Story Courtesy Georgia Southern sports information
STATESBORO, GA ? The Georgia Southern Softball team earned a split decision in the two games that they were able to play before rain washed out the final two scheduled contests Saturday at the 2006 GSU Invitational.
Georgia Southern 16, Charleston Southern 12
Offense and errors dominated the early game as the Eagles (2-7) defeated Charleston Southern (2-6-1) 16-12. Georgia Southern scored at least one run in each inning except the third and never lost the lead after pushing across four runs in the first inning off of Charleston Southern starter Amanda Noble.
Junior Katie Smith (Goose Creek, S.C.)led the way for the Eagles with four RBI’s in the game off of three hits. Junior teammate Aurora Johnson (Macon, Ga.) added three RBI’s of her own off of two hits and scored twice as well. Senior Gina Sterchi (Chattanooga, Tenn.) hit a two run homer to left field to further enhance the offensive output for the Eagles.
Charleston Southern was led by Dorothy Page who homered as well, and tallied three RBI’s on two hits and scored two runs in the game.
In all, 28 runs were scored in the affair off of 27 hits and a total of seven errors were committed.
Despite allowing seven earned runs in an inning and a third of relief work, Junior Logan Free (Sandpoint, Idaho) earned the win for Georgia Southern and junior A.J. Street (Lilburn, Ga.) picked up the save, working two and two-third innings, giving up two hits, no earned runs, walking one and striking out one.
Maryland 5, Georgia Southern 2
Maryland broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth and two Terrapins pitchers combined on a three-hitter in UM’s 5-2 win over Georgia Southern.
Crystal Crews picked up the win, going five innings and striking out nine while allowing three hits. Meredith Nelles gets the save, tossing two innings of shutout ball and striking out five of the six batters she faced.
Lindsey Ubrun’s home run in the fifth put the Terps up 3-2 and UM added two insurance runs in its next at-bat on RBI singles by Rachel Greyson and Jenny Belak.
Junior Heather Smith (Williamson, Ga.) tallied two of GSU’s three safeties with a pair of doubles.
Due to rain, Sunday’s schedule has been changed. Starting at 8 a.m., the No. 4 seed, Georgia Southern will play No. 5 seed Charleston Southern. At 10 a.m., the winner of that contest faces top-seeded Louisville. On field two at 10 a.m., No. 2 seed Maryland and No. 3 seed Troy face off. The winners of those two games meet in the championship at noon.
Story Courtesy UNC Greensboro sports information
Radford 4, UNC Greensboro 3
CHARLOTTE, NC ? UNC Greensboro scored two runs in the seventh inning but it wasn’t enough in a 4-3 setback to Radford in day one action at the Charlotte Green and White Tournament hosted by Charlotte University.
Junior all-conference first baseman Jennifer Bonilla laced a two-RBI single in the top half of the seventh inning to bring the Spartans to within a run at 4-3. On the play, Bonilla and Lyndsay Mouse, who reached ahead of Bonilla on a walk, advanced to second and third on the throw from the outfield.
With Bonilla representing the game-winning run on second with one out, UNCG (0-3) was unable to capitalize on its opportunity as Gwen Johnson struck out and Kelly Allen grounded out to shortstop to end the game.
Senior leftfielder Krista Judge continued her hot start to the young season by going 2-for-4 with two runs and three stolen bases. Bonilla went 1-for-4 with two RBI, while Heather Branche had a single and a run scored.
Judge scored an unearned run in the top half of the first inning to put the Spartans in the lead 1-0. Radford (2-1) rallied for a single run in the second and took the lead on a single by Jennifer Everhart that plated two runners to make it 3-1 in favor of the Highlanders.
Junior Vanessa Oakes (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing four runs on six hits over 4.0 innings. Senior Danielle Byrne worked 2.0 scoreless innings in relief for the Spartans.
Ashley Taylor (2-0) went the distance, scattering six hits and striking out six batters.
In the second game of the day, UNCG and Virginia Tech were scoreless in the fifth inning when the game was halted due to weather. The game will re-start tomorrow at 12 noon were the game left off. The Spartans will then take on the Hokies again at 5 pm.
Story Courtesy College of Charleston sports information
College of Charleston 17, Florida A&M 3
TAMPA, FL - Head Coach Shelly Hoerner earned her first victory at the College of Charleston with the help of an offensive explosion as the Cougars rout Florida A&M 17-3 at the Wilson Invitational hosted by the University of South Florida on Saturday.
The Cougars kicked off the 2006 season in grand fashion as Charleston scored 17 runs on 18 hits to improve to 1-0 on the season. Leshe Russell, Jennifer Golden and Izmena Cabrera each homered in the sixth inning to help lead the Cougars to victory.
FAMU scored three runs on nine hits while committing two errors on the day as they fall to 3-2 on the year.
Shannon Howard got her first career start from the circle going six complete innings facing 29 batters and striking out six. Tiffany Johnson was credited with the loss as she goes to 1-1 on the season.
CofC broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third inning as Howard hit a two-out sacrifice fly to centerfield with the bases loaded to score Jayme Durand on the play. After two and a half innings the Cougars led 1-0.
Charleston would add three more runs in the top of the fourth as Renee Francis scored on a wild pitch, Russell scored on a Durand single to left, and Shondra Schlichenmayer doubled to right to score Durand.
FAMU would answer in the bottom of the fourth as the Lady Rattlers rallied with two outs to score three runs on three straight hits to get to within one run of the Cougars. After four complete innings CofC held a 4-3 lead.
Cabrera tripled to start the fifth and scored on a Francis double to right-center. Francis then came home on a Russell single right. The Cougars would add five more runs in the inning to take a commanding 9-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth.
Russell then belted the first homerun of the season for the Cougars in the top of the sixth to drive in three more runs for Charleston. Golden then added the second homerun of the season for the Cougars driving a two-run shot the straightaway left to give CofC a 14-3 lead. Cabrera would add the third homerun of the inning belting a three run shot also to straightaway left.
Jacksonville 2, College of Charleston 1
Jacksonville University scored runs in the top of the seventh and eighth innings to defeat the College of Charleston 2-1 in eight innings Saturday at the University of South Florida Wilson Invitational in Tampa, Fla.
The Cougars fall to 1-1 on the season as they are scheduled to play Hofstra and host USF tomorrow at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. respectively. The win for the Dolphins was their first of the season as they improve to 1-7 on the year.
Kim Christensen got the start from the circle for the Cougars giving up one run in seven innings pitched striking out four batters before giving way to Shannon Howard, who gave up the go ahead run in the top of the eighth. Howard was credited with the loss as her record falls to 1-1 on the year.
Izmena Cabrera scored the only run for Charleston as she belted a solo shot to leftfield to start the second inning. The Cougars managed only seven hits on the day.
Shannon Jensen earned the win for the Dolphins as she pitched eight complete innings striking out seven CofC hitters. It Jensen's first win of the season as well as she improves to 1-4 on the year.
Story Courtesy Chattanooga sports information
#16 Louisiana-Lafayette 10, Chattanooga 1
LAFAYETTE, LA - The Lady Mocs got on the board first against host Louisiana-Lafayette, but fell 10-1 to the No. 16 Cajuns on day two of the Ragin' Cajun Invitational.
Jeannie Cochran led off the inning with a single down the left field line and advanced to second on a single by Ashley Cuticchia. Tara Tembey snagged an infield single to load the bases.
Tembey was thrown out at second on a ball hit by Ashleigh Bull plating Cochran to put the Lady Mocs up 1-0. Both runners remaining on base would get stranded as Krystal Lewallen struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
Lewallen struck out six batters and did not issue a single walk in five innings of work.
The Cajuns put four runs on the board in the top of the third and fourth for a seven run lead then capped it with two more in the fifth.
Louisiana had five hits in both the third and fourth innings and left five stranded. In the fifth, the lead off batter reached on a fielding error in right field and then a homerun plated both runners.
Ashley Frizzell struck out four and walked five and gave up 13 hits.
Chattanooga 4, McNeese State 1
Chattanooga avenged its loss to McNeese State with a 4-1 win Saturday at the 2006 Ragin’ Cajun Invitational in Lafayette, La., but fell 10-1 to No. 16 Louisiana-Lafayette.
Ashleigh Bull went 2-for-6 on the day and drove in three runs. Brittney Whittier drew four walks and scored a run for Chattanooga while Tara Tembey and Robyn Johnson each drove in a run.
Against the Cowgirls, Bull drove in two runs in the third inning with two outs. Johnson was hit by a pitch to start the inning and two batters later Ashley Cuticchia was also hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. The two runners advanced on a wild pitch to get into scoring position for Bull’s single to left field that made it 2-0.
Chattanooga took advantage of opportunities given to them again in the fourth inning to take a 3-0 lead. Toni Hutchison led off and reached on a throwing error by McNeese shortstop Kristi Hanan. Hutchison advanced to second on a wild pitch and then Laci Upchurch drew a walk. On the walk, Hutchison moved over to third on a passed ball. Upchurch then stole second.
Hodlik struck out Johnson for the first out and the Cowgirls notched the second out when Hanan took a grounder from Carey Cooper and fired a strike to home plate to prevent Hutchison from scoring. Holdik would then walk Cuticchia to load the bases and would surrender a second straight walk to allow Upchurch to score.
McNeese got on the board in its half of the fifth inning on a Brooke Brodhead RBI double into the right center field gap. The Mocs got the run back in the bottom half of the fifth when Brittney Whittier scored on another bases loaded walk given up by McNeese pitching.
Wood kept the Cowgirls hitless in the final two innings to preserve the victory.
The Mocs scored the game’s first run after getting three straight hits to start the bottom of the first inning. Three consecutive singles loaded the bases with no outs Ashleigh Bull hit into a fielder’s choice grounder to score Jeanie Cochran who started off Chattanooga’s inning with a single just inside the left field line.
After squandering scoring chances in the first two innings, the Ragin’ Cajuns erupted for 10 runs in the final three innings to collect the run-rule victory.
The Cajuns push to victory started by loading the bases with no outs in the top of the third inning. Karli Hubbard started the inning off with a walk. Deserea Griffin singled into left field and Gomez drew a walk to fill the bases.
Lacey Bertucci extended her hit streak to eight games when she shoved a grounder through the left side to score Hubbard for a 1-0 lead. Tankersley followed with a deep single into right center field to score two more runs and give UL a 3-0 advantage. The Cajuns added a Brittany Bryant RBI single to take a 4-0 lead.
Another four spot in the fourth inning increased the UL lead to 8-0. It started with a two-run home run by Gomez to tie the school’s career home run record.
Bertucci would walk and Tankersley hit a screaming double off the top of the left field fence to give UL runners on second and third. After Ashley Evans struck out for the second out, Codi Runyan made sure the Cajuns would get the two baserunners home when she lofted a single into left center to score the Cajuns’ seventh and eighth runs of the contest.
Gomez finished off the scoring in the top of the fifth inning with the home run which broke the school’s career home run record. Griffin led off the inning by reaching on a fielding error by Chattanooga Ashlan Clarkson and Gomez’ home run drove home two runs.
The run-rule victory was the Cajuns’ fourth of the 2006 season.
Story Courtesy Appalachian State sports information
Winthrop 10, Appalachian State 6
#12 Georgia 11, Appalachian State 3
ATHENS, Ga. ? Appalachian State University softball dropped both games in a rain-plagued second day of the Georgia Classic, falling to Winthrop and No. 12 Georgia by scores of 10-6 and 11-3, respectively. Appalachian’s offense fared much better Saturday, collecting 16 hits in the two games with Mary Lutz (Brentwood, Tenn.) having a 3-for-6 afternoon with an RBI and a run.
In the day’s opening game against Winthrop, the Mountaineers got down early as the Eagles posted two runs in the top of the second on Tessa Thomas’ two-run shot to left field. The Mountaineers added a run in the bottom of the third when Ashley Gaston (Roswell, Ga.) scored from third on a wild pitch. Gaston walked to open the inning and advanced to third courtesy of a Lutz bunt single and Tiffany Hensley’s (Rutherfordton, N.C.) single to third base.
Winthrop’s Thomas drove in another run in the top of the fourth, hitting a single to center field that brought Lindsey Merriman across the plate. The fifth frame saw an offensive explosion from both squads, with each scoring four runs. The Apps committed two costly errors in the inning that allowed four unearned runs to score.
Appalachian answered with back-to-back singles from Lutz and Gaston to open the fifth. Lindsey Glover (Greensboro, N.C.) then singled to center field to bring both home. The next batter, Kristyn Hurt (Siler City, N.C.), doubled to left center to bring Glover and Kari Davis (Cornelius, N.C.), who had walked, in to make the score 7-5 after five innings.
Each team would add another run in the sixth, ASU’s coming via a Natalie Willis (Cherryville, N.C.) single that drove in Kasey Motsinger (Yadkinville, N.C.). Winthrop entered the top of the seventh with an 8-6 lead and added two insurance runs in the inning and retired the side in the bottom half to win 10-6 and improve to 2-4. Freshman Teri Fister (Summerfield, Ga.) took the loss, pitching the first three innings and surrendering three runs on five hits. Kayla Richardson (West Jefferson, N.C.) pitched an inning and one-third, giving up four unearned runs before she was relieved by junior Keri Blackwelder (Stanfield, N.C.) who gave up the final three runs in two and one-third innings of work.
After a few lengthy rain delays, the Mountaineers finally got to take the field against No. 12 Georgia in a game that didn’t start until 9 p.m. Unfortunately the rains didn’t cool the Bulldogs’ bats as they gave freshman Yancy Moose (Hamptonville, N.C.) a less than warm greeting in her first collegiate start, scoring 11 runs in six innings on the lefthander.
Appalachian’s bats had a much better showing, scoring three runs on eight hits after being one-hit by the Bulldogs a night earlier. However, the Apps had difficulties manufacturing runs, leaving seven runners stranded in an abbreviated six-inning game.
UGA got on the board early with three runs in the first. Appalachian posted two of its own in the first inning when Glover’s double to left center brought Gaston around from second base. Motsinger, the next batter, then singled to right field to bring Glover home. Following two UGA runs in the top of the second, ASU plated a run when Dawn Malone (Columbia, S.C.) scored on Lutz’s single to left field.
Unfortunately that would be ASU’s final run of the evening as the Bulldogs went on to score a run in both the third and fourth innings and two each in the fifth and sixth. UGA designated hitter Chelsea Cantillo had Moose’s number, going 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to help the Bulldogs improve to 7-2.
Elon 7, Ohio 5
Army 6, Elon 1