Mackey, Murray Pitch Furman To Doubleheader Sweep Of UNC Greensboro, 2-0, 3-1
Greenville, S.C. ? Freshman Lana Mackey tossed a one-hit shutout in game one and Blake Murray fanned nine Spartans in game two to lead Furman to a 2-0, 3-1 sweep against UNC Greensboro on the opening day of Southern Conference softball play for both schools Saturday at Pepsi Stadium.
Furman wasted little time in getting the only run it would need in game one. Amber Kiser led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single and moved to second on an Abby Robertson sacrifice. Stephanie Cushing drove in the game’s first run with a single up the middle.
With the Lady Paladins holding on to the 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the sixth, Kiser opened the frame with a solo home run to center field to up the lead to 2-0. Mackey retired the Spartans in order in the seventh to notch her first career shutout.
The freshman surrendered just a sixth inning single by Jennifer Bonilla while walking four and fanning four to improve to 6-6 on the season.
Kiser led Furman at the plate going 2-for-3 with two runs.
Vanessa Oakes suffered the loss to fall to 7-4. Oakes allowed two runs on four hits in six innings of work. She notched two strike outs and did not issue a walk.
In game two, Furman exploded for three runs in the bottom of the sixth and Murray stranded nine Spartan runners to give the Lady Paladins a 3-1 victory.
Tied 0-0, Danielle Franklin opened the Furman half of the six with a shot to the right-centerfield gap. Lyndsey Wilson could not come up with the catch on a sliding effort as Franklin slid into third with a triple.
Murray followed with a line drive to center that Wilson attempted to dive and catch, but the ball hopped past her allowing the Furman pitcher to reach on an RBI triple.
Kiser doubled the lead with a single down the leftfield line to plate Murray and give Furman a 2-0 lead. After starter Amber Harrell was lifted in favor of Hannah Angel, Robertson laid down a sacrifice and Cushing grounded out to move Kiser to third. Megan Jaudon delivered a two-out single up the middle to drive in Furman’s third run of the inning.
Abdriane Audley got the Spartans on the board with a two-out RBI single in the seventh, but Murray got Kara Clouser to bounce out to shortstop to end the game. Murray stranded UNCG runners in every inning except for one while improving to 6-7 in the circle. The righthander, recorded her first seven outs via the strikeout, limited the Spartans to one run on eight hits while allowing two bases on balls.
Kiser and Jaudon each collected two hits for the Lady Paladins. Audley registered three safeties and Bonilla banged out two hits for UNC Greensboro.
The sweep improves Furman to 12-14-1 overall and 2-0 in SoCon play. UNCG falls to 17-20 overall and 0-2 in the league.
The Lady Paladins and Spartans conclude their three-game set Sunday at Pepsi Stadium. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
SOFTBALL SPLITS IN FIRST DAY OF CONFERENCE OPENER
Chattanooga, Tenn. ? The Chattanooga Lady Mocs split with the Georgia Southern Eagles on Saturday to open conference play 3-2, 0-2 on Saturday.
Chattanooga (19-18, 1-1 SoCon) had a combined 13 hits on the day but left 17 runners on base and committed four errors on the day.
In her first appearance of the season, senior pitcher Brittney Whittier (Scottsdale, Ariz.) had five strikeouts and only gave up one walk, but was given the loss making her record 0-1 on the season.
In game two, the Lady Mocs got off to a solid start with senior left fielder Jeannie Cochran (Maryville, Tenn.) getting a single followed by another hit by sophomore center fielder Ashley Cuticchia (Rising Fawn, Ga.). Freshman designated player Brittany Eason’s (Chattanooga, Tenn.) single to the right side advanced Cuticchia and Cochran, but Cochran was thrown out at home for the second out of the inning. Whittier fouled out to the catcher to end the inning still tied at 0-0.
Whittier gave up two hits in the top of the second, but picked also picked up her third strikeout of the day with runners on second and third shutting the Eagles out.
Sophomore third baseman Toni Hutchison (Madison, Tenn.) started off the bottom of the second with a single to the left side. But the Lady Mocs were held scoreless going into the third.
Georgia Southern picked up a run in the top of the third by Nina Iduate who reached on a single before stealing second and third and finally scored on a wild pitch to make the score 1-0. Robyne Siliga scored two pitches later on a solo home run over the left field fence making it 2-0.
Chattanooga held the score at 2-0, allowing only two more hits going into the bottom of the fifth. Hutchison picked up her second hit of the game on a single to left field to lead off the inning for the Lady Mocs. Sophomore right fielder Laci Upchurch (Madison, Tenn.) walked with two outs to advance Hutchison to second. Both runners advanced to on a wild pitch but were left on second and third after a fly out with the score still 2-0.
Both teams were held scoreless through the sixth inning going into the top of the seventh with the Lady Mocs picking up three quick outs to retire the top of the inning.
But the team was unable to convert in the bottom of the seventh, giving up three straight outs to close out the game.
Hutchison led the team with two hits, while Cochran, Cuticchia and Eason added the other three. And Georgia Southern was led by Maria Laurato and Katie Smith with two hits each.
The Lady Mocs took a thrilling 3-2 extra innings victory in game one to win the first conference game of the season.
Senior pitcher Ashley Frizzell (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) had 10 strikeouts, only one walk and no earned runs in the nine-inning win, improving her record to 7-7.
Cochran went three-for-four with one run to lead Chattanooga, while junior shortstop Tara Tembey (Folsom, Calif.) and Whittier were walked twice.
Whittier’s two-out double scored two runs early to put the Lady Mocs up 2-0 in the bottom of the first. Tembey reached on a walk before a single by Eason sent her to third.
Cuticchia picked up a hit in the bottom of the third to get on base with one out. Tembey advanced the runner on her single to right field. Whittier walked to load the bases, but all three runners were left on base as the inning retired after a hard line drive was caught by the second baseman
Upchurch made a diving catch in foul territory to kick off the fourth inning before Frizzell struck out the next two batters to hold the score at 2-0 going into the bottom of the inning.
Cooper picked up a hit in the bottom of the sixth down the right field line, the seventh hit for Chattanooga, before Norris walked to put runners on first and second. Upchurch walked to load the bases for the second time in the game, but once again all three runners were stranded.
The Eagles put out a strong effort in the top of the seventh loading the bases for the second time in the game with only one out. Iduate reached on a fielder’s choice on a ground ball to second base, throwing pinch runner Ashley Bluestein out at home to get the second out.
But Heather Smith drove Branan and Hopkins home on her single to right field tying the score at 2-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Lady Mocs were unable to score in the bottom of the seventh but held Georgia Southern in the top of the eighth.
Cooper reached first with one out on a walk in the bottom of the eighth before being thrown out at second from sophomore first baseman Rachel Norris’ (Ringgold, Ga.) ground ball to the pitcher. Norris picked up the third out at second on Upchurch’s ground hit to the shortstop.
Georgia Southern picked up two hits in the top of the ninth but was still held at two as the inning closed.
Cochran led off the inning with a hit and advanced to second after Tembey walked. Whittier walked to load the bases with Hutchison coming up to the plate. Hutchison took a 3-2 count before getting the game-winning walk.
Georgia Southern was led by Branan with two hits and one run. Pitcher Logan Free was charged with the loss.
Chattanooga is without freshman pitcher Brooke Loudermilk (Locust Grove, Ga.) and senior first baseman Alyssa Edwards (Geneva, N.Y.) for the series due to injuries.
The Lady Mocs wrap up the series against Georgia Southern on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Frost Stadium.
Cougars Fall to Elon in Doubleheader Sweep
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. -- Elon took both ends of a softball doubleheader -- 4-2 in extra-innings and 6-2 -- from the College of Charleston at Patriots Point Field on Saturday afternoon in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., to open up Southern Conference play.
Elon and the College of Charleston will wrap up the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Phoenix (17-14, 2-0 SoCon) got on the board first inninng in Game 1 on Melanie Heltbran's two-out RBI-single to score Tracey Dahlen. Both teams remained scoreless through 3 1/2 innings before Elon's Paige Goss scored on Dahlen's RBI-double.
The College of Charleston answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to knot the game, 2-2. Terri Mesko's sac fly to centerfield scored Brittany Small, and Kolby Schooley scored on a wild pitch.
Brandi Jones' one-out two-RBI double to left field to score Ashlee Crews and Debbie Zeigler sealed the win for Elon.
Helterbran improved to 9-4 on the season. She gave up five hits, struck out five and walked one in 10 innings of work. Terri Mesko (7-6) gave eight hits and four runs for the loss. She struck out nine and walked six in 10 innings of work.
Goss led the offense for Elon on 2-for-3 hitting, followed by Laurin Smith who was 2-for-5. Dahlen, Helterbran, Zeigler and Jones each had a hit.
Jennifer Golden, who went 2-4, led the Cougars. Izmena Cabrera, Shannon Howard and Katie Pesature each had a hit.
In Game 2, the Cougars (14-16, 0-2 SoCon) tallied a run each in the first and second innings. Amber Shifflett scored on an errant throw by Elon's Goss, after Kristie Shifflett's RBI-single. Small's RBI-single through the left side scored Shannon Howard for the 2-0 Charleston lead in the bottom of the second.
Charleston would see its lead vanish as Elon added a pair of runs to tie the game 2-all in the top of the third as Dahlen stole third and reached home on a throwing miscue from Small. Jaimie Rao's RBI-single up the middle plated Zeigler.
The Phoenix would add another run in the sixth as Patti Weber scored on Ziegler's RBI-single, before Elon added three runs in the seventh on three errors by K. Shifflett.
Carol Lilley (7-7) gave up seven hits and two runs for the Elon win. She walked one and stuck out two. Katie Snasouci fell to 4-3 on the season. She gave five hits, four runs and struck in three in 3 1/3 innings of work.
Zeigler, Jones and Rao were 2-for-4 at the plate to lead the Phoenix offense. Goss, Dahlen, Smith, Weber and Jaymie Shanahan each had a hit.
Howard, who was 2-for-3 at the plate, led the Charleston offense. A. Shifflett, K. Shifflett, Golden, Small and Darla Roberson each had a hit.
Western Carolina Swept by Appalachian State
CULLOWHEE, N.C. ? Western Carolina softball dropped a pair of games, 9-2, 4-2, against Appalachian State Saturday at the Catamount Complex. It was the opening of Southern Conference play for both clubs, with the Mountaineers getting the early 2-0 advantage in the conference race and the Catamounts down 0-2.
It was a rocky start for Catamount pitcher Mendy McKenzie, as she hit the first two Mountaineer batters to start the game. The bases were loaded for Appalachian State when Lindsay Glover reached on a fielder’s choice. Appalachian State got their first run of the game off a passed ball and a sacrifice fly and a pair of RBI singles gave the Mountaineers the 4-0 advantage to start the game.
Western Carolina cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first inning, scoring two runs. With bases loaded, Appalachian State pitcher Yancy Moose walked Lauren Ross to allow Kayla Kelley to score. Moose came back and walked Bost as well, to walk home Stephanie Beatty.
The Catamounts just couldn’t seem to dig themselves out of the hole they put themselves in to start the game, giving up three runs in the third inning and two in the fourth. The club had just three hits in the game one each from McKenzie and Beatty and Kelley recorded her first hit of the season. McKenzie also took the loss in the game and falls to 5-11 on the season.
It was a pair of homeruns that finally put the Catamounts on the board in the second game. Appalachian State built a 4-0 lead thanks to a run in the second, two in the third and one in the sixth.
Beatty hit a solo homerun over the left field wall to open Western Carolina’s half of the sixth inning. It was the third homerun of the season for Beatty. With two outs, Lauren Ross launched a long ball over the left field wall for her fourth homerun of the season which currently leads the team.
Western Carolina had a great scoring opportunity in the final frame of the game but couldn’t capitalize. McKenzie hit a one out single up the middle, her third hit of the game, and with two outs Beatty singled to the right side to put runners on first and second. Savannah Filley came to the plate, and statistically speaking she was a great choice to have at the plate, as she was hitting .315 with 23 hits and three homeruns. It just wasn’t meant to be as she hit a dribbler to second base to end the game.
Ross got the start in the game going two innings allowing one earned run and five hits. Filley came into the game in relief and allowed five hits and just one Mountaineer run in five innings of work. Ross takes the loss and falls to 4-5 on the season.
Western Carolina had six hits in game two, and McKenzie accounted for three of them. Beatty had two hits and Ross had one.
The club hosts Appalachian State in the final game of the three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Catamount Complex.