Story Courtesy Georgia Southern sports information
Georgia Southern 4-1, Furman 1-0
GREENVILLE, SC - Logan Free tossed a complete-game, five-hit shutout and Shanita Black went 4-for-4 with the only run of the game to guide Georgia Southern to a 1-0 victory and three-game series sweep of Furman Sunday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium. The Eagles downed the Lady Paladin 4-1 Sunday in the second game of the series, which was suspended by rain on Saturday.
With the series finale scoreless after four innings, Black reached on a one-out infield single in the top of the fifth. Heather Smith singled to right to move Black over to third and Gina Sterchi placed a squeeze bunt down the third base line to plate Black for the game's only run.
Free (9-6) struck out seven batters and issued three walks while stranding 10 Lady Paladins. Furman, 22-26 overall and 3-9 in the Southern Conference, struggled to pick up a key hit batting 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The Lady Paladins appeared to be poised to tie the game in the bottom half of the sixth. Abby Robertson singled with one out and Blake Murray moved Robertson to third with a single to right-center. After Murray advanced to second on the throw to third, Free fanned Jessica Mathis and Amber Kiser to end the threat.
Murray (4-10) absorbed the loss for Furman despite allowing only one run and scattering nine hits in seven innings of work. Murray and Joni Lockrodge each collected two base-hits for the Lady Paladins.
Eagle first baseman A.J. Street registered two safeties while Sterchi notched the only RBI of the game.
In game two of the series, Black went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI to pace the Eagles to a 4-1 victory.
Black opened the game with a doubled and scored two batters later on Sterchi's sacrifice fly. Murray drew a walk in the second, stole second, advanced to third on a Mathis single and scored on Kiser's sacrifice fly to knot the game at 1-1.
Black led off the third with a single and put Georgia Southern (21-22, 5-4 SoCon) back in front scoring on Sterchi's double down the left field line. Aurora Johnson's single to right plated sterchi to up the Eagle lead to 3-1. Black singled up the middle in the top of the fourth to plate Michelle Beasley and cap the scoring.
Heavy rains in the top of the fourth forced the game to be suspended until Sunday afternoon. Georgia Southern hurler Melissa Laliberte (8-7) continued her strong outing on Sunday limiting the Lady Paladins to one run on four hits for the complete game victory. Laliberte struck out six while surrendering five bases on balls.
Murray suffered the loss for Furman allowing four runs on seven hits in seven innings. The sophomore struck out two and walked one. Mathis totaled two hits for the Lady Paladins in the loss.
Story Courtesy Western Carolina sports information
Western Carolina 8-6, Elon 0-2
CULLOWHEE, NC - Western Carolina offensively combined for 18 hits, six of which were home runs, and Catamount pitching only allowed two runs with 13 total strikeouts as Western swept the Elon Phoenix, 8-0 in five innings and 6-2, to win the Southern Conference series on Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Softball Complex. The doubleheader played on Sunday represents the seasonal series with the Phoenix after rain and unsafe playing conditions prevented play on Saturday.
Freshman Heather Pritchard went deep in both games of the twin bill, while junior Ashley Adams belted two homers in the finale alone to account for the Catamounts with multiple homers in the series. Also adding long balls were freshman Lauren Ross and sophomore Savannah Filley as WCU reached 60 HRs as a team, three shy of tying the SoCon's all-time record set last year by the College of Charleston.
Western (26-15, 7-1 SoCon), which improved to 14-3 at home this season, also moves into sole possession of first place in the conference by virtue of winning percentage.
Freshman Mendy McKenzie pitched five scoreless innings, not allowing a base runner until the third and held Elon hitless through three and two-thirds. The rookie right-hander from Clemmons, N.C., scattered three hits over the final inning and a third, striking out seven and walking just one.
The Catamounts got on the board in the home half of the first inning when freshman Allyson McCubbins singled through the left side, then was sacrificed to second by Pritchard. McCubbins was plated when Adams lifted an RBI double to center field. Adams would later score on an error by the Phoenix right fielder, Nicole Ellis, to give WCU the 2-0 lead. Ellis did, however, atone for the miscue by gunning Jackson down at second trying to advance on the play that scored Adams.
Western would add four runs in the third, all of which were produced by home runs. McCubbins again led off with a single and was scored when Pritchard homered to left center for the 4-0 lead. The next batter, Filley, belted on to straight away center and her solo shot pushed the advantage to five. Three batters later, Ross also hit a home run to centerfield for the fourth run of the inning and a 6-0 Catamount lead.
WCU put the game away over the final two innings, plating a single run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Adams scoring freshman Samm Keppel and an additional run in the fifth with Ross stepping on home after an RBI single by Pritchard to force the run-rule. When the game ended, WCU had two out and the bases loaded.
McCubbins led Western's offense in game one, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Pritchard was also perfect at the plate, hitting 2-for-2 with two sacrifice bunts and three RBI. Adams finished 1-for-2, driving in two and scoring a run, with Ross scoring two and driving in one, also going 1-for-2.
In the second game, the Catamounts used a pair of three-run innings to hold off the Phoenix, winning 6-2, to sweep the series. Western hit home runs in each of its scoring frames, including two from the SoCon leader, Adams.
In the home half of the first, Filley drew a two-out walk which set up Adams, who belted a 0-1 pitch over the fence in left center for the early lead. The Catamounts would add the eventual game-winning run when freshman Beth Hauser worked the count full then doubled down the left field line, scoring starting pitcher, Jenny Jackson, from second for the 3-0 lead.
Elon (18-16, 4-4 SoCon) cut into the deficit in the top of the sixth inning with back-to-back, two-out doubles to pull to within two runs at 3-1. First baseman Laurin Smith doubled to left center and was scored on an RBI two-bagger down the left field line by Jaimie Rao. Jackson struck out Erica Ayala to end the threat.
Half an inning later, Western would give Jackson some insurance as Keppel led off with a double to left center and was able to trot home as two batters later, Pritchard blasted a 1-0 pitch over straight-away center field for the 5-1 lead. After Filley flew out to right for the second out of the inning, Adams hit her second home run, a solo shot to left center field, to give Western the 6-1 advantage.
In the seventh, Jackson struck out leadoff hitter, Brittney Waters, swinging before surrendering a one-out double to right center by Ellis, who moved to third on a single through the left side by Paige Goss. Ellis would score the final run for the Phoenix when Rebecca Rijavec singled. WCU used a strike out and a ground out to third to end the inning and the game.
Jackson earned her ninth win of the season by tossing all seven innings, scattering two runs on eight hits. She walked just one and struck out six. At the plate, she helped her own cause by going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Keppel led the Catamounts with a 2-for-3 performance, while Adams and joined Jackson at 2-for-4, with both hits being home runs, and a game-high three RBI. Pritchard finished with one hit in the game and two RBI.
Story Courtesy Chattanooga sports information
Chattanooga 5, UNC Greensboro 0
CHATTANOOGA, TN - Chattanooga junior pitcher Ashley Frizzell struck out eight and gave up just one hit Sunday afternoon to give the Lady Mocs a 5-0 win over UNC Greensboro in Southern Conference action at Frost Stadium.
Frizzell picked up where she left off Saturday striking out six through the first three innings giving her 19 k’s in her last two appearances. She had a no-hitter through four innings giving up a single to Kara Clouser in the top of the fifth with two outs. She gave up two walks in the inning to load the bases, but a diving catch by Jeannie Cochran in left field ending the scoring threat.
Chattanooga got on the board in the first inning with three unearned runs. With two outs, clean-up batter Ashleigh Bull popped into foul territory behind the plate. UNCG catcher Leslie Furness fielded the ball, but couldn’t hold on as it popped out of her glove and off her hand to drop harmlessly to the ground extending the innings.
The Lady Mocs took advantage of the error. Bull took the next pitch into left field for a single and advanced Tara Tembey, who reached on balls, to second. Brittney Whittier doubled to left field sending Tembey home for the first score. An errant throw by the left fielder over the second baseman’s outstretched glove allowed both runners to score and Chattanooga led 3-0 after one.
Ashlan Clarkson gave UTC an insurance run in the fourth with a leadoff homerun to give the Lady Mocs a 4-0 cushion. With the bases loaded on a pair of singles and a walk, Alyssa Edwards scored when the throw home on the force out was late.
The Spartans lifted starter Vanessa Oakes in favor of Hannah Angel with just one out and the bases loaded for the heart of the Lady Mocs order. Angel struck out Tembey and got Bull to fly out to right field to end the inning.
In the last two innings, Frizzell and the Chattanooga defense sat down the batters in order and the Lady Mocs improved to 24-27 overall and 4-5 in SoCon action. The Spartans are 16-23 and 3-6 in league play.
Story Courtesy College of Charleston sports information
Appalachian State 2, College of Charleston 1
CHARLESTON, SC - The College of Charleston fell to Appalachian State 2-1 in the series finale of a three-game set Sunday at Patriots Point Field in Southern Conference Softball action.
The Cougars fall to 22-23 on the season overall and a 7-2 record in the SoCon with pitcher Amber Havnar (11-11) credited with the loss. App. State moves to 20-22 on the season with a 5-7 SoCon record.
Charleston managed just one run on seven hits committing one error on the day while ASU scored two runs on seven hits with no errors committed in the game. For the Mountaineers Kayla Richardson (5-4) earned the win with Yancy Moose earning her first save of the season.
Renee Francis and Shondra Schlichenmayer were both two-for-three from the plate with catcher Jayme Durand driving in the only run of the game for CofC. The Mountaineer’s Lindsay Glover had a productive day on offense earning three hits on four at bats with one run batted in and seven assists on defense.