Charleston Rallies Past Furman For Series Sweep, 7-6
Greenville, S.C. ? College of Charleston rallied from a 5-2 deficit with four runs in the fifth inning to down Furman 7-6 and complete the sweep of this weekend’s three-game Southern Conference series Sunday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
Trailing 5-3 entering the fifth, the Cougars loaded the bases with no one out on a walk, error and single. Terri Mesko pulled the Cougars within one with an RBI single to left-center and Kolby Schooley drew a bases loaded walk to tie the game at 5-5. Following a pitching change, Brittany Small greeted reliever Blake Murray with a two-run single to center to give Charleston a 7-5 lead. Murray got a fielder’s choice and double play to and the inning.
Furman (14-24-1, 4-8 SoCon) trimmed the lead to one in the fifth on Lana Mackey’s two-out, RBI double to left-center, but Mesko held the Lady Paladins hitless the rest of the way to secure the victory.
CofC (25-17, 9-3 SoCon) took a 1-0 second inning lead on Mesko’s solo homer down the left field line. Megan Jaudon tied the game scoring on an error in the bottom half of the inning before Jennifer Golden’s RBI single restored Charleston’s one run lead in the top of the third.
Furman appeared to take control in the bottom of the frame. Abby Robertson reached on a fielding error with one out and Stephanie Cushing followed with a single to center. After a passed ball moved both runners into scoring position, Jaudon reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Robertson to score on a late throw to the plate. Brythe Blankenship popped up for the second out of the inning, but Mackey gave Furman the lead with a two-out, three-run home run over the left field wall.
The College of Charleston drew a bases loaded walk in the fourth to force in a run and cut the margin to 5-3 before its four-run rally in the fifth.
Mesko earned the win to improve to 13-7. She allowed just one earned run on four hits in seven innings while fanning four. The pitcher also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored.
Reliever Vanessa Williams took the loss for Furman to drop to 1-2.
Williams allowed five runs on just two hits and six walks in one-plus innings of work. Mackey finished 2-for-4 with four RBI for the Lady Paladins.
Furman returns to action Wednesday when it travels to Georgia for a 4 p.m. doubleheader.
Western Carolina Wins Series Against UNC Greensboro
CULLOWHEE, N.C. ? Western Carolina softball (20-26, 5-7 SoCon) won its first Southern Conference series of the season, defeating UNC Greensboro (22-29, 3-9 SoCon) 6-0 Sunday at Catamount Complex. The club split the doubleheader on Saturday.
The Catamounts had a strong hitting performance against UNC Greensboro. The team had 10 hits in the game and scored six runs.
It is the second conference shutout of the season for the Catamounts and first at home. Western Carolina defeated Elon 1-0 in the final game of the series.
Mendy McKenzie, Lauren Ross and Savannah Filley all saw action on the mound to combine for the win. McKenzie started the game and picks up the decision, improving to 8-14 on the season. McKenzie pitched three scoreless innings allowing just two hits and struck out one. Ross went two innings allowing one hit and also striking out one. Filley closed out the game tossing the final two innings allowing three hits and striking out two.
The Catamounts opened the game with a run to take the early lead. McKenzie hit a lead-off double to left field and scored off an RBI double by Nikki Bost.
In the third inning, McKenzie again led off with a hit this time a single. Bost and Lauren Ross drew walks to load the bases and an RBI single Mollie Fowler accounted for the second Catamount run of the game.
Western Carolina unloaded for four runs in the fourth inning. With one out, Danielle Reese hit a one out single and McKenzie got her third hit of the game to place runners at first and second. A sacrifice bunt by Bost moved runners to second and third and Reese and McKenzie scored thanks to a two RBI double by Stephanie Beatty. Savannah Filley followed with a two run homer to center field to plate herself and Beatty.
McKenzie was 3-for-4 in the game with three runs scored and a double. Fowler was the only other player with a multiple hit performance, hitting two singles.
The Catamounts return to action on Wednesday hosting a non-conference doubleheader with Georgia State. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
COCHRAN LEADS CHATTANOOGA TO SERIES WIN OVER APPALACHIAN STATE
Chattanooga, Tenn. ? Senior left fielder Jeannie Cochran (Maryville, Tenn.) hit a walk off RBI single to left field in game two to secure the 5-4 extra innings win over Appalachian State in the bottom of the 10th.
And the Lady Mocs’ bats kept swinging as Chattanooga earned 12 hits in game three but fell 3-2 after giving up seven hits and committing three errors.
Freshman pitcher Brooke Loudermilk (Locust Grove, Ga.) and senior pitcher Ashley Frizzell (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) both picked up wins in games two and three. Loudermilk’s record improved to 17-10, 5-1 SoCon, and Frizzell now is 11-10, 5-0 SoCon.
Appalachian State scored two runs in the top of the 10th in the second game to put the Mountaineers up 4-2, giving the Lady Mocs one last chance at the win.
And in the bottom of the 10th, freshman shortstop Tia Blosser (Knoxville, Tenn.) was placed on second according to international tie-breaker rules. She advanced to third on senior first baseman Alyssa Edwards’ (Geneva, N.Y.) single before scoring on senior second baseman Brittney Whittier’s (Scottsdale, Ariz.) two-RBI single to tie up the game at four all. Cochran scored Whittier on her single to left field to close out the game with the Lady Mocs on top.
In game three, Cochran continued to find holes picking up hits on all four of her at bats helping Chattanooga score two runs early in the bottom of the first on four hits. Sophomore third baseman Toni Hutchison (Madison, Tenn.) picked up the two RBIs with her single to left field.
Appalachian State scored two runs in the top of the fourth on an error and an RBI single by Danielle Peters to tie things up after loading the bases with the first three batters.
The Mountaineers took the lead in the top of the sixth after Lindsay Glover reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and advanced home on Brittany Gaston’s RBI single, putting ASU up 3-2.
Kayla Richardson improves her record to 5-7 after being the pitcher of record in game three.
Loudermilk moves up to No. 6 on the single season strikeouts list after throwing 12 on the weekend. She now has 217 on the season.
The Lady Mocs resume conference play against the Elon Phoenix on Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. in Elon, N.C.