Softball Southern Conference

Softball Capsules from March 24

March 24

GEORGIA SOUTHERN 6, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 1

Statesboro, Ga. Georgia Southern used home runs from Crystal Crews and Stacie Cooper to down College of Charleston 6-1 on Sunday and gave the Eagles wins in two of the three games against the Cougars. The win also keeps the Eagles at least tied for first place in the league.

Georgia Southern (13-20, 5-1 SoCon) scored the first of the game in the bottom of the first. With two outs, the Eagles got three consecutive base hits from Aimee Littlejohn, Kim Griffin and Crews to load the bases. Suzanne Pansulla coaxed a five-pitch walk from Charleston pitcher Marissa Echenique to force across Littlejohn to give GSU a 1-0 lead.

The Eagles scored three more in the bottom of the third. Meghan Correia led off the frame with a double, and moved to third on a Littlejohn single. Crews followed one out later with her third home run of the season to left to push the Eagles ahead 4-0.

College of Charleston (12-18, 2-4 SoCon) got on the board in the top of the fourth. Brooke Flowers and Jessica Schwartzkopf led off the inning with back-to-back base hits, and moved to second and third on a passed ball. Flowers came in to score on Beth Long?s sacrifice fly to right, but Schwartzkopf was thrown out at third trying to advance.

GSU added two more in the bottom of the frame with another long ball. Julie Peel reached on a fielder?s choice and advanced to third on a wild pitch and passed ball before Cooper slammed her second homer of the season to put the Eagles up 6-1.

Littlejohn, Griffin, and Crews finished with two hits each for the Eagles. Crews earned the win in relief, going 3 1/3 innings and allowing just one hit.

Georgia Southern returns to action on Friday and Saturday at UNC Greensboro. The Eagles and Spartans play two on Friday at 1:00 p.m. and conclude the series with a single game at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.


FURMAN 4, UNC WILMINGTON 2

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Aided by five UNC Wilmington errors and a complete game effort by freshman righthander Meagan Johnson, Furman completed a weekend sweep of UNC Wilmington with a 4-2 win Sunday in Southern Conference softball action at Boseman Field.

With the win, Furman moves into second place in the SoCon with a conference mark of 5-1 and 11-10 overall. The Seahawks fall to 12-17 and 0-6 in the conference play.

Johnson (2-4) scattered five hits in posting her third complete game of the season, while hitting a batter and striking out three. At one point, the Georgetown, S.C., native retired 12 consecutive batters before allowing a two-out single in the sixth to UNCW centerfielder Summer Chrisco.

The Paladins struck for a run in the top of the first when sophomore centerfielder LaKerah Barr moved to third on a single by junior designated hitter Ali McNulty and scored when the throw to the plate got away from the catcher. Barr reached base with one out on a Seahawk error and moved into scoring position with her ninth stolen base of the season.

Junior third baseman Kate Morrison extended the Paladins lead to 2-0 in the third with on a two-out single plating Barr, who walked with one-out to start the rally. Barr scored three runs to pace the Paladins and swiped a pair of bases.

Furman added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the sixth on a one-out double to the left centerfield wall by freshman rightfielder Jessica Matthews. Matthew finished the afternoon 2-for-3.

UNC Wilmington managed just five hits on the day, but rallied with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. Senior third baseman Audrey White reached on a fielder's choice and junior rightfielder Tiffany
Lindemann followed with a looping single to left. Both runners moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Junior first baseman Chrissy Freaney broke up the shutout with a full count, two-out double to right center
scoring White and Lindemann.

Lindemann and Chriscoe each went 2-for-3 to lead the Seahawks. Junior southpaw Megan Clingman (5-7) suffered the loss allowing four runs, two earned, and six hits in 5.1 innings.

The Seahawks return to action Friday, Mar. 29 at preseason SoCon favorite Chattanooga for a 5 p.m. doubleheader. Furman also continues its Southern Conference slate Friday with a 1 p.m. twinbill at Appalachian State.

Alexander Wins 13th As Lady Mocs Top ETSU

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Beth Alexander won her seventh consecutive game with a three-hit shutout as the Lady Mocs defeated East Tennessee State 5-0 in Southern Conference softball Sunday afternoon at Frost Stadium.

UTC (19-8 overall, 4-1 SoCon) held a tenuous 1-0 lead in the six inning when the Lady Mocs erupted for four runs, including a two-run homer by Paige Cochrane.

Alexander (13-2) worked around three walks and three hits by fanning nine Lady Bucs. She pitched a total of 15 2/3 innings in the three-game series and struck out 26, and she lowered her ERA to 0.79.

UTC took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Jada Pescatore's RBI double. The Lady Mocs did not get another runner past second base until the sixth.

Melissa Ramirez opened the sixth with a double and Pescatore reached on a fielder's choice. When Jill Crawford flied to right, Ramirez moved to third and she came into score with a throwing error on the play. Pescatore, who had moved around to third on the play, scored on Jolene Martin's single.

Cochrane then hit a scorching line-drive just inside the foul pole for her second homer of the season.

ETSU (13-13, 3-3) stranded five runners, and it had two runners on with no outs in the sixth, but Alexander got back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout to end the threat. Courtney Jenkins (5-4) took the loss.

Chattanooga steps out of Southern Conference action to entertain Big Ten foe Ohio State Monday at 6 p.m. at Frost Stadium.