time he goes out he gives us a chance to do just that."

The Titans did get to Christman briefly as back-to-back doubles in the third inning plated their only run. Christman responded by getting all three outs via strikeout in the fourth.

The Fire Ants added another run in the fourth and four more in the fifth to blow the game open to an 8-1 lead. Tyler Hill's 2-run double in the sixth ended the game early due to the 10-run mercy rule as USCS put up three in the sixth.

"Guilford didn't play up to their abilities and they were a much better team than what they showed in the first game," said Fleenor. "They showed it in the second game. Two very, very different ball games."

In the second game, USCS starting pitcher Taylor Ramsey was on cruise control through the first four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth. He gave up a double, two walks and a single to the bottom of the lineup before recording an out in the inning as the Titans cut the lead to 4-1 and had the bases loaded.

Southpaw Robbie Thompson came on in relief against the top of the order and recorded two outs without surrendering a run before Hector Bautista cleared the bases and tied the game with a double down the rightfield line. After issuing a walk to Kevin Sanders, Fleenor went back to the pen for righthander Nick Berry, who promptly recorded the final out.

In the fifth-inning alone, the Titans recorded as many hits (3) as they did in all of Game 1.

Hill got things started for the Fire Ants in the sixth with a leadoff double. Titan starter Matt Dillon alternated outs and walks for the next four batters to bring up Kirkland.

The ball landed on Morris College's campus. "I was just trying to drive a run in," said Kirkland. "I'd had an off-day all day and I just had to come in and someway prove myself. "I got all of that one," he laughed.

The Titans loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh on reliever Josh Knab, but managed just one run on a sacrifice fly.  "Our guys believe it's going to happen," said Fleenor of another win in their last at-bat. "As coaches, we try to be positive and that we can come back from anything. More importantly, our guys believe it. You can't coach that; you just hope that your guys have it and our guys do."

Hill finished the day 4-for-7 with two runs scored and three RBI. Tim Taylor was also 4-for-7 with three runs scored and three RBI and Tim Mauldin was 3-for-7.

The two teams will square off again today in another doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Riley Park.

Fire Ants fan Catawba

Posted: Tuesday, March 2, 2010 6:00 am | Updated: 11:27 pm, Mon Mar 1, 2010.

From The Item staff reports

Fire Ants get 100th victory

Posted: Saturday, February 27, 2010 6:00 am | Updated: 12:07 am, Sat Feb 27, 2010.

From The Item staff reports

Fire Ants go for win 100

Posted: Friday, February 26, 2010 6:00 am | Updated: 11:22 pm, Thu Feb 25, 2010.

From The Item staff report

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Upcoming Games

Baseball travels to Spartanburg Methodist Sat & Sun. 3/13-14.

Homecoming 3/20-21 vs. USC Lancaster at Riley 1 pm.

Softball travels to Albamarle, NC vs. Stanly C.C. Fri. 3/12 at 2 & 4 pm

Homecoming 3/20 vs. Southeastern CC at Palmetto Park 2 & 4 pm.

Homecoming 3/21 vs. Stanly CC at Palmetto Park 2 & 4 pm.

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Upcoming Events