Story Courtesy Chattanooga sports information
Chattanooga 2, Florida International 0
MIAMI, FL - The Lady Mocs used three pitchers to throw a one-hit shutout and defeated Florida International 2-0 Wednesday night at University Park.
With a scoreless tie through eight innings, the international tie-break rule was invoked and Jeannie Cochran was placed at second to start the inning.
Sarah Belanger threw her second wild pitch of the night advancing Cochran to third who then scored on another wild pitch for the go-ahead run. Tara Tembey singled up the middle then stole second to get into scoring position for Ashlan Clarkson (3-for-4, RBI) whose single down the left field line plated Tembey to put UTC up 2-0.
Ashley Frizzell, the third UTC pitcher in the game, struck out the first batter in the eighth then forced a pop foul for two outs and just one runner on base. Murray drew a walk to put the potential tying run on base. Katie Bell hit a grounder to third to force an out at third unassisted to end the game.
Belanger struck out 11 Chattanooga batters, but threw three wild pitches. FIU had four errors and a passed ball.
Frizzell, who entered in the fifth inning in relief of Brittney Whittier who relieved starter JayCee Wood after two innings, improves to 7-9 on the year. The trio combined for four strikeouts with Whittier giving up the lone hit.
Chattanooga left eight runners on base and the Golden Panthers stranded six.
Story Courtesy Western Carolina sports information
Western Carolina 9-7, Siena 1-1
CULLOWHEE, NC - On the strength of 20 base hits, including five for extra bases and three home runs, the Western Carolina Catamounts won both games of a doubleheader with the visiting Siena Saints on Wednesday afternoon at the Catamount Softball Complex. Freshman Allyson McCubbins belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to end the first game early, 9-1, and Western plated six runs in the first two innings en route to the 7-1 win in game two.
McCubbins finished the day 4-for-7 with two home runs, a double, and a walk to lead the Catamounts. The first-year utility player who has found a home behind the plate for the Catamounts scored four runs and drove in six on the afternoon. Sophomore Heather Pritchard, whom McCubbins traded fielding positions with after the injury to starting shortstop Mollie Fowler, finished 3-for-5 with a walk, three RBI and three runs scored.
In addition to McCubbins' long ball, junior Ashley Adams added to her team lead with a three-run blast in the bottom of the second of game two.
Freshman right hander Mendy McKenzie earned the win in game one, throwing five complete innings and only allowing one run on four hits while striking out six and walking two. Her classmate counterpart, Jenny Jackson, tossed her fourth complete game in the second of the twinbill, scattering three hits and only allowing one run in seven innings.
Game one opened with McCubbins delivering a single to center field and later scoring when Adams ripped a 2-0 pitch into left field for a single. The Catamounts pushed their lead to two in the bottom of the third on a full count RBI double to left center by Jackson, plating Adams.
Leading by two, Western blew the game open in the fourth, loading the bases with a walk and two singles. With the bases juiced, McCubbins doubled to left center, pushing two across the plate for the 4-0 lead. Facing a new Saints pitcher, the next batter, Pritchard, singled to right field to score a pair as McCubbins and freshman Samm Keppel touched home for the 6-0 advantage. Pritchard would later score an unearned run on an error by the Siena first baseman on a ball hit by Jackson.
After Siena manufactured a run off a leadoff single by senior Jamie Walker, the Catamounts would end the game early in the home portion of the fifth inning. With two outs, Keppel singled to center field and was scored by the next batter when McCubbins took the 0-1 pitch over the right center field fence to force the run rule.
The Catamounts took advantage of opportunities in the top of the first in game two. Pritchard drew a one out walk and was moved to second when sophomore Savannah Filley grounded out. Jackson helped her own cause with an RBI single through the left side, scoring Pritchard for the early lead. An inning later, with Keppel on second, McCubbins homered to right center to push the lead to 3-0. Three batters later, after both Pritchard and Filley had delivered singles, Adams hit a towering homer to left field to give the Catamounts the commanding, 6-0, lead.
Western would add its final run in the home half of the seventh inning as Pritchard fouled out to deep left field, scoring freshman Sam Stepp, who was pinch running for classmate Stephanie Beatty after drawing a leadoff walk. WCU would strand two in the inning after loading the bases no outs.
The lone blemish in game two was a two-out home run to left center by Saints' sophomore Jennifer Granato.
Story Courtesy Furman sports information
Kennesaw State 16-13, Furman 5-1
GREENVILLE, SC - Centerfielder Jen Hunt collected seven hits and scored seven runs to pace Kennesaw State to a 16-5, 13-1 doubleheader sweep of Furman in softball action Wednesday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium in Greenville, S.C.
The Owls opened the twinbill with an 11-run first inning in game one and pounded out 21 hits in the five-inning victory. Hunt and first baseman Keri McKee each collected a double and single in the first inning as Kennesaw State sent 15 batters to the plate. Furman hurler Jessica Mathis was unable to retire a batter allowing five hits and five runs in the first. The Owls totaled four doubles in the inning, including a two-out, two-run double from Jen Nolan.
Trailing 12-1 in the third, Furman freshman Stephanie Cushing belted a two-run homer to center to trim the margin to nine. KSU answered with four runs in the top of the fourth, keyed by Jacki Warren's two-out, two-run double down the left field line.
Megan Jaudon and Jessica Mathis delivered RBI singles to center in the bottom half of the inning for the final 16-5 margin.
Hunt finished 4-for-4 with two RBI and four runs scored while McKee went 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Warren drove in three runs and leadoff hitter Kelley Cowart collected three hits and scored three runs. Lisa Lamb (10-3) picked up the win for the Owls. Lamb surrendered five runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings of work.
Mathis (2-3) suffered the loss for Furman. Cushing went 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead the Lady Paladin offense.
In game two, Kennesaw State took advantage of two Lady Paladin errors to plate three unearned first inning runs on its way to a 13-1 victory.
Starter Brittany Matthews tossed a complete game allowing only one run on four hits to earn the victory. Matthews, 7-3, struck out four while not allowing a walk in fove innings of work. Hunt collected three hits while McKee, Cambria McKay and Nolan each recorded two safeties.
Blake Murray (2-6) took the loss for Furman after giving up nine runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings. Murray walked two batters and struck out one. Freshman Abby Robertson tripled to leadoff the third inning and scored on Amber Kiser's single to centerfield for the Lady Paladins' only run.
Story Courtesy College of Charleston sports information
Winthrop 3-7, College of Charleston 0-3
MT. PLEASANT, SC - The College of Charleston dropped a pair of games to the Winthrop Eagles Wednesday afternoon in softball action by the scores of 3-0 and 7-3 at Patriots Point Field.
Charleston falls to 13-15 on the season with the two losses as Winthrop evens their record on the season at 15-15. Pitchers Amber Havnar (6-7) and Shannon Howard (7-8) were each credited with a loss for the Cougars.
For the Eagles Julie Harvey pitched a one-hit shutout in game one as Winthrop earned three runs on seven hits committing no error in the game. Game two saw the Cougars score three runs on three hits but two costly errors gave the Eagles an early lead. Winthrop would finish with seven runs on 12 hits committing one error in the game.
Leshe Russell was the only Cougar to record multiple hits as she went two-for-five at the plate with two runs batted in on the day. Russell also launched her fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to straightaway center.
Story Courtesy UNC Greensboro sports information
UNC Greensboro 4-12, NC A&T 0-3
GREENSBORO, NC ? Freshman Stephanie Talarek had four hits and five RBIs to lead the UNC Greensboro softball team to a doubleheader sweep of across-town rival North Carolina A&T Wednesday afternoon at UNCG Softball Stadium. The Spartans got good pitching in a 4-0 win in game one, while they slugged their way to a 12-3 victory in the nightcap.
Talarek got arguably her biggest hit to date in her collegiate career with a two-run double over the head of Aggie centerfielder Brittney Hodges to give UNCG (10-14) a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning of game one.
The Spartans later tacked a run on in the fifth with an RBI single by senior Kelly Allen. Consecutive doubles to left-centerfield by juniors Heather Branche and Adriane Audley brought in another insurance run in the sixth to give the Spartans a 4-0 lead.
After loading the bases, senior Danielle Byrne struck out three straight batters in the seventh to end the game. She got the first hitter looking and then hurled six straight in the zone that resulted in consecutive swinging strikeouts by the Lady Aggies.
Junior (5-4) Vanessa Oakes ran her winning streak to three in a row by pitching three-hit ball over 6.0 innings. The Wilmington, NC native struck out eight and yielded no walks. Byrne worked around two errors in the seventh to complete the Spartans second shutout of the year.
Freshman Lyndsay Mouse was 2-for-3 with her fifth double of the year. Audley added two hits from the lead off spot.
Latronda Anderson (4-7) gave up four runs on eight hits over 6.0 innings of work for North Carolina A&T (6-14).
Senior Krista Judge, junior Jennifer Bonilla and Talarek each went 3-for-4 as UNCG pounded out 13 hits and scored a season-high 12 runs in the nightcap.
The Spartans wasted no time by scoring five runs in the first inning. Talarek and junior Kara Clouser laced back-to-back RBI singles to give UNCG a 3-0 lead. Branche followed with a two-run double down the left field line for a 5-0 advantage.
Bonilla roped an RBI double in the second, while Audley drove in two more with a single to center in the third to give UNCG a comfortable 8-0 lead.
The Lady Aggies got two runs back in the fifth on an RBI infield single by Sylvia Felder and Jekesha Herring forced home a run with a bases loaded walk. Christina Brock brought in a third run for the visitors with an RBI groundout in the sixth inning.
Bonilla promptly answered with an RBI double for UNCG in the bottom half of the sixth. Bonilla later moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Allen reached on an error. Talarek then ended the game with a double down the right field line that scored freshman Leslie Furness and Allen to give the Spartans a 12-3 victory.
Freshman Hannah Angel (4-6) worked the first 4.0 innings to pick up the win. She allowed only two hits and struck out six. Byrne finished up the final two innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and stuck out two.
Adia Dial (2-7) was the tough luck loser as only two of the 12 runs she gave up were earned. She allowed 13 hits and had three strikeouts over 5.2 innings of work.
Judge scored three runs, while Bonilla, Allen, Furness and Talarek each crossed home plate twice for the Spartans.