Story Courtesy Western Carolina sports information
Charlotte 11, Western Carolina 3
Western Carolina 9, North Carolina A&T 1
CHARLOTTE, NC - The Western Carolina softball team split a Saturday doubleheader at the Holiday Inn First Pitch Classic, falling to host team Charlotte (11-3) and defeating North Carolina A&T (9-1) later in the day. The Catamounts will face Appalachian State Sunday at 10 am in a non-league meeting. If WCU were to beat ASU, the Catamounts will play for the championship of the three-day event later in the day.
In game one, Charlotte's Becky Matthews hit two triples and Kristi Killough added one to give the Niners five three-baggers on the day, as the Charlotte 49ers downed Western Carolina 11-3.
Kristen Bowen scattered eight hits and allowed just three runs for Charlotte over six innings to pick up the victory, her third of the year for Charlotte (4-4).
Kaycie Jones and Karianne Huffstetler each drove in a pair of runs, while Evan Miller, Matthews, Killough, Cee Brooks and Emily Forbes added single RBI. For the Catamounts, Stephanie Beatty was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Jenny Jackson and Samm Keppel each drove in one. Savannah Filley (1-2) suffered the loss.
In game two, Beatty once again led Western offensively, going 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored. Jackson also had two hits (in three at bats) and two RBI, while Keppel added two RBI as well as hitting the program's first triple.
Mendy McKenzie pitched all five innings and improved to 3-0 on the season. She only allowed two hits and one run, while fanning nine with zero walks.
Story Courtesy Georgia Southern sports information
NC State 5, Georgia Southern 2
COLUMBIA, SC - A two-run homer by North Carolina State’s Shanna Smith capped off a three-run third inning, propelling the Wolfpack to a 5-2 win over Georgia Southern Saturday morning at the Gamecock Invitational hosted by South Carolina.
N.C. State’s outburst came with two out in the inning. Heather Gelbard singled home Lisa Nentwig and Smith followed with a shot to centerfield.
The Pack added two more runs in the fifth, putting together another two-out rally. Jen Chamberlin tripled to score Abbie Sims, and then crossed the plate herself on a passed ball.
Georgia Southern came back with two runs in its half of the fifth. Junior Ashley Bluestein (Brunswick, Ga.) reached after being hit by a pitch and was sacrificed to second. Junior Heather Smith (Williamson, Ga.) drove her home with a single and later scored on a double by senior Gina Sterchi (Chattanooga, Tenn.).
Story Courtesy Elon sports information
Elon 7, Villanova 5
Elon 2, Rutgers 1
BURLINGTON, NC ? Elon took wins over Villanova and Rutgers in the second day of the Elon Invitational held at Burlington Springwood Park on Saturday afternoon. Elon defeated Villanova 7-5 in pool play and downed Rutgers 2-1 in the first round of seeded play.
Elon got on the board early in the first game. In the top of the first inning, Paige Goss singled to lead off and advanced to second on a pop up before Debbie Zeigler double to left centerfield to score Goss and give the Phoenix a 1-0 lead.
Villanova responded in the bottom of the second inning. Cassie Koenig singled to start the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Laura Determan tripled to score Koenig and then crossed the plate herself on an error by the right fielder giving the Wildcats a 2-1 edge.
In the top of the third inning, with runners on second and third, Zeigler doubled to centerfield to plate Nicole Ellis and Goss and regain the lead 3-2. Elon added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs, Ellis singled before Goss reached on an error to put runners on second and third. Tracey Dahlen doubled to centerfield to score Ellis and Goss and give Elon the 5-2 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth Villanova posted two runs. Greta Holmgren doubled to left centerfield before Kayla Felty also knocked a doubled to plate Holmgren. Lisa Curran then singled up the middle to score Felty and cut the lead to one at 5-4.
Elon responded in the top of the seventh with two runs of its own. Rebecca Rijavec reached first on a walk before a sacrifice bunt from Laurin Smith moved her to second. Brandi Jones singled to score Rijavec. Patti Weber then doubled up the middle to score Jones and give Elon a 7-4 advantage.
The Wildcats scored another run in the bottom of the inning. Jackie Dempsey reached on an error before single from Meghan Morese moved her to third. Megan Hord then singled to left field to score Dempsey. But Elon secured the next out to end a threat and take the 7-5 win.
Whitney Meeks (4-0) picked up the win for Elon after hurling a complete game and giving up five runs (four earned) on 12 hits and striking out one. Kat Walsh suffered the loss for the Wildcats after throwing 2.2 innings in relief and giving up two runs on three hits and striking out four batters. Determan tossed 4.1 innings and gave up five runs on five hits while retiring seven batters.
Zeigler paced the Elon offense, going two-for-three from the plate with three RBI while Weber also recorded two hits and Goss scored three times. Curran led the Wildcats at the plate, going two-for three with one RBI. Hord also recorded two hits while Determan posted two RBI.
Elon’s second game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when Elon put up two runs. With runners on second and third, Smith singled up the middle to score Rijavec and Jones and give the Phoenix a 2-0 lead.
Rutgers threatened in the top of the seventh inning. Amanda Shaw singled to left field to lead off the inning before Brittany Loisel singled up the middle to put runners on first and second. Kristin Madoch then doubled to plate Shaw and cut the lead to 2-1 with no outs. Elon pitcher Carol Lilley then went to work, retiring the next three batters to end the game and give Elon a 2-1 win.
Lilley (1-2) recorded the win after throwing a complete game and giving up just one run on eight hits and striking out 12 batters. Christina Yard (0-2) suffered the loss for the Scarlet Knights after tossing six innings and giving up two runs on six hits and striking out five.
Smith led Elon (7-2) from the plate, going two-for-three with two RBI. Loisel led Rutgers’ offense with three hits on three at bats.
Story Courtesy Appalachian State sports information
Appalachian State 6, Drexel 5
CHARLOTTE, NC - Freshman Stephanie Long hit a game-winning single to left field with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Appalachian State University softball team over Drexel, 6-5, in the second day of Charlotte’s First Pitch Classic.
Long, a native of Durham, N.C., finished the afternoon with two hits and a run, in addition to the game-winning RBI. She was one of three Mountaineers to have multi-hit outings. Sophomore Natalie Willis (Cherryville, N.C.) went 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs and two RBIs in the win. Freshman Teri Fister (Summerfield, N.C.) collected the win for pitching the last two outs in the top of the seventh inning after relieving classmate Yancy Moose (Hamptonville, N.C.). Moose gave up five runs, two unearned, in six and one-third innings work with six strikeouts.
Appalachian jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first frame, the first run coming when Lindsay Glover (Greensboro, N.C.) singled Willis home. The Apps got their next run on a double steal with freshman Brittany Gaston (Roswell, Ga.) swiping home. Drexel got a pair of runs in the top half of the second on two Appalachian errors to tie the game before adding two more in the top of the third. The Dragons got both their runs in the third on a two-run Brianne Brown single. Drexel added another run in the fourth before the Mountaineers staged their comeback.
Appalachian got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on an Ashley Gaston (Roswell, Ga.) sacrifice fly that drove Willis home. The Apps added a pair in the bottom of the sixth as Willis’ triple to left center drove in Mary Lutz (Brentwood, Tenn.) and Long.
After Moose walked the first batter of the seventh inning, she was relieved by Fister, who also got in trouble, but managed to get a line-drive out to third base to leave three Drexel runners stranded and kept the game knotted at 5-5.
Glover drew a walk to open up the bottom of the seventh and advanced to second on a Brittany Gaston groundout. Glover moved over to third on a fielder’s choice that put Kristyn Hurt (Siler City, N.C.) on first. Kasey Motsinger (Yadkinville, N.C.) drew a walk to load the bases for Long who delivered with the two-out single to give Appalachian its second victory of the season, improving its record to 2-7. The Dragons fell to 0-3 with the loss.