Story Courtesy Furman sports information
Georgia Tech 6-11, Furman 5-3
ATLANTA, GA - Christine Sheridan was 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored as Georgia Tech defeated Furman 11-3, earning a sweep in the midweek doubleheader in Atlanta. Sheridan batted 6-for-7 on the day, with three RBI and four runs scored.
Sarah Wood (14-6) picked up her second win of the day, as she earned the Game One victory in relief. Wood pitched six innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits. Blake Murray (4-12) suffered her second loss of the afternoon, working 2.2 innings and allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits.
Georgia Tech (36-14) struck early as Sheridan scored on a Savannah Brown groundout in the first inning.
The Yellow Jackets put five runs on the board in the third inning. Whitney Haller's RBI single plated Sheridan, and Brown followed with a two-run double. Brown would later score on a wild pitch. Blair Shimandle walked and then scored on Kristina Hull's RBI double to left center field.
Georgia Tech scored two more in the fourth on Waller's homer to left center.
Furman (22-27) got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning as Jessica Mathis singled and Amber Kiser reached on an error. Joni Lockridge then drilled a two-run triple and scored on an error.
Tech got two runs back in the bottom half of the frame on Sheridan's two-run double to make the score 10-3.
The Yellow Jackets ended the game in the sixth inning as two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for the home team. Sheridan was then hit by a pitch to force in the final run.
Christine Sheridan collected three hits and scored two runs and the Yellow Jackets collected three home runs as Georgia Tech knocked off Furman 6-5 in nine innings in the first game of the doubleheader.
Sarah Wood (13-6) earned the victory for the Yellow Jackets, pitching three innings of relief and allowing just one hit, while striking out two. Blake Murray (4-11) suffered the loss for Furman coming out of the bullpen to pitch three innings and allow just one unearned run and one hit.
Abby Robertson was 2-for-2 with two RBI on the day, and Amber Nelsen collected three hits, including her eighth home run of the season.
Georgia Tech opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning on Whitney Haller's solo home run to right center field. The blast was Haller's 18th round-tripper of the season.
Furman answered in the top of the third inning on Jessica Mathis's third home run of the season. The shot to center field evened the score at one apiece.
The Lady Paladins took the lead in the fourth inning on Nelsen's home run to left center field. Furman added a second run in the frame as Amber Kiser's two-out single up the middle plated Danielle Franklin.
The Yellow Jackets responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Stephanie Butler hit a two-out, two-run home run to right field. After a double by Sheridan, Aileen Morales drilled a home run to left field.
Furman evened the score in the top of the fifth inning as Robertson doubled to right field, scoring Megan Jaudon and Nelsen.
Georgia Tech ended the game in the ninth inning. Sheridan began the frame on second base due to softball's international tie-break rules. She then moved to third and scored on a wild pitch to end the game.
Story Courtesy Appalachian State sports information
Radford 4-1, Appalachian State 2-0
RADFORD, VA - Radford University managed to sweep the Appalachian State University softball team in a non-conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon at the Dedmon Center Field. Appalachian dropped the first game, 4-2, giving up four unearned runs and the second by a score of 1-0.
The two losses drop the softball squad to 20-24 on the season. Radford improved its record to 29-16 with the sweep.
The two teams played a tight second game, with neither team scoring a run until the Highlanders crossed the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning on an Ashley Carlson groundout that scored Michelle Carlson. The Highlanders posted six hits off ASU starter Keri Blackwelder (Stanfield, N.C.) while the Apps got four hits off Ashley Taylor with Lindsay Glover (Greensboro, N.C.) recording two in a 2-for-3 outing.
The Mountaineers squandered a quality start from reigning Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week Yancy Moose (Hamptonville, N.C.) in the first game. Moose pitched all seven innings and didn’t allow an earned run on six hits. The southpaw also matched a season high with nine strikeouts in the loss, her sixth of the season, evening her record at 6-6.
The Mountaineers got an early 1-0 lead when the second batter of the game, Natalie Willis (Cherryville, N.C.) hit her first career home run, a solo shot over the left field fence.
Radford regained the lead after scoring a run in both the fourth and the fifth innings as a result of Appalachian errors. Amanda Walling scored in the fourth after three consecutive singles and a throwing error from the Mountaineers. The run in the sixth inning came via an RBI single from Ashley Taylor that allowed Jennifer Everhart to score after a throwing error extended the inning.
The Highlanders tacked on two more unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Danielle Tompkins and Michelle Carlson scored courtesy on an ASU throwing and fielding error. Appalachian made one final charge in the top on the seventh on Keri Blackwelder’s (Stanfield, N.C.) two-out solo home run to centerfield. The longball was her sixth of the season, tying for the second most in a season at ASU but wasn’t enough to overcome RU’s lead.
Story Courtesy Chattanooga sports information
Chattanooga 1-4, Birmingham Southern 0-1
BIRMINGHAM, AL - Chattanooga junior Jeannie Cochran drove in the game-winning RBI in the eighth inning Wednesday night in game one against Birmingham-Southern then led off the nightcap with a homerun as the Lady Mocs swept the Panthers 1-0 and 4-1.
With the game in a scoreless tie through regulation, Chattanooga junior Alyssa Edwards was placed at second in accordance with the international tie break rules. A sacrifice attempt by Toni Hutchison turned into a fielder’s choice and Edwards was thrown out by the short stop as she tried to take third. A sacrifice attempt by Amanda Hoiness succeeded and Hutchison moved into scoring position at second. Cochran came up to bat and, with two outs, scorched a triple to right center to give the Lady Mocs a 1-0 lead.
In the home half of the inning, the Panthers successfully sacrificed the runner at second to third, but UTC junior Ashley Frizzell fanned the final two batters to claim her Southern Conference-leading 13th win of the year. Backed by a solid defense, Frizzell notched her league-leading eighth shutout and second in as many games, giving up eight hits and two walks.
Cochran went 2-for-4 to lead the Lady Mocs. Tara Tembey was 1-of-3 with a double. Ashlan Clarkson was 1-of-3 and Amanda Hoiness went 1-for-2 as the designated hitter.
BSC’s leading hitter Nikki Rombough went 2-for-4 with a double. Kayla Backlund was 3-of-3 and Grace Stokes, Jennifer Welborn and Melissa Taunton each got one hit for the Panthers.
Birmingham Southern stranded 11 runners while the Lady Mocs left five on base. BSC out hit Chattanooga 8-5.
The Lady Mocs’ bats woke up early in game two with three first inning hits. Cochran led off the game with an inside-the-park homerun to right center followed by a single from Ashley Cuticchia. Tara Tembey successfully sacrificed her over to second and Ashleigh Bull’s single advanced the runner to third but Cuticchia was thrown out trying to score on the play.
Cochran led off the third with her fourth hit of the night then stole second with one out and third with two outs to get into scoring position. Bull singled up the middle to plate Cochran to give the Lady Mocs a 2-0 lead.
For the third time in four innings, Chattanooga led off the inning with a hit. Ashlan Clarkson doubled to right center and two batters later, Hutchison doubled putting runners at second and third. Robyn Johnson had an RBI single to score Clarkson. A throwing error by the second baseman allowed Hutchison to score and Chattanooga led 4-0.
In the Panthers’ half of the fourth inning, Birmingham-Southern scored its lone run of the night on four hits. Nikki Rombough hit a double to left center with one out and Katherine Katz came in to run. Jennifer Wellborn singled down the right field line advancing Katz to third.
Trying a double steal by Wellborn and Katz, the lead runner was thrown out a home to keep the Panthers from scoring. However, back-to-back singles plated Wellborn to give BSC its first run. After allowing a walk to load the bases, Chattanooga starter, senior JayCee Wood, struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Wood allowed just one more hit in the game off the Birmingham-Southern bats to get her 13th win of the season, tying her with Frizzell for the league-lead. Wood struck out eight batters and gave up six hits and one walk. Chattanooga stranded seven runners to BSC’s four. The Lady Mocs out hit the Panthers 9-6 in game two.
Cochran went 2-for-4 with a pair of steals and an RBI and two runs scored. Johnson went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Bull was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Hutchison, Clarkson and Cuticchia had the Lady Mocs’ other three hits.
Melissa Muehlenfeld went 2-for-2 and Heather Fox was 1-of-3 with an RBI. Three other Panthers had one hit in the loss.
The Lady Mocs move to 26-27 overall.