Story Courtesy UNC Greensboro sports information
UNC Greensboro 4, Furman 3
GREENSBORO, NC ? Kelly Allen’s three-run homer in the first inning led UNC Greensboro to a 4-3 victory over Furman in Southern Conference softball action from UNCG Softball Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The win gives the Spartans the series victory after the two clubs split a doubleheader yesterday.
Furman (20-23, 3-6 SoCon) stuck for a run in the first inning for the third time this weekend for a 1-0 lead, but Allen came up with one out and runners on first and second base when she blasted an opposite field homer off the bottom of the scoreboard in right-centerfield for a 3-1 Spartan lead.
UNCG (15-19, 2-4 SoCon) pushed across what ultimately proved to be the game’s winning run when Furman third baseman Abby Robertson’s errant throw went wide of first base and caromed down the right field foul line, allowing Heather Branche to score all the way from first after she reached on an infield single.
Robertson made up for her fielding error with an RBI double in the fourth to cut the Furman deficit to 4-2. The Lady Paladins then made it 4-3 with a solo blast by Joni Lockridge to lead off the top half of the fifth.
In the sixth, Furman got runners on second and third with two outs, but Lockridge flied out to center to end the rally. UNCG starter Vanessa Oakes then retired the Lady Paladins three up-three down in the seventh to garner the complete game victory.
Oakes improved to 8-6 on the season after allowing three runs on seven hits, while striking out a career-high 11 hitters.
Allen now has 19 homers in her career and is one shy of tying former teammates Joni Gomez and Jennifer Hubbard for third on the all-time home run list with 20 roundtrippers.
Erica Nesselroad (4-2) suffered the loss after not being able to get an out in the second inning. She allowed three runs on two hits in 1.0 plus inning of work. Blake Murray pitched 5.0 innings and gave up one unearned run on three hits.
Robertson, Lockridge and Megan Jaudon each had two hits for the Lady Paladins.
Story Courtesy Appalachian State sports information
Appalachian State 6, Western Carolina 2
BOONE , NC - Clutch pitching proved to be the difference on Sunday as Appalachian State University pitchers combined to leave nine Western Carolina baserunners stranded in a 6-2 victory. The Mountaineers lineup also came alive with four extra-base hits in a nine-hit outing.
Freshman Yancy Moose (Hamptonville, N.C.) gave the Mountaineers a stellar start, pitching five innings and yielding just two runs for her third win of the season. Classmate Teri Fister entered the game in relief and pitched two hitless innings and struck out the side in the seventh inning to record her second save and give WCU its first conference loss of the season.
Lindsay Glover (Greensboro, N.C.) continued to lead the Apps at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and two runs. Jenny Jackson paced the Catamounts, driving in both runs with a single in the first inning.
Both teams recorded two runs in the opening frame with Appalachian’s coming via Glover’s single and a groundball out from Kristyn Hurt (Siler City, N.C.) that scored Glover.
WCU appeared poised to break the game open in the third inning, loading the bases with one out. However, Moose baffled the next two batters to keep the Catamounts in check.
The two teams remained knotted at 2-2 until the bottom of the fourth inning when Diana Cook (Concord, N.C.) scored after a Catamount error. Appalachian took control of the game in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs on two singles and a double. The offensive outburst forced WCU starter Mendy McKenzie out of the contest, dropping her record to 13-4 on the season.
Western Carolina threatened again in the sixth inning and got the first two runners on base, prompting Appalachian to relieve Moose. Fister entered the game and proceeded to hit the first batter. However, she regained her composure and retired the next two batters to leave the bases loaded.
Fister continued to baffle the Catamounts in the seventh, striking out the side to preserve the win and improve the Mountaineers’ record to 15-20 overall and 4-5 in the Southern Conference. Western Carolina falls to 24-13 overall and 5-1 in the league.
Story Courtesy Elon sports information
College of Charleston 8, Elon 5
ELON, NC - Leshe Russell’s three-run home run in the top of the fifth inning lifted the Cougars of College of Charleston to an 8-5 victory over the Elon Phoenix in Southern Conference softball action on Sunday afternoon at East Field.
Down 5-4 going into the top of the fifth, a single by Jennifer Golden and an error by the Elon defense put runners on first and second before Russell blasted her shot over the left field fence to put the Cougars ahead 7-5.
CofC (20-20, 5-1) added another run in the top of the seventh when a sacrifice fly by Francis with the bases loaded scored Jennifer Golden to put the Cougars ahead 8-5.
Elon (18-12, 4-2) built a 5-0 lead after two innings before the Cougars staged their comeback.
Paige Goss led off the game with a first-pitch double to left centerfield before Tracey Dahlen earned a walk to put runners on first and second base. Debbie Zeigler then knocked a RBI single up the middle to score Goss from second and give the Phoenix a 1-0 lead. The next batter, Laurin Smith, laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third. Rebecca Rijavec singled to right field to plate Dahlen and put Elon ahead 2-0.
In the bottom of the second, CofC pitcher Shannon Howard retired the first two batters before Elon put up three runs on a two-out rally. Goss and Dahlen each knocked infield singles to put runners on first and second before Zeigler singled to left field to plate Goss and give Elon a 3-0 lead. Smith drew a walk to load the bases before Rijavec singled down the right field line to score Dahlen and Zeigler and put the Phoenix up 5-0.
The Cougars used a four-run third inning to cut the lead to just one run. Renee Francis lead off with a single through the left side before Jessica Lyness drew a walk and Shandra Schlichenmayer singled to load the bases. Amber Shifflett then singled up the middle to plate Francis and cut the lead to four at 5-1. A fly ball error by the Elon right fielder scored Schlicenmayer and Lyness to make the score 5-3. Jayme Durand then singled through the left side to score Shifflett and cut the Elon lead to one at 5-4.
Francis and Durand recorded two hits a piece for the Cougars while Russell paced the team with three RBI. Shifflett, Golden, Howard, Russell and Schlicenmayer all posted a hit for CofC.
Goss, Dahlen, Zeigler and Rijavec all recorded two hits each for Elon while Rijavec posted three RBI and Zeigler tallied two.
Howard (10-11) picked up the win for the Cougars after tossing 6.2 innings and giving up three runs on six hits and fanning six batters. Amber Havnar started the game and gave up two runs on three hits.
Whitney Meeks (9-2) suffered the loss for Elon after tossing 4.1 innings and giving up seven runs (five earned) on seven hits. Melanie Helterbran threw 2.2 innings in relief and gave up one run on two hits while striking out one batter.
Story Courtesy Georgia Southern sports information
Georgia Southern 8, Chattanooga 7
STATESBORO, GA - The Georgia Southern offense came alive in game three against Chattanooga, scoring eight runs, but had to hold off a late rally to avoid a three-game sweep Sunday, defeating the Lady Mocs 8-7 in Southern Conference softball action from Eagle Field.
The Eagles improve to 18-22 and 2-4 in the SoCon while the Lady Mocs fall to 22-24 and 2-4.
Georgia Southern’s offense helped the Eagles come back after being swept 7-0 and 10-5 Saturday.
“I don’t think that mentally we were where we were supposed to be yesterday,” said GSU head coach Natalie Poole. “I think we just didn’t play our game. We came out earlier this week against Troy and played a whole lot better and with more excitement and took it to them. And then yesterday, we press a little more, we feel like there’s a whole lot more at stake, and we play different.”
Down 8-2 going into the top of the seventh, Chattanooga loaded the bases with nobody out on a single, double and a walk. Senior Ashleigh Bull (Chattanooga, Tenn.) drove in a run with a fielder’s choice and another walk loaded the bases again, bringing up sophomore Ashlan Clarkson (Chickamauga, Ga.). Clarkson’s only hit of the day was a big one as she deposited a 3-1 pitch over the fence in right-center field to bring the Lady Mocs within one, 8-7.
“I definitely didn’t think we’d be in a nail-biting situation in that last inning,” added Poole, “but they came out, got a few hits, and started building some momentum. We gave up the big hit which almost cost us.”
Poole went to the bullpen to bring in junior Logan Free (Sandpoint, Idaho), who promptly gave up two straight singles to put runners on first and second. But Free earned her first save of the season by striking out the next two batters to end the game.
Chattanooga drew first blood with a two-run third inning. Freshman Laci Upchurch (Madison, Tenn.) tallied her first career home run leading off and junior Brittany Whittier (Scottsdale, Ariz.) singled in UTC’s second run.
GSU answered with three in the bottom half of the inning on a round-tripper by junior Heather Smith (Williamson, Ga.) and a two-run double by senior Sam Steiner (Loxley, Ala.).
Smith singled in the Eagles’ fourth run of the day in the next frame and factored in on Georgia Southern’s four-run explosion in the sixth. Senior Shanita Black (Fayetteville, N.C.) tripled with one out and Smith walked. Senior Gina Sterchi (Chattanooga, Tenn.) laid down a perfect squeeze bunt for a run and junior Aurora Johnson (Macon, Ga.) singled home Smith. Junior Maria Laurato (New Orleans, La.) completed the scoring with a two-run homer to left.