Pitt Edges Cougars, 5-4
ROCK HILL, S.C. ? The College of Charleston softball team took a 5-4 loss from Pitt on the final day of the Winthrop/adidas Tournament in Rock Hill, S.C.
The Cougars, who fall to 12-14, were led by Jennifer Golden on 2-for-4 hitting, including a two-run home run. Izmena Cabrera was also 2-for-4 with a run batted in.
Shannon Howard (3-3) took the loss as gave up five hits, walked four and struck out four in six innings of work.
Sheena Hellon led the way for the Panthers as she was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Laura Belardinelli earned the win as she gave up 10 hits on two walks and six strikeouts.
The College of Charleston travels to Buies Creek, N.C., for a doubleheader with Campbell at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Mountaineers Closeout FSU Invitational with Win
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ? Appalachian State University softball concluded play at the Florida State Invitational with a 5-3 victory over the University at Buffalo on Sunday.
The Mountaineers (4-17) took an early 3-0 lead before the Bulls (1-15) tied the game up at three runs apiece in the top of the sixth inning. The Apps took advantage of two hits and a Buffalo error in the bottom of the sixth and held on for the 5-3 victory.
Appalachian scored its five runs on seven hits and one Buffalo error, while the Bulls got their three runs on four hits. ASU was perfect in the field with no errors.
Ashley Gaston led the Mountaineer offense as she went 2-for-3, including a triple, with two runs scored. Diana Cook, Robyn Bronson, Kristyn Hurt and Natalie Willis each added a hit, as Hurt knocked in two runs and Cook hammered out the only homerun of the game.
Buffalo’s Sharon Barr had all three of her team’s RBI with her double to left field in the top of the sixth inning.
Yancy Moose picked up the win as she gave up three runs on three hits and struck out four in six innings. Dana Carter took the loss for UB as she gave up three runs on five hits and struck out one in three innings. Barr took over for the final three innings and gave up two runs on two hits and struck out three Mountaineers.
No. 21 Georgia took the tournament title, defeating No. 25 Florida State 2-1 in the championship game.
The Mountaineers return to action as they face Kennesaw State on Saturday, March 17 at noon in Conway, S.C. at the Coastal Carolina Tournament.
Elon Falls to UNCG in Final Day of Winthrop/adidas Invitational
ROCK HILL, S.C. ? UNC Greensboro downed Elon 5-3 in the final day of the Winthrop/adidas Invitational on Sunday afternoon at the Winthrop Softball Complex.
UNC Greensboro put two runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Mary Greenway led off with a doubled and Brittany Ausley followed with a double to left centerfield to plate Greenway and put the Spartans ahead 1-0. With the bases loaded, Kara Clouser was hit by a pitch to send Ausley home from third and give UNCG a 2-0 advantage.
Melanie Helterbran led off the top of the second with a solo home run out of left field to cut the lead to one at 2-1.
The Spartans added two more runs in the bottom of the third. Whitney Sirois singled up the middle and Clouser singled through the left side to put two runners on base before Lyndsay Mouse doubled to right centerfield to send both runners home and give the Spartans a 4-1 lead.
UNCG added another run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Clouser that scored Sirois to put the Spartans up 5-1.
Elon (11-11) loaded the bases on a walk and two singles in the top of the seventh inning before Debbie Zeigler knocked a double to left field to send Brandi Jones and Patti Weber home and cut the lead to two at 5-3. But Elon was unable to bring any more runs home, falling 5-3.
Amber Harrell (4-8) picked up the win for the Spartans after tossing four innings and giving up one run on four hits while striking out four. Carol Lilley (4-5) suffered the loss. She threw one out in the first inning, giving up two runs on two hits while retiring one batter. Meredith Gay threw three innings in relief, giving up two runs on three hits while retiring one and Helterbran tossed the final 2.2 innings and gave up one run on two hits while striking out two.
Clouser led the Spartans from the plate, going 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run. Ausley also posted two hits along with one run and one RBI while Mouse tallied two RBI.
Helterbran was 2-for-3 from the plate with one run and one RBI and Paige Goss went 3-for-4 while Zeigler posted two RBI.
Elon returns to action on Friday, March 16 in a 12:30 p.m. contest with Syracuse at the Stetson Invitational in DeLand, Fla.
UNC Greensboro Advances to adidas Invitational Championship
ROCK HILL, SC ? The UNC Greensboro softball team advanced to the final of the adidas Invitational with a 5-3 win over Southern Conference rival Elon in the semifinals but fell to host Winthrop 5-0 in the final. The Spartans, who advanced to their first tournament final since the 2004 season when they claimed the Seahawk Classic tournament title, concluded the weekend with a 4-2 tournament record. Freshman Amber Harrell was named to the All-Tournament team for her efforts throughout the weekend.
UNCG (17-14) led from start to finish in game one against Elon. The Spartans struck first in the first inning taking a 2-0 advantage with runs from Mary Greenway and Brittany Ausley. Greenway started things with a double and Ausley followed with a RBI double with sent Greenway around the bases.
Elon’s pitcher walked the next batter which moved Ausley to third base and then Kara Clouser was hit by a pitch which brought Ausley across home plate to give UNCG the early lead.
Elon managed to cut the lead to 2-1 when Melanie Helterbran led off the top of the second with a solo home run out of left field to cut the lead to one at 2-1.
The Spartans added two more runs in the bottom of the third. Whitney Sirois singled up the middle and Clouser singled through the left side to put two runners on base before Lyndsay Mouse doubled to right centerfield to send both runners home and give the Spartans a 4-1 lead.
UNCG added another run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Clouser that scored Sirois to put the Spartans up 5-1. Elon added two more runs in the seventh inning but the Spartans took the victory.
Amber Harrell picked up the win after twirling 4.0 innings and giving up one run on hour hits. Vanessa Oakes came in at the start of the fifth inning in relief.
UNCG couldn’t find a run in the championship game and were shutout by the host Winthrop Eagles. Winthrop struck first in the first inning with a RBI single that drove sophomore Tessa Thomas home. Thomas leadoff the innings with a single to centerfield and then advanced on a sacrifice bunt.
Winthrop struck again in the third inning when UNCG pitcher Hannah Angel walked Lauren Blaser and Blaser then scored on a passed ball. UNCG couldn’t get any offense going and couldn’t stop the Eagles who scored three more runs to take the tournament title.
Angel suffered the loss by allowing four runs on five hits in 4.0 innings of work. Amber Harrell came in to relieve Angel and gave up one run on two hits.
Brandi Schnute, Brittany Ausley, Kara Clouser, Adriane Audley, and Heather Branche each tallied one hit in the loss.
The Spartans return to UNCG Softball Stadium March 15 when they host Charlotte in a doubleheader. Game one is scheduled to begin at 3 pm with game two to begin at approximately 5 pm.
Westen Carolina Falls to Georgia State in Final Day of Florida State Invitational
Tallahassee, Fla. - Western Carolina concluded play in the 2007 Florida State Invitational on Sunday morning, falling in nine innings to the Georgia State Panthers, 5-4. The Catamounts could not hold on to a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, allowing the Panthers to plate three runs to force extra innings. In the second extra frame, Georgia State scored the game-winner on a sacrifice fly to center field.
Sophomore right hander Lauren Ross tossed the first six innings for Western (6-14), allowing three earned runs while scattering four hits and striking out a career-best eight. Junior Savannah Filley pitched the final 2.2 innings in relief, giving up two runs, only one of which was earned, on just one hit with a pair of walks. Filley suffered her fourth loss of the season, however, allowing the winning run in the ninth.
Western was without a base hit until freshman Tatum Hargett laced a two RBI single to left field in the top of the sixth inning to give the Catamounts the 2-1 lead. Scoring on the play were Filley, who walked, and sophomore Stephanie Beatty, who reached on a fielder's choice. WCU managed to load the bases with two out as junior transfer Jamie Swank was hit by a pitch, but a pop-up to second ended the threat, stranding three.
The Catamounts extended their lead to 4-1 in the top of the seventh inning. Sophomore Mendy McKenzie, who led WCU with two of its three hits on the day, singled to open the frame and came around to score on three consecutive walks by Beatty, freshman Serena Smith and Filley, with the latter earning the junior an RBI. Sophomore Beth Hauser drove in the final run with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Smith from third.
In the home half of the seventh, Georgia State capitalized on back-to-back walks to open the frame, with a hit batsman loading the bases with no outs. Beatty gathered in a routine ground ball and threw home to freshman Danielle Reese for the first out, but a two RBI single by shortstop Rachel Cunningham sliced WCU's lead to one, 4-3. A sacrifice fly to center tied the game at four, with Beatty recording the third out on a ground ball.
With the international tiebreaking rules in effect, Western was able to move a runner to third base in the top of both the eighth and ninth innings. However, the would-be, go-ahead run in Hargett was gunned down at home in the eighth, with a triple play erasing WCU's threat in the ninth.
The Panthers took advantage of a WCU error in the bottom of the ninth to put runners on the corners with no outs. Following a ground out that put two runners in scoring position and an intentional walk to load the bases, GSU's second baseman Mary Kathryn Branan flied out to center field for the sacrifice, driving in the game-winning run.
Western returns home for a busy week of action at the Catamount Softball Complex. The Softball Cats host North Carolina A&T on Thursday (March 15) in double-header action beginning at 3:00 pm. This weekend, WCU will host Detroit, Radford and defending champion, UNC Wilmington, in the Best Western Catamount Classic. Games get under way at 5:00 pm on Friday afternoon and will culminate with the Championship Game on Sunday at Noon.