Story Courtesy UNC Greensboro sports information
Liberty 4-4, UNC Greensboro 0-6
LYNCHBURG, VA ? Terra Lowe came within one out of tossing the first-ever seven inning perfect game in Liberty University school history in a 4-0 opening game win over UNC Greensboro, while six-straight runs helped the Spartans to a 6-4 victory in the nightcap of a non-conference softball doubleheader, Tuesday afternoon at Liberty Softball Field.
In the first game, the game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when Liberty’s Jessica Leary led off the frame by drawing a walk. After advancing to second and third on a pair of wild pitches, Leary was able to score on an RBI base hit to left field by Dawn Jeffs to give the Lady Flames a 1-0 lead.
They added to their lead in the fifth when Jeffs began the inning with a single to center, while two batters later, she crossed the plate on an RBI single up the middle by Ashley Williams to push Liberty’s advantage to 2-0.
A two-run home run by Jessica Moore in the sixth gave the Lady Flames their final 4-0 edge.
Lowe was perfect through 20 batters, until Jennifer Bonilla broke up the perfect game bid with a two-out single in the seventh through the left side of the infield. Lowe then walked Stephanie Talarek, but got an infield pop-up to end the game, giving Lowe her team-leading 11th victory of the season as she allowed just the one hit and struck out 11 batters in the complete-game effort.
Hannah Angel (5-13) suffered the loss as she allowed four runs on seven hits, while walking four batters and strikeout seven Lady Flame hitters.
Jeffs led the home team from the plate as she finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Williams was 2-for-3 with an RBI single.
In the second contest, the Lady Flames carrier their momentum from the first game as Williams belted a two-run blast to left field to give Liberty a 2-0 lead after one inning of play.
However, the Spartans got their offense going by scoring six-straight runs and would take a lead they would never relinquish. UNCG began its scoring spree in the second inning as Lyndsay Mouse dropped a bunt base hit down the first base line, and two batters later, Kara Clouser knocked her in with a base hit through the left side of the infield.
In the third, the Spartans pulled even with Liberty as Krista Judge led off the frame with an infield single back up the middle and scored on an RBI base hit to center field off the bat of Bonilla.
The score remained 2-2 until the fifth inning when the Spartans plated three runs on three hits to take the lead for good. Judge led off the frame with a bunt single just in front of the pitching circle, while Adriane Audley was struck by a pitch to follow. Liberty starting pitcher Sarah Swor was lifted and relived by Sarah Ellis. The reliever struggled as she allowed a single to right by Bonilla to start her relief appearance, while she issued a bases loaded walk to Kelly Allen to force in the first run of the inning.
Two batters later, Audley scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Talarek, while an RBI base hit back up the middle by Clouser drove in Bonilla to cap off the decisive inning.
UNC Greensboro plated an insurance run in the sixth inning as Koury Duncan was struck by a pitch to start off the inning, while three batters later, Bonilla lofted a ball deep to left field to allow Duncan to score on a sacrifice fly.
Williams’ two-run homer in the first inning was Liberty’s only hit of the game until the sixth inning when Bennett led off the frame with a single to center field, while three batters later, Shannon McKain followed with a base hit to the fence in straightaway center to score pinch runner Rachel Love and pull Liberty within three, 6-3.
The Lady Flames attempted to mount one last rally in the seventh inning as pinch hitter Whitney Nixon led off the frame with a walk. Later in the frame, back-to-back singles through the left side of the infield gave Liberty hope, including an RBI base hit by Williams, but Danielle Byrne was able to halt the late rally to secure the victory.
Byrne (3-5) tossed her first complete game of the season as the senior allowed four runs on five hits, while walking five and striking out four batters in seven innings of work.
Swor suffered the loss and drops to 10-8 on the year as she allowed four runs on six hits in four innings of work, before Ellis and Lowe finished off the final three innings.
Bonilla and Clouser each went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Judge was
3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Bennett and Williams led the Lady Flames from the plate as Bennett finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Williams was 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBIs.
Story Courtesy Western Carolina sports information
Western Carolina 4-4, SC State 1-0
ORANGEBURG, SC ? Stepping out of conference on the road for the final time during this inaugural season, the Western Carolina Catamount softball team took two from South Carolina State on Tuesday afternoon, 4-1 and 4-0 at the Lady Bulldog Field. After trailing 1-0, WCU sophomore Savannah Filley drove in two runs on her first career triple to help win game one, 4-1. In game two, reigning Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week, freshman Mendy McKenzie, tossed a complete game one-hitter to blank SCSU, 4-0, in game two to earn her sixth shutout win of the season.
WCU (32-16) remained perfect against the Bulldogs on the season, sweeping two doubleheaders with South Carolina State this year with two wins in Cullowhee and two in Orangeburg.
Freshman Stephanie Beatty led the Catamounts on the day going 3-for-7 (.429) with a run driven in. Her classmate, Lauren Ross, and junior home run leader Ashley Adams each tallied two hits, with the latter driving in a pair or runs. Western, who came into the game with just three triples all season, nearly doubled that tally as both Filley and freshman Allyson McCubbins garnered three-baggers on the day with McCubbins’ triple accounting for her lone hit of the day, although she did draw a pair of walks and scored once.
South Carolina State (7-30) took an early 1-0 lead in the home half of the second inning in the first game of the twin bill, scoring an unearned run with two outs. The Lady Bulldog lead would hold until the top of the fifth inning when freshman Samm Keppel doubled down the left field line, then moved to third when freshman Heather Pritchard singled through the left side two batters later. With two on and two out, Filley blasted her first career triple to right, plating Keppel and Pritchard. Filley would trot home one batter later as Adams singled in the third run of the inning for the 3-1 WCU lead.
Western would round out the game’s scoring in the sixth as Ross led off with a double to center and was moved to third on an infield single by Beatty. Freshman Beth Hauser drove in her 13th run of the season by lifting a sacrifice fly to right scoring Ross from third.
Freshman Jenny Jackson threw all seven innings for the Catamounts, allowing one unearned run in the complete game victory, her 11th win of the season. Jackson scattered five SCSU hits while striking out six with no walks on the day.
Behind a strong, one-hit shutout pitching performance by McKenzie, Western scored a run in four of the seven innings to win game two, 4-0. McKenzie added nine strikeouts with just one walk to pick up her SoCon-leading 19th win of the year.
The Catamounts scored the only run they would need in the top of the second inning when Ross, who reached on a throwing error, was walked home with McCubbins at the plate accounting for the RBI, her 34th of the season. Two innings later, Western would again light the scoreboard on three-consecutive singles. Pritchard lined one back up the middle and then advanced to third when Filley put a shot through the right side on an 0-1 pitch. With runners at the corners, Adams singled through the left side to drive in her second run of the series.
Up by two, Western would add two insurance runs over the final two innings. In the sixth, McCubbins led off with her first-career triple to right field and was driven in by Pritchard. Then, in the visitors half of the seventh, Jackson delivered a one-out single through the left side and was moved to second by a Ross single along the infield and was later scored by Beatty.
Story Courtesy Furman sports information
#9 Georgia 8-5, Furman 0-2
ATHENS, GA - Kasi Carroll collected two wins in the circle and Sojourner Moody registered five hits to lead the ninth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs to an 8-0, 5-2 doubleheader sweep of Furman in non-conference softball action Tuesday evening in Athens, Ga.
Georgia (43-9) opened the scoring in the bottom of the second. Carroll doubled to start the inning and scored on Moody’s infield single to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead..
Chelsea Cantillo started another Georgia rally with a one out triple in the third. After Victoria Sanders pinch ran and Jessica Doucette reached on a fielder’s choice, Ashley Godfrey reached on an error by Stephanie Cushing allowing Sanders to score. Allison Horne followed with a two-run single and Carroll upped the lead to 5-0 on an RBI groundout to cap the frame.
Godfrey homered in the fifth and keyed a two-run sixth inning with an RBI single to invoke the eight-run mercy rule after six innings. Moody went
3-for-3 while Godfrey added three RBI for the Bulldogs. Carroll tossed four shutout innings allowing just three hits to earn the victory.
Carroll struck out six batters without allowing a walk.
Freshman Vanessa Williams (11-10) surrendered six earned runs on 11 hits over 5.1 innings of work to absorb the loss for the Lady Paladins.
In game two, the Bulldgs used a four-run first inning to edge the Lady Paladins 5-2.
Kellie Middleton started the bottom of the first with a triple and Courtney Knight blasted a two-run home run to right field to stake the Bulldogs to a 2-0 lead. Doucette drew a base on balls and Godfrey singled to continue the threat. After a groundout, Carroll tripled to drive in two runs.
Furman struck back in the third by taking advantage of three walks. Lyndy Wilcox, Blake Murray and Stephanie Cushing drew walks to load the bases.
Megan Jaudon delivered a two-out single to drive in two runs and trim the lead to 4-2.
Carroll answered for Georgia in the bottom of the frame with a a one out double. Moody followed with an infield single to drive in Carroll and increase the lead to 5-2. Carroll limited Furman to just three hits over the next four innings to protect the win and improve to 21-3 in the circle. Middleton, Knight, Carroll and Moody all collected two hits in the victory.
Jessica Mathis suffered the loss allowing four runs on four hits in one inning. Murray kept the Lady Paladins close scattering six hits and surrendering just one run in five innings. Jaudon led the Furman offense going 2-for-3 with two RBI.