Story Courtesy Western Carolina sports information
Western Carolina 2, College of Charleston 1
CULLOWHEE, NC - Western Carolina freshman Lauren Ross opened the program's history with a solo home run to straight away centerfield to record the first-ever base hit by a Catamount. On Sunday afternoon, Ross struck again, belting a solo shot to center in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift Western to the 2-1 victory which not only completed the sweep of the second-place College of Charleston Cougars, but also clinched the Southern Conference regular season title.
The Catamounts (40-16, 15-2 SoCon) became the first-ever, first-year program to win the SoCon regular season and lock up the number one seed in the 2006 SoCon Softball Championship, which is scheduled for May 10-13 at Chattanooga's Frost Stadium. Sunday also marked the final home game of the season for WCU, completing its first-ever home season with a record of 19-3 at the Catamount Softball Complex.
"I am so proud of this team and what they've accomplished," said first-year head coach Megan Smith. "Our girls have always believed that this day would come. They were determined to clinch the regular season championship at home so they could share it with all of our supporters. To sweep a team like the College of Charleston took a total team effort."
After taking the lead in the bottom of the sixth, drama played out in the seventh before the Catamounts could clinch. CofC junior Kolby Schooley led off with a line drive single that ricocheted off the glove of freshman Stephanie Beatty at third base. Schooley moved to second on a passed ball, putting the tying run in scoring position with no outs. The next batter, sophomore Jessica Lyness flew out to right field for the first out of the inning. It was ruled on the play that while trying to advance to third, Schooley left second base too early and was called out.
With two gone, leadoff hitter Izmena Cabrera doubled to right center to again put a Cougar runner in scoring position as senior Leshe Russell stepped into the box. After nearly being called out on strikes by an 0-2 pitch, Russell lifted the 1-2 offering to the fence in right center where Western juniors Nikki Bost and Ashley Adams were converging on the play. Adams, coming in from right field, tipped the ball with her glove and shoulder, but maintained enough poise to snare the ball in mid-air with her throwing hand to record the final out and clinch the championship.
Ross finished the game 2-for-3 with an RBI and both WCU runs scored. Freshman Samm Keppel drove in the first Catamount run on her lone hit of the contest, with Bost tallying one hit with her second double of the season as the bottom half of the order recorded all four WCU hits. The College of Charleston (26-28, 11-7 SoCon) was led by Cabrera with a 2-for-4 performance as the only Cougar to record multiple hits on a seven-hit day. Junior Jennifer Golden delivered CofC's only other extra base hit with a double on a 1-for-3 afternoon.
Western opened scoring in the game in the second inning by manufacturing a run. Ross opened the inning with a single up the middle and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Beatty. The next batter, Bost, nearly beat out a sacrifice attempt, which put Ross on third with two outs for Keppel. The left-handed hitting second baseman slapped the first pitch she saw at third, beating it out and scoring Ross from third base for the 1-0 lead.
The next half inning, though, Western gave the run back as the College of Charleston evened the game at one a piece as Lyness, who singled to open the frame, scored on a passed ball from third.
After playing the next three innings scoreless, Ross provided what would prove to be the game-winner with the one-out home run to center, her 11th homer of the season and Western's SoCon-record 80th as a team.
Western freshman Mendy McKenzie pitched a complete game to secure her SoCon-leading 22nd victory of the season. The Clemmons, N.C., native held the Cougars to one unearned run on seven hits with eight strikeouts and two walks. Cougar rookie, Shannon Howard, was saddled with the loss despite striking out a career-best eight in six innings of work. She held WCU to four hits, but surrendered two earned runs, including the solo HR in the sixth.
Story Courtesy UNC Greensboro sports information
UNC Greensboro 4, Georgia Southern 3
GREENSBORO, NC ? UNC Greensboro rallied from down two runs to tally a 4-3 Southern Conference softball victory over Georgia Southern on Sunday afternoon at UNCG Softball Stadium.
After Georgia Southern (26-31, 10-8 SoCon) pushed across two runs in the top half of the third inning, UNCG immediately answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good, 3-2.
Eagle starter Logan Free set down the first two hitters of the inning, before Heather Branche singled to right to start the rally. Senior Krista Judge followed with a single to left. After a double steal that put both runners in scoring position, Adriane Audley laced a single through the left side that scored both Spartan runners and tie the game at 2-2. Audley later moved to third on a wild pitch and Jennifer Bonilla walked to put runners on the corner. Senior Gwen Johnson then put down a perfect bunt single that scored the go-ahead run by Audley.
The Spartans tacked on an insurance run in the fourth with back-to-back doubles. Lyndsay Mouse began the frame with a double over the head of Eagle centerfielder Shanita Black. That hit chased Free from the game and Melissa Laliberte was called upon to take over the pitching duties. Pinch hitter Leslie Furness greeted Laliberte’s 1-2 pitch with a double to right centerfield to make it a 4-2 lead in favor of the Spartans.
GSU cut its deficit to one run when Heather Smith scored Black with a double to center. Black singled to open the inning and went to second on her 29th stolen base of the year. Smith was 3-for-4 on the afternoon with a single, double and triple.
The Eagles’ runs in the third came by way of a Black RBI triple and a run scoring single by Gina Sterchi.
UNCG senior Danielle Byrne started in her final home game and gave up two runs on four hits over 3.0 innings of work. Hannah Angel was handed the ball to begin the fourth inning and worked the final 4.0 innings to pick up the win. She allowed one run on three hits and struck out six Eagle hitters.
Mouse was 2-for-3 with a run scored for UNCG, while Audley was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
Free (12-11) got the loss after allowing all four runs on five hits over 3.0 innings of work.
Before the game, UNCG honored its four seniors, Kelly Allen, Byrne, Judge and Johnson for their hard work and dedication to the Spartan softball program.
Story Courtesy Chattanooga sports information
Chattanooga 10, Elon 4
CHATTANOOGA, TN - The Chattanooga softball team honored its four seniors with a 10-4 win over Southern Conference foe Elon Sunday afternoon at Frost Stadium.
The Lady Mocs exploded for six runs in the second inning after spotting the Phoenix a run in the top of the frame. Chattanooga sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning. Alyssa Edwards doubled to right center then reached third on a single off the bat of Toni Hutchison. A sacrifice from Brittney Whittier plated the game-tying run, knotting the score at 1-1.
After a walk and a single, Hutchison scored on a fielding error by the left fielder who was injured when trying to field a single from Jeannie Cochran on the following play. She would leave the game and the Lady Mocs would take a 3-1 lead. A double from Ashley Cuticchia plated another run and Cochran would score from third on a wild pitch. The next batter reached when she was hit by a pitch and the inning’s lead off batter, Bull would single in the sixth run to give Chattanooga a 6-1 lead through two innings of play.
The Lady Mocs put three more runs on the board in the fourth inning to go up 9-3, but gave up a pair in the top of the fifth. Amanda Hoiness led off with a single and scored Cochran’s triple to the fence in left center. A throwing error sent the ball into the third base dugout and Cochran scored to put the Lady Mocs up 8-1. Back-to-back hits from Cuticchia and Tara Tembey put runners at second and third and a grounder to the short stop plated a run giving the Lady Mocs an eight-run lead.
In the top of the fifth, the Phoenix kept themselves in the game with two runs. Nicole Ellis led off with a single and was sacrificed over by Brittney Waters. A wild pitch put her at third for Jaimie Rao who scorched a single through the left side to make it 9-2. After a single from Saturday’s game two hero Laurin Smith, Chattanooga starter JayCee Wood was lifted in favor of Ashley Frizzell. She loaded the bases and an error by the second baseman plated a run to cut the lead to 9-3.
Chattanooga added an insurance run in the fifth and Jeannie Cochran stole her school-record 26th base of the season. She scored on a long single to right center by Cuticchia and Chattanooga led 10-3. The Phoenix got one run back in the seventh on a homerun from Debbie Ziegler that cleared the bleachers in right center to make it 10-4.
Cuticchia went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Cochran went 2-for-4 with a triple, scored three times and doubled her season RBI total with three on the day. Hoiness went 3-for-4 and scored twice while Edwards went 2-for-4. Bull had a pair of RBI on one hit and Whittier had the Lady Mocs’ 10th run batted in.
Wood (16-13) struck out three in her senior day start. She gave up three runs, one earned on five hits through four-and-two-thirds innings. Frizzell gave up just one run on three hits through two-and-a-third.
Elon’s Ziegler was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Rao, Tracy Dahlen and Rebecca Rijavec each had one hit drove in a run while Dahlen drew a walk. Starter Melanie Helter bran (2-3) faced 14 batters in two innings and gave up six runs on six hits and struck out one. Samantha Schroeder gave up four runs on seven hits and struck out two.
The Lady Mocs move to 33-31 overall and even their SoCon record at 9-9. The Phoenix fall to 21-26 overall and 7-10 in league action. The Lady Mocs will close out the home portion of its schedule Wednesday with a doubleheader against Jacksonville State at Frost Stadium. The game is slated to begin at 4 p.m.
Prior to the game, the Lady Mocs paid tribute to seniors Ashleigh Bull, Amanda Hoiness, Robyn Johnson and JayCee Wood. Head coach Frank Reed was also honored for getting his 200th victory as the head coach of the Lady Mocs in UTC’s win over Appalachian State on April 22.