UNCG wins series finale, 7-4
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? The Spartans pounded out eight hits and scored seven unanswered runs in the sixth inning to defeat the College of Charleston in the Southern Conference softball series finale, 7-4, before 251 at the UNCG Softball Stadium on Sunday afternoon in Greensboro, N.C.
UNC Greensboro improved to 26-33 and 6-12 in the league, while the Cougars, who won the first two of the series on Saturday, fall to 31-21 overall and 13-5 in conference.
Terri Mesko (16-10), who carried a one-hitter through the sixth inning, surrendered five hits and allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings of work, before Katie Sansouci entered to relieve Mesko. Sansouci allowed two runs on three hits.
Brittany Small led the Cougar offense on 2-for-2 hitting and drove in two runs. Jennifer Golden, who hit her 14th homer of season, was 1-for-2 with two runs scored.
Mary Greenway was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored to lead UNCG. Vanessa Oakes (11-10) allowed eight hits on four runs for the win.
The College of Charleston will play Charleston Southern in a non-conference doubleheader on May 2. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m.
SENIORS SHINE AS LADY MOCS COMPLETE SWEEP OF FURMAN
Chattanooga, Tenn. ? It was a gorgeous day at Frost Stadium for Senior Send-Off Day with temperatures in the 80s as Chattanooga completed the sweep of the Furman Lady Paladins 6-2 on Sunday.
The four seniors, left fielder Jeannie Cochran (Maryville, Tenn.), first baseman Alyssa Edwards (Geneva, N.Y.), pitcher Ashley Frizzell (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) and second baseman Brittney Whittier (Scottsdale, Ariz.), were honored before the start of their final game at Frost Stadium.
Frizzell was credited with the win, her 11th of the season after pitching five complete innings, improving her overall record to 11-12, 5-2 SoCon, with six strikeouts.
Chattanooga picked up a run from junior right fielder Tara Tembey (Folsom, Calif.) in the bottom of the second to strike first. Tembey reached on an error by Brythe Blakenship at second base before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman catcher Brittany Eason (Chattanooga, Tenn.).
Tembey advanced to third on a wild pitch before Cochran found a gap for a single. The team picked up two more runs after Whittier walked, on sophomore center fielder Ashley Cuticchia’s (Rising Fawn, Ga.) double to left field, advancing to third on the throw with the score sitting at 3-0 after two.
Edwards tallied a run in the bottom of the third courtesy of Tembey’s double to right field after reaching on her second single of the day to lead off the inning putting the Lady Mocs up 4-0.
Chattanooga picked up another pair of runs in the third with Tembey scoring on sophomore designated player Laci Upchurch’s (Madison, Tenn.) base on balls and Eason scoring on Cochran’s single down the right field line after reaching on a hit by pitch. The score sat at 6-0 after three.
Furman got on the board in the top of the fifth on runs from pitcher Blake Murray and Amber Kiser with Murray reaching on a single, the fourth hit of the game, and Kiser reaching on a throwing error by freshman shortstop Tia Blosser (Knoxville, Tenn.).
Freshman pitcher Brooke Loudermilk (Locust Grove, Ga.) came in relief in the top of the sixth, striking out all six batters faced on 26 total pitches.
The Lady Paladins were led by Kiser and Murray with a hit and a run each. Lana Mackey was charged with the loss after pitching 2 1/3 innings, dropping her record to 7-13, with Murray coming in relief.
The Lady Mocs face the College of Charleston Cougars in Charleston, S.C., in the team’s final conference series next weekend beginning on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
Western Carolina Defeats Georgia Southern 7-1 to Win Series
CULLOWHEE, N.C. ? Western Carolina softball won its second Southern Conference series on Sunday with a 7-1 victory over Georgia Southern at Catamount Complex. The two teams split the doubleheader on Saturday.
The Catamounts improve to 25-31 overall and 8-10 in conference play. Georgia Southern falls to 23-28 and 8-9 in the Southern Conference. Western Carolina moves to fifth place in the conference race and the final series of the season at Furman next weekend will determine what seed the Catamounts will receive in the Southern Conference Tournament.
After lasting only 1.2 innings in the first game on Saturday against Georgia Southern, sophomore hurler Mendy McKenzie had a very productive day on the mound for the Catamounts on Sunday. She tossed her 20th complete game of the year, allowing one run on five hits and striking out eight. McKenzie improves to 11-17 on the season.
McKenzie had a shutout for six innings but Georgia Southern was able to plate a run in the seventh. Katie Smith led off with a single for the Eagles. She was replaced by Aubrey Thweatt who stole second to place a runner in scoring position and moved to third on a ground out by Michelle Beasley. In some heads-up base running, Thweatt came home when McKenzie threw a wild pitch.
Western Carolina didn’t waste any time getting on the board, scoring a run in the first inning. With one out, senior Nikki Bost singled past the shortstop. Stephanie Beatty hit her 13th double of the season to place runners on second and third. With two outs, Mollie Fowler hit a slow rolling single to the third baseman. Bost went home on the play in an excellent display of sliding home maneuvering under the Eagles’ catcher’s tag to score the run.
The Catamounts, who have suffered through tough losses in tight games, expanded their slim one run lead in the third inning to put the game out of reach for the Eagles. Western Carolina exploded for six runs to ice the game early.
Back-to-back singles by McKenzie and Bost placed runners on first and second and with one out Georgia Southern pitcher Logan Free walked Savannah Filley to load the bases. Fowler struck again with runners on base by hitting a frozen rope to right field, a two RBI single scoring McKenzie and Bost. Jamie Swank continued the scoring frenzy with an RBI double that scored Filley.
With two outs and runners on second and third, catcher Danielle Reese again showed why she is stepping it up in conference play. Reese hit the second homerun of her career to score three runs.
Seven of the nine batters picked up a hit for the Catamounts. Fowler led the club going 2-for-2 with a run scored and three RBI.