Story Courtesy Chattanooga sports information
College of Charleston 3, Chattanooga 2
College of Charleston 3, Chattanooga 1
CHATTANOOGA, TN - The Chattanooga softball team fell 3-2 and 3-1 to the College of Charleston on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Frost Stadium.
In game one, with the score tied 2-2, Charleston's Jayme Durand hit a solo shot over the centerfield fence for the game winner. Durand went 3-for-4 in the game with two RBI and one run scored.
The Lady Mocs carried a 1-0 lead into the seventh in the second game, but gave up three runs with two outs in the top of the seventh and fall to 19-21 overall and 0-2 in Southern Conference play. This was the league opener for both teams. The Cougars improve to 17-17 overall and 2-0 in SoCon action.
The Cougars outhit the Lady Mocs 6-5 in game one and starter Amber Havnar struck out six, walked five and allowed two earned runs through eight.
Ashley Bull went 2-for-3 in game one with one RBI and Amanda Hoiness drove in Chattanooga's other run hitting 1-for-3.
UTC starter Ashley Frizzell (10-11) fanned four batters and gave up three runs on six hits.
With a pair of outs in the second, Chattanooga jumped on the board first when Amanda Hoiness singled to center field to score Brittney Whittier from second. In the bottom of the sixth, trailing 2-1, the Lady Mocs tied it up on a home run from Bull.
In game two, it was a pitcher's duel with neither side able to score. Chattanooga's JayCee Wood struck out two batters, but did not give up a walk.
Whittier tripled to the gap in right field to plating Bull who walked with two outs giving UTC a tenuous 1-0 lead.
With two outs in the seventh, the Cougars' Jessica Lyness doubled to right field. Two hits later, Lyness scored to tie the game at 1-1. Charleston netted five hits with two outs in the seventh to claim the 3-1 win.
Story Courtesy Appalachian State sports information
Appalachian State 4, Georgia Southern 1
Georgia Southern 3, Appalachian State 1
HICKORY, NC - Appalachian State University softball split its home opener with Georgia Southern, winning game one 4-1 but dropping the nightcap 3-1 Saturday March 25. The games were played in Hickory due to inclement weather in Boone. The spilt moves ASU’s record to 13-16 overall and 2-3 in Southern Conference play while the Eagles go to 15-19 overall and 1-1 in the league.
Junior Keri Blackwelder picked up the win in the first game to improve to 5-6. The right-handed pitcher gave up one run in four innings of work with three strikeouts. Freshman Teri Fister relieved Blackwelder to record the save. Melissa Laliberte suffered the loss for the Eagles, falling to 6-6.
Georgia Southern used a two-run homerun from Heather Smith to pull away in the second game and end ASU’s three-game winning streak versus GSU.
Appalachian took an early 3-0 lead in the opening game, scoring a two runs in the second inning on a fielder’s choice from Elizabeth Holbert that scored Kasey Motsinger followed by wild pitch that allowed Ashley Gaston to score. The Mountaineers plated another run in the bottom of the third as Kristyn Hurt’s groundball to the shortstop allowed Keri Blackwelder to safely score.
The Eagles responded with a run in the top of the fourth with an RBI single from Sam Steiner. That would be all the GSU lineup could muster as the Mountaineers added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to preserve the 4-1 victory.
ASU’s pitchers didn’t fare as well in the second game as sixth-year head coach Willie Rucker was forced to use three hurlers to keep the Eagles at bay. However, the three combined to leave 11 GSU runners stranded on the basepaths.
Appalachian’s offense could only manufacture a single run in the game with two near home runs knocked down by the strong winds that prevailed for most of the afternoon. The Mountaineers picked up their run in the bottom of the first as Lindsay Glover singled home Natalie Willis
ASU would hold the 1-0 advantage until the top of the fifth when the Eagles got a run to tie the game on a wild pitch that brought Gina Sterchi across the plate. GSU pulled ahead in the next frame courtesy of Heather Smith’s two-run home run that curled along the right field foul pole.
Teri Fister took the loss for the Mountaineers, falling to 3-3 on the season. Logan Free picked up the complete-game win to improve to 6-5. Free only allowed three hits as the Eagles outhit ASU 8-3 in the second game.
Story Courtesy Western Carolina sports information
Western Carolina 5, Furman 1
CULLOWHEE, NC - Battling through wintry conditions including snow, wind, and cold temperatures, the Western Carolina Catamounts made their Southern Conference softball debut on Saturday afternoon, winning game one, 5-1, over the Furman Lady Paladins with the second game of the twin bill halted in the top of the eighth inning due to hazardous playing conditions.
Western (20-10, 1-0 SoCon) trailed in the second game, 5-0, after the first two innings before rallying with one run in the bottom of the second, two in the third, and taking its first lead with a four-spot in the home half of the fourth inning. The Lady Paladins scored one run in each of the final three innings to tie and take the lead, 8-7, entering the bottom of the seventh. WCU freshman Lauren Ross then delivered a lead-off home run to right center field to tie the game at eight, but the Catamounts would strand two runners at first and second, forcing extra innings.
The second game of the three-game series will resume at 1:00 pm on Sunday afternoon with Furman coming to the plate in the top of the eighth inning. The final game of the series will follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of the halted contest.
In game one, Furman (18-18, 2-2 SoCon) manufactured a single run in the top of the first inning, with Western Carolina answering a half inning later with three runs en route to the 5-1 victory. The win was WCU's first-ever in SoCon action and pushed the all-time series with FU to 2-1.
Trailing 1-0, freshman Allyson McCubbins opened the game by running the count full, then belting a double to left center. After moving to third on a passed ball, McCubbins was plated when junior Ashley Adams hit a RBI single up the middle to tie the game. Adams would later score when sophomore Heather Pritchard drew a full count walk to drive in the go-ahead run, 2-1. Left fielder Jenny Jackson, who also walked to get on base, was driven home by an RBI single to center by junior Nikki Bost to give WCU three runs in the opening frame.
The Catamounts pushed across two insurance runs in the sixth inning when sophomore Savannah Filley singled and Adams drove in pinch runner, freshman Sam Stepp, on a two-run blast to left center. The home run was Adams' team-leading ninth of the season.
Freshman right hander Mendy McKenzie improved her record to 11-3 on the season working all seven innings, only allowing the single run and scattering three hits. She also struck out nine and gave up one walk on the day. Offensively, Bost and Filley led the team with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate, while Adams went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Bost and Pritchard also accounted for two runs driven in, with McCubbins and Jackson each tallying a double on the afternoon.
Again, the halted game will pick up where it left off in the top of the eighth inning, tied at eight apiece. The final game of the SoCon series will begin 30 minutes following the completion of the first game.
Story Courtesy UNC Greensboro sports information
Elon 4, UNC Greensboro 1
Elon 7, UNC Greensboro 0
GREENSBORO, NC ? UNC Greensboro lost both games of a Southern Conference softball doubleheader to Elon Saturday afternoon at UNCG Softball Stadium. The Phoenix won the games by scores of 4-1 and 7-0.
Junior Jennifer Bonilla gave UNCG an early 1-0 lead in game one with an RBI triple in the first inning. Junior Adriane Audley led-off with a walk and came around one out later on Bonilla’s hit down the right field line.
The lead held up for the Spartans until Elon’s Jaimie Rao ripped a two-run double to right to give the Phoenix a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
Debbie Zeigler followed with a run-scoring single in the fifth to make it 3-1, while Tracey Dahlen capped the scoring in game one with an RBI double in the seventh.
Junior Vanessa Oakes (5-5) had her personal three-game winning streak stopped after allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits over the distance. She walked two and struck out nine.
Carol Lilley (4-7) gave up three hits and one run over 7.0 innings. She walked four and struck out two.
Bonilla paced the Spartans with a double and triple, while Krista Judge and Lyndsay Mouse each added a single.
In the nightcap, Laurin Smith connected for a two-run homer over the fence in center for a 2-0 Elon lead after one inning of play. Brandi Jones then tripled and Patti Weber doubled to start the second, giving the Phoenix a 3-0 advantage.
Page Goss added a two-run single and Tracey Dahlen knocked in another with a sacrifice fly in the fourth to give Elon a 6-0 lead. Rao later smacked a solo shot down the left-field line to finish off the 7-0 victory in game two for the Phoenix.
Whitney Meeks (7-0) remained perfect on the season by allowing only an infield single to Judge in the first inning. She walked three and picked up six strikeouts in a dominating performance that saw her retire the final 11 batters she faced.
Freshman Hannah Angel (4-7) suffered the loss after giving up six runs on six hits over 4.0 innings of work. Senior Danielle Byrne worked 3.0 effective innings, allowing one run on four hits.
Jones and Weber paced a 10-hit attack for Elon with two hits apiece.