FREE TOSSES ONE HITTER, EAGLES BLANK UNCG
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Georgia Southern senior Logan Free (Sandpoint, Idaho) threw a one-hit shutout to lead the Eagles to a 1-0 Southern Conference softball victory over UNC Greensboro Sunday at Eagle Field.
GSU (22-26, 7-7 SoCon) avoids a sweep after losing twice to UNCG (25-31, 5-10 SoCon) on Saturday. The teams combined for just four runs total in three games.
“I thought we came out today and played well,” said GSU head coach Natalie Poole. “It was important to come out and get a win from them and we felt like we were capable of (that).”
Free (8-11) walked three and struck out seven. She allowed just runner past second base and retired the last 10 batters she faced.
“I thought that Logan did a great job today,” Poole added. “She came out strong and might have performed better than yesterday. She gave us an opportunity to win.”
Free was on the losing end of a 2-0 decision Saturday when she allowed three hits and one earned run.
UNCG starter Vanessa Oakes (10-10), who threw a five-hit shutout Saturday, fanned 11, walked none and gave up five hits and the one run.
Georgia Southern got the only run it needed in the second. Freshman Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.) doubled to lead off the inning and went to third on a sacrifice. Senior Katie Smith (Goose Creek, S.C.) followed with a single to plate Side.
“We did enough to manufacture the run we needed, so I’m proud of that,”
Poole said. “It was a little better at the plate, although we had quite a few strikeouts. But some of them made better adjustments which made a difference.”
Senior Heather Smith (Williamson, Ga.) extended her seven-game hitting streak with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
The Eagles return to action next weekend when they travel to Western Carolina for a three-game set starting Saturday.
Four-Run Seventh Secures 4-1 Win over College of Charleston
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Western Carolina softball used a four-run seventh inning, which included two homeruns, to defeat College of Charleston 4-1 and snap the Cougars’ 15-game hitting streak. The Catamounts avoided the series sweep with the win. Western Carolina hosts its final non-conference doubleheader of the season Wednesday when the club plays East Tennessee State beginning at 4 p.m.
The Catamounts improve to 22-29 on the season and 6-9 in Southern Conference play. College of Charleston falls to 29-18 and 11-4 in the conference.
College of Charleston hurler Terri Mesko practically breezed through the first six innings against Western Carolina. She came into the seventh inning allowing just two Catamount hits but she did prove to have a few control issues giving up three walks. Mesko’s fourth walk to Beth Hauser to start the seventh inning would be the free pass that would come back to haunt her.
With Hauser on first and the Catamounts’ backs against the wall, Mollie Fowler changed the complexity of the game with one swing. She took Mesko’s offering over the left field wall to give Western Carolina a 2-1 lead.
The Catamounts weren’t content with a slim one-run lead. The club had dropped a pair of close games on Saturday, each by one run. So, Lauren Ross stepped to the plate and added to the run total with a towering homerun to centerfield, here ninth long ball of the season.
After giving up back-to-back homeruns, Mesko was replaced on the mound with Katie Sansouci. Jamie Swank welcome her to the game with her second single on the day to again place a base runner on and still with no outs. Heather Pritchard followed with a single and a fielder’s choice by Danielle Reese in which Fowler was safe at third loaded the bases for the Catamounts.
Pinch hitter Savannah Filley singled through the left side to plate Swank for the fourth Western Carolina run of the game. Sansouci then got three outs, including a double play to end the inning.
It was then up to Catamount pitcher Mendy McKenzie to close out the game. She made quick work of the Cougars, forcing a ground out and two fly outs to end the game.
McKenzie was outstanding in the win. She tossed a complete game allowing just one run on five hits and striking out five. The sophomore improves to 10-15 on the season.
College of Charleston got its only run of the game in the bottom of the third inning. Kolby Schooley led off with a double and was replaced by pinch runner Darla Roberson. Izmena Cabrera’s RBI single scored Roberson to give the Cougars’ a 1-0 lead.
Seventh-Inning Rally Falls Short Against Furman
BOONE, N.C. -Appalachian State University softball got a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning from Diana Cook (Concord, N.C./Central Cabarrus) to put a scare into Furman before the Paladins prevailed 4-3 Sunday afternoon.
Cook, one of ASU’s six seniors that were recognized as part of ?Senior Day’, took an 0-2 pitch over the center field fence for her fifth home run of the season to cut into Furman’s three-run lead. However, Furman starter Vanessa Williams retired the next two batters to end the threat and earn the win and give the Paladins the 2-1 series win.
Furman (16-27-1, 6-9 SoCon) scored two runs in each of the first two innings with two runs scoring in the first on an RBI single from Stephanie Cushing and an RBI double from Brythe Blankenship. Amber Kiser and Abby Robertson drove in two runs in the second frame with RBI singles. Two of Furman’s four runs were unearned as the Apps committed both their errors in the first two innings.
The Mountaineers (17-32, 9-9 SoCon) scored their first run in the opening inning with Brittany Gaston (Roswell, Ga./Roswell) scoring on a groundball from Kasey Motsinger (Yadkinville, N.C./Forbush) that was misplayed by the shortstop. Gaston reached base on a single, extending her hitting streak to a school-record 16 games.
ASU wouldn’t score again until Cook’s home run in the top of seventh as the Apps were unable to find the big hit in the middle innings and stranded nine runners on base.
Starter Keri Blackwelder (Stanfield, N.C./West Stanly) suffered the loss for ASU and was relieved by Kayla Richardson (West Jefferson, N.C./Ashe County). The pair combined to give up 10 hits and strike out five.
The Mountaineers will wrap up their 7-game homestand on Tuesday with their final home date of the season, a doubleheader against Radford starting at 3:30 p.m.
Lady Mocs Down Elon 7-3
ELON, N.C. ? Chattanooga used a seven-run third inning to earn a 7-3 Southern Conference victory over Elon on Sunday afternoon at East Field.
With the win, Chattanooga moves to 30-26 overall and 11-4 in the league. Elon falls to 25-25 and 7-10 in the SoCon.
Elon started the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Melanie Helterbran singled before Jaimie Rao blasted a home run out of left centerfield to give Elon a 2-0 lead.
Chattanooga responded in the top of the third. Jeannie Cochran singled and stole second before Ashley Cuticchia singled up the middle to put runners on the corners. Tia Blosser then knocked a double to right centerfield to send Cochran home and cut the lead to one, 2-1. The next batter, Alyssa Edwards, flew out to right field to allow Cuticchia to score, tying the game 2-2. Toni Hutchison then singled to right field to plate Blosser and give the Lady Mocs a 3-2 lead. Tara Tembey singled and Brittany Eason walked to load the bases before a single from Brittney Whittier sent Hutchison and Temby home, giving Chattanooga a 5-2 lead. Laci Upchurch then doubled to left centerfield to score Eason and Cochran knocked a grounder that allowed Whittier to score to put the Lady Mocs ahead 7-2.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Debbie Zeigler and Patti Weber led off with singles and Rao earned a walk to load the bases before a sacrifice fly from Laurin Smith sent Zeigler home to cut the lead to four at 7-3.
Brooke Loudermilk (19-10) earned the win after tossing a complete game and giving up three runs on six hits while retiring six batters. Helterbran (12-8) suffered the loss for the Phoenix after tossing 2.2 innings and giving up four runs on six hits and striking out three batters. Carol Lilley tossed 0.1 innings in relief and gave up three hits on three errors and Samantha Schroeder hurled 4.0 innings for Elon to close, giving up no runs on five hits while fanning three batters.
Zeigler led Elon from the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run scored. Tracey Dahlen, Weber, Helterbran and Rao each posted a hit for Elon while Rao tallied two RBI.
Cuticchia, Blosser, Edwards, Tembey and Whittier each posted two hits for the Lady Mocs while Whittier paced the team with two RBI.
Elon returns to action in a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Radford on Thursday, April 26. Chattanooga will next be in action on Saturday, April 28 in 1 p.m. home contest with Furman.