East Carolina 9, College of Charleston 0
The College of Charleston fell 9-0 to East Carolina in the Carolina Classic for its second straight loss of the season in Chapel Hill, N.C.
East Carolina improved to 3-0 as clean-up hitter Paige Baggett belted two home runs ? one in the first to give the Pirates the 2-0 lead and a grand slam in the fifth to give East Carolina the 9-0 win. Baggett had six RBI on the day.
Jessica Johnson’s home run to centerfield in the third added two more runs for the Pirates.
Kelli Harrell (2-0) went the distance, giving up three hits and a walk and striking out eight.
Jennifer Golden and Brittany Small hit 1-for-2, and Izmena Cabrera hit 1-for-3. Terri Mesko (0-1) gave up four hits and three walk, and fanned three in 3 2/3 innings of work.
Charleston will take on No. 2 Tennessee at 10 a.m. on Sunday, before facing Gardner Webb at 12:30 p.m. East Carolina faces Penn State at 10 a.m. on the Upper Field.
East Tennessee State Sweeps Twinbill From Furman 12-4, 2-1
Greenville, S.C. - Furman stranded 10 runners and East Tennessee State pitcher Darci Gilbert limited the Lady Paladins to one run over seven innings as the Bucs completed a two-game sweep with a 2-1 victory Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium. ETSU claimed a 12-4 win in the first game.
Amanda Haverman provided all the offense ETSU would need in game two with a two-run double to left-center in the top of the fourth. Trisha Massenzo and Mary Catherine Vercoe opened the frame with singles and moved to second and third on a wild pitch. After Furman starter Blake Murray fanned Jessica Hackworth for the first out of the inning, Haverman delivered the Bucs' only runs of the ball game.
Furman left two runners on in the second and left the bases loaded in the third before breaking through in the bottom of the sixth inning. With Lana Mackey on first and one out, Jessica Batten singled and Meredith Mielke popped out to centerfield. Murray followed with an RBI single up the middle to plate Mackey and trim the lead to 2-1. Gilbert got out of trouble getting Amber Kiser to bounce into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Abby Robertson drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on Stephanie Cushing's sacrifice bunt. Megan Jaudon's sharp grounder to second moved the runner to third, but Gilbert got Blankenship to ground out to first on a 3-2 pitch to end the game.
Gilbert (1-0) allowed one run on seven hits while walking four and striking out three to earn the victory. Murray (0-2) was the tough-luck loser for Furman. She scattered five hits and allowed two earned runs while striking out nine batters. Mackey and Murray each collected two hits for Furman.
In game one, ETSU erased a four-run deficit with six runs in the fourth inning on its way to a 12-4 win.
Chaniece Cason drew a leadoff walk in the fourth and Marissa Hardy reached on an error. After a bunt moved the runners up a base, Stephanie Gaynord reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Furman starter forced in two runs by hitting back-to-back batters to cut the lead to 4-2. Hackworth followed with a grand slam to right center to give the Bucs a 6-4 lead.
ETSU added to the lead with three runs in the fifth. Gaynord delivered an RBI single and Massenzo batted in two with a single against reliever Vanessa Williams. The Bucs upped the lead to 12-4 in the seventh taking advantage of three hits, an error and a passed ball to plate three more runs.
Furman grabbed an early 4-0 lead in the second inning. Danielle Franklin followed three singles with a bases loaded walk to give the Lady Paladins a 1-0 lead. Mielke cleared the bases with a three-run double to left-center to stake the Lady Paladins to a 4-0 lead.
Vercoe went the distance in the circle to earn the win for ETSU. She surrendered four runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out two batters. Four Bucs collected two hits to pace a 13-hit attack. Hackworth notched four RBI while Massenzo batted in three runs.
Mackey (0-1) suffered the loss allowing six runs, all unearned, on six hots in four innings of work. Jaudon, Blankenship and Mielke each registered three hits for the Lady Paladins.
East Tennessee State opens its season 2-0 and the Lady Paladins fall to 0-3-1. Furman returns to action next Saturday at the Georgia State First Pitch Classic in Atlanta, Ga. The Lady Paladins face Mercer at 2:30 p.m. before battling the host Panthers at 4:45 p.m.
Georgia Southern Drops Two at Georgia Tech
ATLANTA, Ga. ? The Georgia Southern softball team lost both games of their opening doubleheader at Georgia Tech on Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles fell in game one 7-2 and lost game two 8-0 in five innings. The losses were the ninth and 10th straight for the Eagles to the Yellow Jackets.
Game One: Georgia Tech 7, Georgia Southern 2
Georgia Tech scored six runs in the fifth and rallied from a 2-0 hole to win game one.
The Eagles threatened early and loaded the bases in the second inning thanks to a Yellow Jacket error and a wild pitch.
Robyn Siliga (Oceanside, Calif.) reached base on a throwing error by Tech shortstop Aileen Morales and advanced on a Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.) single to center field. A.J. Street (Lilburn, Ga.) laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners and Elizabeth Branan (Alpharetta, Ga.) struck out swinging, but reached first on a wild pitch. The Jackets got out of the inning as pitcher Sarah Wood struck out the next two Eagle batters.
Georgia Southern went up 2-0 in the fourth inning. Side singled up the middle and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice by Branan and a throwing error by the second baseman. The Eagles loaded the bases on an Aubrey Thweatt (Georgia, Vt.) bunt single, and Lindsay Hopkins (McDonough, Ga.) singled to left center field to bring Side in for the first Eagle run. Branan added to the GSU lead, scoring on a Wood wild pitch.
Tech loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth, as Street gave up a double to Jennifer Yee and issued two two-out walks, but struck out Kristina Hull to end the inning.
The Yellow Jackets took a 6-2 lead in the fifth on five hits and four Eagle errors. Street faced three batters before giving way to Melissa Laliberte (Cobourg, Ontario, Canada).
Georgia Tech added an insurance run in the sixth on a pinch-hit home run by Brittany Barnes.
Street struck out four and gave up three hits. She was tagged with the loss for the Eagles and falls to 0-1 on the season. Tech’s Wood picked up the win and improves to 1-0.
Side and Thweatt each went 2-for-3 to lead the Eagles offensively. Hopkins recorded the only Georgia Southern RBI.
Game Two: Georgia Tech 8, Georgia Southern 0
Georgia Southern threatened early and loaded the bases in the second with two outs, but Tech starter Whitney Humphries escaped by inducing a groundout to Nine Iduate (Norcross, Ga.).
The Yellow Jackets got on the board first, scoring four runs in the third inning. Stephanie Butler walked, stole second and advanced to third base on an error. Morales drove Butler in on a RBI single to left center. Morales stole second and Yee reached base on another error. A wild pitch advanced both runners. Caitlin Lever singled to the pitcher, but Morales was called out for leaving early from third base.
With runners now on first and second, Savannah Brown homered to left field.
Tech added to the lead in the fourth, starting the inning with a Daisy Paez walk. Two batters later, Morales walked and was followed by a two-run double to left by Yee.
Starting pitcher Logan Free (Sandpoint, Idaho) was replaced by Street, who got out of the inning for the Eagles. Free pitched 3.2 innings, giving up five hits, three earned runs, four walks and struck out six.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, the Yellow Jackets wrapped up the game, scoring runs on back-to-back sacrifice flies from Haller and Lever.
Free got the loss for the Eagles and falls to 0-1 on the season. Humphreys got the win and improved to 1-0.
Spartans drop two at JU Tournament
JACKSONVILLE, FL ? The UNC Greensboro softball team lost two games in the second day of action at the Jacksonville University Tournament at the JU Softball Complex in Jacksonville, FL. The Spartans dropped the first game of the day 6-3 to Minnesota and fell to Southern Illinois, 6-2 in the late game.
Senior shortstop Adriane Audley and sophomore Lyndsay Mouse led the Spartans against Southern Illinois each went 1-for-1 at the plate while Jennifer Bonilla had two RBI. Hannah Angel (0-2) twirled 3.0 innings of work and allowed three runs on four hits. Vanessa Oakes pitched 4.0 innings of relief and allowed three runs on six hits and fanned six batters.
SIU was able to connect in the first inning scoring two runs to take the early lead. Tiffanie Dismore got things started with a single through the left side and advanced to third base before teammate Katie Wilson crushed a homer that sent both runners home.
SIU extend their lead when Katie Wagner blasted another homer giving them a 3-0 lead. UNCG cut the lead to 3-1 in the third inning when Audley went yard, for her first home run of the season but SIU’s Wagner hit her second homer of the game which put the Saluki’s up 5-1.
Second baseman Mouse singled to left field at the bottom of the fourth and scored when Bonilla singled through right field but SIU sealed the game with a run in the top of the sixth and the Spartans couldn’t muster any more hits.
In the first game of the day Minnesota, who UNCG lost to 1-0 on Friday, took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Shannon Stemper drew a one-out walk with the bases loaded. Minnesota’s Lisa Parks started the inning with a single through left field and the Gophers were able to load the bases when two Minnesota players reached on a walk and a fielder’s choice.
The Gophers extended their lead in the fourth inning when Meghan Higgenbothom hit a two-out double to bring all three Minnesota runners home.
UNCG got some runs on the board in the fourth inning, scoring three runs to cut the Minnesota lead to 4-3. Sophomore Leslie Furness started the inning with a single to right field and Bonilla followed that with a double down the left field line, which scored Mary Greenway. Bonilla and Kara Clouser also scored runs in the inning.
The Spartans only had one more hit in the game and Minnesota was able to put the game away with two runs in the top of the fifth inning.
UNCG was led by Bonilla who was 1-for-1 on the afternoon with one RBI. Brittany Ausley and Heather Branche also had one RBI each.
Amber Harrell, who made her first career start, suffered the loss after allowing six runs on five hits in 5.0 innings of work. Senior Vanessa Oakes allowed one hit in 2.0 scoreless innings of relief.
Minnesota’s Katie Dalen picked up her first win of the season allowing three runs on four hits in 3.2 innings of work. Rene Konderik pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in relief.
The Spartans will take on host Jacksonville University in their final game at the JU Tournament. First pitch is set for noon.
Catamount Softball Drops Season-Opening Double-Header at Tennessee State
Nashville, Tenn. - Tennessee State rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings en route to a 4-3 season-opening win over Western Carolina as the Catamounts dropped a pair to the Tigers on Saturday afternoon. TSU took the second game, 6-1, to complete the sweep on a cold day at Tiger Field.
Holding a 2-0 lead with two out in the bottom of the seventh, TSU senior pitcher Candace Hildebrand delivered a two-run single into right field to tie the game and send it into extra innings. WCU scored in the top of the eighth as junior transfer Jamie Swank, who was placed on second in tie-breaker fashion, was driven in by senior Ashley Adams. Tennessee State answered right back in the home half, however, as senior Erin Finneran scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by freshman Chelsea Brown to knot the game at 3-3.
In the second inning of the international tie-breaker, sophomore Melanie Cruz was placed on second base to start the inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Catamount pitcher Mendy McKenzie. Two pitches later, TSU sophomore Christy Hill flew out to center allowing Cruz to score to give the Tigers the win.
Sophomores Heather Pritchard and Lauren Ross led Western by both going 2-for-4 in the first game, with Pritchard delivering a double and an RBI. Classmate Stephanie Beatty was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Adams was 1-for-3 with WCU's third RBI.
McKenzie suffered the defeat for Western, surrendering four runs, two of which were earned, on six hits through eight and a third innings pitched. The Clemmons, N.C., native struck out a game-high nine. For Tennessee State, Hildebrand pitched all nine innings holding WCU to six hits while striking out seven.
In the second game of the twin bill, Western never got on track offensively, registering just four hits en route to a 6-1 loss. The Tigers scored a run in the third, fourth and fifth innings and then added three in the sixth to complete their scoring. In the top of the seventh, the Catamounts spoiled the shutout bid as Ashley Adams, who reached after being hit by a pitch, was driven in by Beatty on a ground out.
Freshman Tatum Hargett led Western in the second game going 2-for-3, recording her first two collegiate hits. Her classmate, Serena Smith, and red-shirt freshman Mollie Fowler each went 1-for-3 to round out Western's showing at the plate.
Ross was saddled with the loss for Western, giving up three earned runs in four innings of work, striking out six while walking four. Junior Savannah Filley tossed the final two innings in relief giving up three runs on four hits while striking out a pair.
The Catamounts will try for their first win on the season when they return to action on Sunday afternoon in double-header action at Lipscomb. First-pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm, with the second game to follow immediately after.