Story Courtesy Appalachian State sports information
Appalachian State 4-6, UNC Greensboro 1-5
BOONE, NC - Appalachian State University softball had two of its better offensive games from the plate and used solid pitching to sweep a doubleheader from visiting UNC Greensboro Friday afternoon. Appalachian won the first game 4-1, and staved off a UNCG rally to prevail in the second game 6-5. The two teams will meet again tomorrow to wrap up the series with a single game at 1 p.m.
Mary Lutz (Brentwood, Tenn.) went 4-for-6 with two RBI and two runs on the afternoon from the ninth spot in the order. Heather Branche went 3-for-5 with an RBI for the Spartans.
The two wins improve ASU to 22-24 overall and 7-7 in the SoCon, matching a program high for conference wins in a season. UNCG falls to 16-27overall and 3-8 in the Southern Conference.
In the opening game, the two teams played four scoreless innings before the Mountaineers scored twice in the bottom of the fifth inning. Lutz and Natalie Willis (Cherryville, N.C.) posted back-to-back singles before Brittany Gaston (Roswell, Ga.) cleared the bases with a double to center field. The Apps got two more runs in the next frame when Kristyn Hurt led off the inning with a solo home run, her fourth of the season. Later in the inning, Lutz’s single through the right side drove in Yancy Moose (Hamptonville, N.C.).
The Spartans tried to rally in the top of the seventh when Stephanie Talarek led off with a home run to left center to give UNCG its first run. ASU pitcher Yancy Moose managed to rebound and escape the inning without allowing anymore damage for the complete-game victory, improving her record to 7-6. Vanessa Oakes went the distance for UNCG, falling to 9-10. Appalachian manufactured its four runs on nine hits in the game and committed one error. UNCG has one run on five hits with no errors.
The Spartans started the second game on a high note as the leadoff batter, Adriane Audley hit a solo home run to give the Spartans an early 1-0 lead. The Mountaineers would tie the game in the bottom of the third inning on a Lindsay Glover (Greensboro, N.C.) single that drove in Willis.
The Apps broke open the game in the next inning getting three runs, the first coming on a miscue from the leftfield that transformed a single into a triple and allowed Elizabeth Holbert (Long Beach, Miss.) to score. Lutz then drove in Ashely Gaston (Roswell, Ga.) with a slap single for the second run. The Mountaineers got their final run of the inning on a double steal from Lutz to make the score 4-1.
UNCG cut into the lead with a run in the top of the fifth inning when Branche drove in Oakes with a groundball to the shortstop. Appalachian extended its lead in the bottom half of the frame when Glover scored on a passed ball, followed by an RBI single from Holbert.
UNCG didn’t go down without a fight, scoring a run in the top of the sixth inning and two more in the seventh. Krista Judge led off the final inning with an infield single. Two batters later Audley drove her in with a double to left center, followed by a line drive down the right field line by Lyndsay Mouse to bring Audley in to score. However, reliever Teri Fister (Summerfield, N.C.) was able to retire the last two batters for her fourth save, the most in a single season by a Mountaineer.
Keri Blackwelder (Stanfield, N.C.) picked up the win, improving to 7-9. Hannah Angel took the loss, falling to 5-12.
In the nightcap, Appalachian got its six runs via 10 hits and committed one error. The Spartans had five runs on seven hits and committed two errors.
Story Courtesy Georgia Southern sports information
STATESBORO, GA - The College of Charleston used its bats in game one and arms in game two, narrowly sweeping a softball doubleheader from host Georgia Southern Friday afternoon at Eagle Field. The Cougars won game one 10-9 and game two 2-1.
CofC improves to 24-23 overall and 9-2 in the SoCon. The Eagles fall to 21-25 and 5-6.
“I don’t think we had an extremely poor performance,” said GSU head coach Natalie Poole. “We can definitely mark our losses to some specific things.”
College of Charleston 10, Georgia Southern 9
The Cougars jumped out to a 6-0 lead after their first two at-bats and never trailed, holding off the Eagles in a slugfest.
The top of the first began poorly for the Eagles, giving up five runs, four on a grand slam by Renee Francis. All four runs on the homer were unearned, but the big hit still chased starter Logan Free (Sandpoint, Idaho).
The Cougars tacked on one more in the second before Georgia Southern nearly tied the game with five in its half of the inning. Four different players contributed RBI hits, all with two outs, including senior Shanita Black’s (Fayetteville, N.C.) two-run triple.
The hit parade continued in College of Charleston’s next trip to the plate, putting three runs across on three hits. GSU answered again, this time with two scoring tallies to trail 9-7.
College of Charleston received a much-needed insurance run in the fifth as the Eagles scored twice in the bottom of the inning on a fielder’s choice by junior A.J. Street (Lilburn, Ga.) and a sacrifice fly by sophomore Aubrey Thweatt (Georgia, Vt.).
Georgia Southern went down in order in the sixth and got a leadoff walk in the seventh but was unable to advance the runner.
Junior Maria Laurato (New Orleans, La.), senior Sam Steiner (Loxley, Ala.) and freshman Carrie Mixon (Statesboro, Ga.) had two hits each.
“I think we hit extremely well in the first game, but every time we would get runs, we would give up a few hits that would cost us,” said Poole.
Free (9-8) was tagged with the loss, allowing five runs (one earned) and three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Amber Havner (11-1) went the distance for CofC, giving up nine earned runs and ten hits.
College of Charleston 2, Georgia Southern 1
Game two was in complete contrast of game one as the teams combined for just four hits and three runs.
The Cougars received all the offense they would need in the first, scoring two unearned runs on no hits. A walk and a fielder’s choice sacrifice put runners on first and second with no outs. After a fly out, a hit batsman loaded the bases. The second out was recorded on an infield fly, but both runs came around to score on an error.
Georgia Southern cut the lead in half with a run in the third, also without the benefit of a hit. Back-to-back errors put runners on first and third and Black scored on a wild pitch.
Black barely kept her 29-game hitting streak alive by getting her only hit of the game in the top of the seventh. The Eagles threatened by putting two on base but consecutive fly outs to center ended the game.
Sophomore Melissa Laliberte (Cobourg, Ontario, Canada) was the hard luck loser (8-8), allowing just one hit and no earned runs. Shannon Howard (12-12) earned the win for College of Charleston, giving up no earned runs and three hits.
“Mel did a great job of keeping us in the ball game, but we couldn’t get the hits together to make it happen,” added Poole.
Story Courtesy Elon sports information
Furman 11-4, Elon 4-5
ELON, NC - A Phoenix rally in the bottom of the seventh inning and a single by Paige Goss pushed Elon to a 5-4 come-from-behind win over Furman in the second game of a Southern Conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon at East Field. The Lady Paladins downed Elon 11-4 in the first game of the day.
Down 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Debbie Zeigler walked and Jaimie Rao and Rebecca Rijavec notched base hits to load the bases before Laurin Smith drew a walk to send pinch runner Courtney Milligan home to cut the lead to two, 4-2. With the bases still loaded, Erica Ayala singled through the right side to send Rijavec and pinch runner Brandi Jones home and tied the game 4-4. Nicole Ellis then notched a single to load the bases before Goss (pictured right) singled to right field to score Smith and end the game 5-4.
Elon got on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Goss drew a walk and Tracey Dahlen singled to shortstop before a sacrifice bunt by Zeigler moved the runners to second and third. Rao then grounded out to the shortstop to plate Goss and go ahead 1-0.
The Lady Paladins knotted the game in the top of the third inning. With runners on second and third, Joni Lockridge grounded out to the second baseman to score Jessica Mathis from third.
Furman took a 4-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning. Megan Jaudon and Danielle Franklin each notched singles to put runners on first and second before Abby Robertson singled through the right side to plate Jaudon. The throw from Elon’s right fielder Nicole Ellis to home in an attempt to get Jaudon out, bounced off the back stop allowing Franklin to come across home plate and give the Lady Paladins a 3-1 lead. With Robertson on third base, Blake Murray knocked an RBI single through the right side to send Robertson home and put Furman ahead 4-1.
Melanie Helterbran (1-2) picked up the win for Elon after tossing one inning and giving up no runs on no hits. Starter Samantha Schroeder tossed five and two-thirds innings and gave up four runs (three earned) on nine hits while striking out five batters. Carol Lilley tossed one-third of an inning in relief and gave up no runs on no hits.
Murray (5-13) suffered the loss for the Lady Paladins. She tossed one-third of an inning and gave up one run on three hits. Mathis threw six innings for Furman, giving up four runs on three hits and striking out one batter.
Goss, Dahlen, Rao, Rijavec, Ayala and Ellis all posted a hit for the Phoenix while Ayala posted two RBI to lead Elon.
Amber Kiser led the Lady Paladins from the plate, going two-for-two while Mathis also posted two hits.
In game one, Elon got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when an RBI single by Rijavec plated Dahlen to put the Phoenix on top 1-0.
The Lady Paladins responded in the top of the second inning. A bunt single by Kiser scored Franklin from third base to knot the game, 1-1. With runners on second and third, Lockridge singled to centerfield to score Kiser and Murray and give Furman a 3-1 edge.
In the top of the third inning, Amber Nelsen led off with a walk. Franklin then knocked a grounder to third base, but a throw to second to attempt to get Nelsen out sailed over the second baseman’s head, allowing Nelsen to score and putting Franklin on second. With runners on first and third, Robertson stole second and an overthrow to second base allowed Franklin to score from third to give the Lady Paladins the 5-1 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Dahlen doubled and Zeigler singled to put runners on first and second before Smith singled up the middle to score Dahlen and cut the lead to three at 5-2. With runners on second and third, Rao grounded out to the shortstop to plate pinch runner Milligan and cut the lead to two, 5-3.
The Lady Paladins took an 8-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning when Mathis blasted a three-run homer out of left centerfield.
Elon added one run in the bottom of the fifth when, with runners on first and second, Rao singled up the middle to plate Smith and cut the lead to four, 8-4.
Furman added two runs in the top of the sixth when an RBI single by Nelsen scored Stephanie Cushing from third to put the Lady Paladins ahead 9-4. Then, with the bases loaded Murray drew a walk to push Megan Jaudon home and go up 10-4. The Lady Paladins added another run in the seventh inning when Kiser scored from third on a grounder by Cushing to put Furman ahead 11-4.
Murray picked up the win for the Lady Paladins after tossing five innings in relief. She gave up just one run (no earned runs) on seven hits while retiring five batters. Starting pitcher Vanessa Williams threw two innings and gave up three runs on six hits.
Helterbran suffered the loss for Elon after throwing two innings and giving up three runs on four hits while fanning two batters. Whitney Meeks tossed three and one-third innings in relief, giving up seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and striking out three. Lilley threw one and two-thirds innings and gave up one run on one hit.
Kiser, Lockridge, Cushing, Jaudon and Robertson all posted two hits a piece for the Lady Paladins while Mathis posted three RBI and Lockridge tallied two RBI.
Zeigler led the Phoenix from the plate, going three-for-four while Rijavec and Rao each posted two hits. Rao paced the team with two RBI.
Story Courtesy Chattanooga sports information
Western Carolina 5, Chattanooga 0
CHATTANOOGA, TN - Western Carolina continued its run through the Southern Conference with a 5-0 win over Chattanooga Friday night at Frost Stadium.
The Catamounts got on the board in the top of the first and hit back-to-back homeruns in the fifth to make it 4-0 and then plated a fifth run in the top of the seventh. Mendy McKenzie gave up four hits to Chattanooga striking out six and walking three.
In the first inning with the bases loaded on a hit batsman and two walks, Jenny Jackson hit a fly ball to left field plating leadoff hitter Allyson McCubbins for the sacrifice. Western Carolina broke the league homerun record in the fifth with back-to-back homeruns. With two outs and a runner on, Heather Pritchard put the Catamounts into the record book with a hit that barely cleared the left field fence. Savannah Filley followed that with a homerun of her own to make it 4-0 Catamounts.
Pritchard went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored. Samm Keppel went 2-for-3 with two runs and Savannah Filley was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run. Jackson, 0-2, had the remaining RBI.
In the seventh with two outs, the Lady Mocs tried to rally its way back into the game. Toni Hutchison reached on an infield single and Laci Upchurch hit a shot that bent foul over the left field fence. She was walked to put a pair of runners on, but the Catamounts ended the rally with an unassisted out at third.
Jeannie Cochran, Brittney Whittier, Ashlan Clarkson and Hutchison each picked up hits for the Lady Mocs. Ashley Frizzell struck out nine batters and gave up four earned runs on five hits.
The two teams will be back at it Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Frost Stadium for a double header. The Catamounts improve to 29-15 overall and 8-1 in league play. The Lady Mocs are 26-28 overall and 4-6 in SoCon action.