Softball Belts Out 21 Hits In Split With Furman
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University softball’s bats continued to come through with 21 hits in a doubleheader split with Furman Saturday afternoon at the ASU Softball Stadium.
The Mountaineers (17-31, 9-8 SoCon) dropped the first game, 4-3, in nine innings and then rallied to pound Furman 6-1 in the second game.
Danielle Peters and Lindsay Glover both went 5-for-9 with three RBI on the afternoon. Furman (15-27-1, 5-9 SoCon) was led by Megan Jaudon who drove in two of Furman’s five runs with a two-run homer in the first game.
Furman opened the first game with two runs on Jaudon’s first-inning shot to center field which was answered by ASU with a lead off homer from Peters in the bottom half of the inning.
The next five innings were played scoreless until the top of the seventh when Amber Kiser, who reached base on an error, scored on a wild pitch to give Furman a 3-1 lead. ASU rallied in the bottom of the seventh with Ashley Gaston scoring first on a ground out by Peters.
The next batter, Glover, singled to center field to drive in Natalie Willis with the tying run.
The eighth inning was played scoreless followed by Furman scoring an unearned run in the top of the ninth as Stephanie Cushing hit a ground ball to the shortstop and Kiser slid in under the tag at home to give Furman the game-winning run.
Blake Murray got the win for Furman in relief with 2.2 scoreless innings of work. Kayla Richardson suffered the loss for ASU, giving up four runs (two earned) in 8.1 innings.
The Apps would then get 11 hits in the second game, including one from Brittany Gaston who tied a school record by hitting safely in her 15th consecutive game.
ASU scored its first runs in the second game on a squeeze bunt from Glover that Willis scored on, followed by a Brittany Gaston single that scored Peters. The Apps added another run in the fifth inning with Willis scoring on a Brittany Gaston fielders’ choice.
Not satisfied with the 3-0 lead, ASU exploded for a three-run sixth inning off RBI singles from Peters and Glover and a throwing error by the Furman pitcher.
ASU starter Yancy Moose entered the seventh inning looking for her first shutout of the season but surrendered back-to-back base hits to put Furman on the board before could retire the lineup for her ninth win of the season. Murray took the complete-game loss for the Paladins.
The two teams will wrap up their series Sunday at 1 p.m. at the ASU Softball Stadium.
Elon Splits With Chattanooga
ELON, N.C. ? The Elon softball squad split with Chattanooga in doubleheader Southern Conference softball action on Saturday afternoon at East Field. Elon took the first game 2-1 before falling in the second contest, 2-1.
Elon moves to 25-24 overall and 7-9 in the league while Chattanooga moves to 29-26 and 10-4 in the SoCon.
In the first game, Elon got on the board in the bottom of the third inning. Patti Weber singled to the short stop, Paige Goss was hit by a pitch and Tracey Dahlen earned a walk to load the bases before Debbie Zeigler ripped a singled up the middle to send two runs home and give Elon a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the seventh, Tara Temby reached on a dropped third strike and Brittney Whittier doubled to right centerfield to put runners on second and third before Laci Upchurch knocked a sacrifice fly to right field to send Temby home and cut the lead to one at 2-1. With the tying run still on second, Elon pitcher Melanie Helterbran retired Ashlan Clarkson and got Ashley Cuticchia to ground out to the short stop to end the scoring threat and the game.
Helterbran (12-7) picked up the win for Elon after tossing a complete game and giving up one run on four hits while retiring four batters. Ashley Frizzell (10-12) suffered the loss after throwing 4.1 innings and giving up two runs on four hits while striking out four batters. Brooke Loudermilk threw 1.2 innings in relief and gave up no runs on one hit while fanning three batters.
Weber led Elon from the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run scored while Goss, Zeigler and Jaimie Rao each tallied a hit and Zeigler posted both RBI. Cuticchia paced the Lady Mocs from the plate tallying two hits on four at bats.
In the second game, Elon got on the board in the bottom of the second frame. Brandi Jones earned a walk and took second base on a wild pitch before Helterbran knocked a single into right field to send Jones home and give Elon a 1-0 lead.
Chattanooga responded with a run in the top of the third inning. Jeannie Cochran put down a bunt single and Cuticchia singled up the middle to put runners on first and second base. Alyssa Edwards then singled through the left side to send Cochran home and knot the game, 1-1.
The Lady Mocs took the lead in the top of the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and no outs Toni Hutchison lined into a double play before Chattanooga again loaded the bases on an Elon error. Whittier then singled up the middle to score Brittany Eason and give the Lady Mocs a 2-1 advantage and the eventual game-winning difference.
Loudermilk (18-10) tallied the win for the Lady Mocs after hurling a complete game and giving up one run on four hits while striking out 12 batters. Loudermilk moved into third at Chattanooga in single-season strikeouts with 232.
Carol Lilley (11-10) suffered the loss for Elon after tossing a complete game and giving up two runs (one earned) on 10 hits and fanning two batters.
Cochran, Cuticchia and Whittier each posted two hits for the Lady Mocs while Edwards and Whittier posted the two RBI.
Ashlee Crewe led the Phoenix from the plate, going 2-for-3 while Zeigler and Helterbran each posted a hit.
Elon and Chattanooga return to action on Sunday, April 22 in a 1 p.m. game at East Field.
UNCG WINS TWO PITCHER’S DUELS, SWEEPS GSU SOFTBALL
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Two UNC Greensboro pitchers combined to shut out Georgia Southern 1-0 and 2-0 Saturday afternoon at Eagle Field.
The Spartans (25-30, 5-9) held the Eagles (21-26, 6-7 SoCon) to nine hits total on the day.
“I thought that we pitched really well,” said GSU head coach Natalie Poole. “I’m definitely not discouraged by that at all. We’re just not scoring. We’re not stringing hits together and we’re not getting enough to create some momentum. No matter how well you play defense or how well you pitch, we’re not manufacturing the runs to be able to win.”
Game 1: UNC Greensboro 1, Georgia Southern 0
Lyndsey Wilson hit a two-out triple to right field and came in to score on an RBI single by Lyndsay Mouse to give the Spartans a 1-0 advantage in the top of the second.
UNCG collected seven hits, including two from Jennifer Bonilla. The Eagles tallied five hits and were led by Sam Russo (Snellville, Ga.) who went 2-for-3 with two singles.
Vanessa Oakes (10-9) struck out eight Eagle batters and walked just one in the shutout. She did not allow a runner to advance to second base but had only one 1-2-3 inning. Melissa Laliberte (Cogburn, Ontario,
Canada) fanned 11 Spartans in the loss (8-11).
Game 2: UNC Greensboro 2, Georgia Southern 0
UNCG’s Amber Harrell and GSU senior Logan Free (Sandpoint, Idaho) matched zeros until the seventh when the Spartans scratched across two runs, just enough offense to complete the sweep.
Bonilla led off the decisive inning with a walk. Laura Olenderski, pinch running for Bonilla, scored from first on a double by Brandi Schnute to break the deadlock. After a strikeout, two walks loaded the bases and a GSU error doubled the UNCG lead.
Harrell (10-12) fanned eight, walked none and allowed four hits. Free
(7-11) was charged with both runs (one earned) while walking five and giving up three hits.
The series concludes Sunday with a single game starting at 1 p.m.
Golden Lifts Cougars Past Western Carolina, 3-2 and 2-1
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Jennifer Golden's walk-off homer - her 12th of the season - in Game 1 capped a 3-2 win for the College of Charleston and her RBI-sac fly to center gave the Cougars a 2-1 Game 2 win over Western Carolina in Southern Conference softball action before 214 at Patriots Point on Saturday afternoon in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
The College of Charleston (29-17, 11-3 SoCon), which tied the longest winning streak in school history with its 15th straight win and 11th straight conference win, will play the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Cougars opened up series with a 2-run first inning in Game 1. With bases loaded, Golden reached on a miscue by Western Carolina's Heather Pritchard to score Amber Shifflett, and Shannon Howard's RBI-single up the middle scored Kristie Shifflett.
The Catamounts (21-29, 5-9 SoCon) evened the score, 2-2, in the top of sixth on an RBI-walk by pinch Beth Hauser, followed by Danielle Reese's RBI-single through the left side.
Terri Mesko (15-7), who scattered four hits and yielded two runs, struck out eight and issued seven walks for the win.
Western Carolina's Savannah Filley (4-7) gave up five hits, fanned one and yielded a run in 4 2/3 innings of work for the loss.
Howard went for 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the seven-hit offensive attack, and Izmena Cabrera, A. Shifflett, K. Shifflett, Golden and Kolby Schooley each had a hit apiece.
Mendy McKenzie, Stephanie Beatty, Filley and Reese each had a hit for the Catamounts.
Katie Sansouci (8-3) pitched seven strong innings in Game 2, giving up three hits, a walk, and a run and striking out one.
Western Carolina scored the first run of Game 2 in the top of the fifth when Jamie Swank, who singled down the right field line, was driven in by McKenzie's RBI-single through the left side.
The College of Charleston would put up the final runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth behind A. Shifflett's RBI-single up the middle to score Darla Roberson and Golden's sac fly to score Cabrera.
A. Shifflett went 2-for-3 with an RBI to pace the Cougars in Game 2. Cabrera, K. Shifflett, Howard and Brittany Small each had hit.
McKenzie, Beatty and Swank had a hit apiece for the Catamounts. McKenzie (9-15), who struck out five and issued a walk, yielded two runs for the loss.