Story Courtesy Western Carolina sports information
Western Carolina 11, UNCW 9
ROCK HILL, SC - After jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, the Western Carolina Catamounts endured an eight-run, seven-hit barrage in the home half by the UNC Wilmington Seahawks to trail, 8-1. However, WCU chipped away at the advantage and scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to win its pool play finale, 11-9, over UNCW.
The win was Western's second-straight at the 2006 adidas/Winthrop Invitational giving the Catamounts a 2-1 overall record, tied with UNC Wilmington and Winthrop. As per tie breaking policies, Winthrop earned the number one seed from the pool, with Western garnering the second seed as per its head-to-head win over UNCW. The Catamounts will face the Furman Paladins for the second-straight weekend in non-conference action. The game is scheduled to start at 4:00 pm, but due to the on-going action, the game is not expected to begin until after 4:30 pm.
Freshman right hander Jenny Jackson earned her fourth win of the season, coming on in relief in the third inning. In four complete innings, she only allowed one run while scattering six hits and striking out four with two walks. She also contributed at the plate for the Catamounts, going 1-for-3 with a walk and her first career grand slam home run. Freshman Mendy McKenzie secured her first career save, throwing a perfect bottom of the seventh with one strikeout.
The Catamounts lit the scoreboard first in the top of the second on an RBI single by freshman Beth Hauser, scoring Jackson who had reached on a fielders choice. But the Seahawks returned fire in the bottom of the inning, plating eight runs, four of which came off of home runs. UNCW led off with a solo shot to left center, then belted a three-run shot to right center. The `Hawks finished the inning with another three-run blast to straight away center and concluded the barrage with a solo shot to left center to lead 8-1.
In the third, Western began to chip away at the Seahawk advantage. Freshman Allyson McCubbins walked to lead off the inning, and was advanced to second by sophomore Heather Pritchard, who singled through the left side. Her classmate, Savannah Filley, loaded the bases with a walk and two batters later, Jackson delivered the long ball, plating four runs to cut the deficit to three, 8-5.
The next inning, McCubbins reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second when Pritchard walked. Filley delivered a single up the middle to load the bases for a second-consecutive inning. Junior Ashley Adams drove in a run when she was hit by a pitch and Jackson grounded out to second to drive in the second run of the inning, pulling WCU to within one, 8-7. Yet, UNC Wilmington inched further ahead in the fifth on two singles, scoring one to pull out to a 9-7 lead.
In the sixth, with Filley on first, junior Ashley Adams punched one out down the left field line to tie the game at 9, where it stood entering the top half of the seventh inning. In the deciding frame, McCubbins drew a one out walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Pritchard singled to right, scoring McCubbins. On the throw in, Pritchard advanced to second, then scored from second when the Seahawk third baseman threw the ball in to center field attempting to catch Pritchard at second.
The two-run lead would be all McKenzie would need, earning the save in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Freshman Lauren Ross earned her second-career start, pitching two innings and giving up four earned runs on four hits with five walks. She was lifted - and reinserted - in the second inning by Filley, who struggled through four batters faced giving up three runs on four hits.
The rally from down 8-1 marks the second-consecutive tournament in which the Cats have rallied from down the same tally. Western came from behind to beat Northern Colorado at the Charleston Southern Spring Invitational, 15-8.
Western Carolina 4, Furman 3
Tied at three entering the home half of the seventh inning, Western Carolina junior Ashley Adams singled up the middle, driving in freshman Allyson McCubbins who slid around the tag at home giving the Catamounts the 4-3 win over Southern Conference rival, Furman, in the night cap of the 2006 adidas/Winthrop Invitational.
Western (13-8) advances to the finals of the silver bracket in the 16-team tournament and will face the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at 1:00 pm on Field B at the Winthrop Eagle Park.
Catamount starter, freshman Mendy McKenzie, went the distance surrendering just three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. The right hander from Clemmons, N.C., improved to 7-2 on the season.
The two squads battled through four and a half scoreless innings before the Catamounts struck first in the bottom of the fifth inning. Junior Nikki Bost reached on a FU fielding error and was sacrificed to second by McCubbins on a bunt. The next batter, sophomore Heather Pritchard, drew the free pass to put two on for Adams, who doubled to right center to plate the game's first two runs. Adams would later score when freshman Jenny Jackson lifted an RBI single down the left field line to give the Catamounts the 3-0 lead.
Furman (15-13) rallied, though, half an inning later to tie the game. The leadoff batter singled up the middle, while the second hitter in the frame was hit by a pitch to put two on with no one out for Stephanie Cushing who delivered her first career home run and three RBI to knot the game at three.
After sitting the Paladins down in order in the top half of the seventh, McCubbins opened the home half of the frame with a leadoff walk. Pritchard, who has been displaced from her normal catching position into the field at short, laid down a sacrifice bunt to move McCubbins into scoring position. After a Savannah Filley walk to put two on, Adams delivered a single through the middle. McCubbins rounded third and was headed for home before the Furman center fielder, freshman Amber Kiser, fielded the rolling grounder. Kiser delivered an accurate throw to home, but McCubbins' slide was to the outside edge of the plate and she avoided the tag by FU catcher, Megan Jaudon, to tally the winning run.
Following the tying home run, McKenzie rallied to hold the Paladins at bay, striking out five of the seven batters she faced over the final two innings and only allowed one base runner after an infield error. Offensively, Adams finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Jackson was 2-for-3 with the other run driven in.
Story Courtesy UNC Greensboro sports information
UNC Greensboro 10, South Carolina State 2
East Tennessee State 8, UNC Greensboro 4
ROCK HILL, SC ? UNC Greensboro pounded out 12 hits for a 10-2 victory over South Carolina State in second day action at the Winthrop Invitational at Terry Field on Saturday.
Junior first baseman Jennifer Bonilla staked the Spartans to a 1-0 lead on an RBI single in the first. Senior center fielder Gwen Johnson immediately followed with a run scoring double to left and senior Kelly Allen plated Johnson with a single through the right side for an early 3-0 lead.
Senior left fielder Krista Judge made it 4-0 with an RBI single to right in the second. Two batters later, Johnson unloaded for her team-leading seventh home run to left, a two-run shot, which put UNCG up comfortably 6-0.
Johnson struck again in the fourth with an RBI single, while Allen added an RBI double to right for a 9-1 lead.
South Carolina State got a run across in the top half of the fifth to extend the game another half-inning. Freshman Lyndsay Mouse promptly crushed a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the frame to end the game.
Johnson and Bonilla each went 3-for-3 with two runs scored for UNCG. Johnson also drove in four runs. Allen was 2-for-3 with two RBI, while junior shortstop Adrian Audley went 2-for-2 with two runs scored. The homer by Mouse was her second of the season.
Freshman Hannah Angel (3-5) went the distance, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and struck out seven.
A six-run fourth inning by East Tennessee State proved to be the difference in giving the Lady Bucs an 8-4 win over the UNCG on Saturday morning.
Johnson continued her torrid hitting with a two-run home run that easily cleared the left field fence in the first inning for a 2-0 UNCG lead. The first two Spartan hitters were retired in the inning, before Bonilla single up the middle to bring Johnson to the plate.
Audley gave UNCG a 3-0 lead with a single up the middle, scoring Heather Branche from second base.
UNCG senior starter Danielle Byrne was cruising through the first three innings, but the fourth was a different story as ETSU batted around and scored six runs on four hits. Stephanie Cope’s RBI single scored the second run of the inning for the Lady Bucs. After consecutive bases loaded walks forced in two more runs, Jessie Hackworth drove in two runs on a fielder’s choice for a 6-3 lead.
The Spartans put together rallies in both the fifth and sixth innings. With the bases full in the fifth, junior third baseman Kara Clouser fouled out to third to end the rally.
Mouse started a sixth inning rally with a one-out double to center. One out later, Judge singled to short to advance Mouse to third, but Bonilla groundout out to second to end the frame for the Spartans.
ETSU added two more runs in the seventh, before UNCG pushed across a single run in the bottom of the inning. Johnson led off with a walk and freshman Leslie Furness singled to right center to move Johnson to third. Furness then stole second and Johnson scored from third on an errant throw by the Lady Bucs’ catcher that sailed into center field.
UNCG left nine runners on base in the game, compared to seven for ETSU. Judge, Allen and Mouse each had two hits for the Spartans, while Johnson hit her sixth homer of the season and second in consecutive days.
Cope, Jessica Lonsinger and Briana Knight all had two hits for ETSU. Brittney Lehrschall scatterd 10 hits over 7.0 innings for the win. She allowed four runs (two earned) and struck out three hitters.
Byrne (1-4) was the loser after allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits over 3.1 innings. Junior Vanessa Oakes entered in the fourth and allowed one earned run on three hits over 3.2 innings of work and struck out four batters.
Story Courtesy Chattanooga sports information
Coastal Carolina 4, Chattanooga 0
CLEARWATER, FL - The Lady Mocs fell 4-0 to Coastal Carolina Saturday morning at the USF adidas Tournament and placed second in Pool C to advance to the bracket playoffs.
The Chanticleers put two runs on the board in both the fourth and fifth innings and held the Lady Mocs to just three hits. Coastal led off the fourth with a single then followed with a two-run homer from K. Feely over the left field fence to go up 2-0.
In the fifth, Chattanooga starter JayCee Wood got the lead off batter out on a fly to center field, but walked the next to set up another two-run shot from the Chanticleers. M. Johnson's homer to right field gave Coastal a 4-0 lead.
Ashlan Clarkson singled in the second and, with two outs, tried to score on a single off the bat of Toni Hutchison, but was thrown out at home from left field.
The Lady Mocs' third hit came in the third inning with two outs. Cochran singled up the middle but was thrown out on a grounder from Ashley Cuticchia on the next at bat.
Tara Tembey walked to start the fourth and Ashleigh Bull sacrificed her to second on a bunt. Tembey made it to third on a ground out by Clarkson. The scoring opportunity ended on a grounder to the pitcher for the third out.
The Lady Mocs went three-up, three-down over the next three innings and fell to 15-16 overall.
UMass 3, Chattanooga 2
Chattanooga saw a tenuous 1-0 lead in the seventh disappear with a 3-2 loss to UMass in 10 innings in the first round of the Gold Bracket Playoffs Saturday at the USF adidas Tournament in Clearwater, Fla.
The Minutemen tied it up in the seventh with a lead off single from Amanda Morin. Cullington sacrificed her into scoring position then Ferrara singled up the middle plating Morin for the tying run.
JayCee Wood came on in relief of starter Ashley Frizzell who struck out six, but walked five and gave up two earned runs, taking the loss. Wood got the next two batters out to send the game into extra innings.
In the eighth, Ashlan Clarkson was placed on second under international tie break rules to start the inning. Tara Tembey sacrificed her to third and reached first on a fielding error by the first baseman. Clarkson scored the go-ahead run but it was all the Lady Mocs would get.
Massachusetts started its half of the eighth with Mollica on second and with two outs, Morin singled to right field to tie it up 2-2. Neither team scored in the ninth and the Minutemen held the Lady Mocs without a score in the top of the 10th. Proctor's single to right field plated Kelley for the game-winner.
UMass outhit the Lady Mocs 7-3 and Chattanooga stranded 10 runners. Brandice Balschmiter struck out four batters through 10 innings of work and allowed two earned runs.
Story Courtesy Furman sports information
Towson 2, Furman 0
ROCK HILL, SC - Christine Navarro belted a two-run homer in the top half of the first inning and Jillian Kiley tossed a complete-game shutout to guide Towson to a 2-0 victory over Furman Saturday afternoon at the Winthrop Invitational.
Jillian Fraser led off the contest with a walk and siped second base with one out. After a groundout to second to retire the third hitter in the Tigers' order, Navarro blasted a home run to left field for the game's only two runs.
Kiley scattered six Furman hits and struck out seven to garner the victory for Towson. Aimee Rose and Keely Walsh each collected two hits for the Tigers (7-8).
Erica Nesselroad took the loss for Furman to fall to 4-1 on the season. The senior allowed two runs on two hits in just one inning in the circle. Sophomore Blake Murray pitched six scoreless innings of relief allowing six hits and striking out three.
Catcher Abby Robertson fueled Furman's offense goin 3-for-3 at the plate.
Story Courtesy College of Charleston sports information
East Tennessee State 4, College of Charleston 3
ROCK HILL, SC - The College of Charleston fell to East Tennessee State University in softball action Saturday afternoon by the score of 4-3 at the 2006 Winthrop/Adidas Tournament.
The loss eliminated the Cougars from the tournament and evened their record at 13-13. Amber Havnar was credited with the loss for Charleston as she has her record evened at -6-6.
The Cougars amassed three runs on nine hits while committing no errors on the day. ETSU scored four runs on six hits while committing two errors in the victory.
Jayme Durand continued to shine at the plate earning two hits on four at bats during the game. The senior catcher is currently on a five-game hit streak.
College of Charleston 11, South Carolina State 0
Catcher Jayme Durand launched a grand slam and shortstop Amber Havnar belted her first career home run as the College of Charleston defeated South Carolina State 11-0 in five innings at the 2006 Winthrop Adidas Tournament Saturday morning.
The win for the Cougars snaps a four-game losing streak as CofC improves to 13-12 on the season. Pitcher Shannon Howard evened her record at 7-7 on the year with the victory.
Charleston earned 11 runs on 10 hits while committing one error in the game. The Bulldogs were held scoreless while earning three hits and committing three errors.
Durand was two-for-four from the plate including the grand slam while driving in five runs. This was the third meeting on the season between CofC and State with Charleston winning all three games by a combined score of 36-6.
Story Courtesy Appalachian State sports information
Indiana 2, Appalachian State 0
Florida A&M 4, Appalachian State 3
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Appalachian State University softball dropped a pair of games at the Florida State Invitational Saturday afternoon. The Mountaineers fell 2-0 to Indiana in their first game, and 4-3 to Florida A&M in the second game. Appalachian will face Georgia State on Sunday afternoon to close out the tournament. A complete recap of Saturday's action and box scores will be posted as they become available.