Furman 3, Georgia Southern 0
Georgia Southern 3, Furman 0
Greenville, S.C. -- Sophomore Lana Mackey tossed a one-hit shutout and drove in the game-winning run to guide Furman past Georgia Southern 3-0 as the rivals split a Southern Conference softball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium. The Eagles blanked Furman 3-0 in the nightcap.
Mackey fanned nine batters, walked just three and allowed only a first inning single to notch her third shutout of the season in the SoCon opener for both teams. The Perry, Ga., native improved to 7-8 in the circle.
Furman got all the runs it would need in the bottom of the fourth inning. Stephanie Cushing drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Abby Robertson. Brythe Blankenship singled to center field and moved to second on the throw to the plate. After Georgia Southern pitcher Melissa Laliberte retired Morgan Hughey for the second out of the inning, Mackey looped a two-run single into right-center to give Furman a 2-0 lead. Blankenship added a third run in the sixth lifting a sacrifice fly to left to score Robertson.
Laliberte (8-5) took the loss for the Eagles after allowing two earned runs on four hits in six innings of work. Robertson paced the Furman offense with a 2-for-2 effort at the plate.
In game two, Georgia Southern’s Megen Smith tossed a four-hit shutout to lead the Eagles to a 3-0 victory.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second as Michelle Beasley singled to center field to drive in Sam Russo. After Aubrey Tweatt scored on a wild pitch in the fifth, Beasley scored on a Robyne Siliga single in the seventh to cap the scoring.
Furman threatened in the sixth and seventh innings, but stranded a total of five runners in the final two frames. In the sixth, Kate Termini led off with a single and Bethany Ullrich followed by reaching on an error to put runners on second and third with no one out. Smith settled down to retire the next three batters to leave the runners stranded at second and third. Furman loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Smith got Ullrich to pop out to the shortstop to end the game.
Russo and Siliga each collected two hits for the Eagles. Termini went 2-for-3 to lead the Furman at the plate. Ullrich (4-4) suffered the loss for the Paladins allowing three runs on nine hits in seven innings. The freshman walked two and struck out three.
Smith walked just one batter while striking out two in seven innings to up her record to 8-5 on the season.
Furman moves to 11-2 overall and 1-1 in the SoCon. Georgia Southern goes to 19-17 overall and 1-1 inside the league.
Furman and Georgia Southern will play the rubber game of their three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
College of Charleston 6, Appalachian State 2
College of Charleston 5, Appalachian State 2
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. - Shannon Howard powered the Cougars with five hits and five RBI as the College of Charleston softball team racked up 19 hits, while only allowing three runs and striking out 19, to sweep a doubleheader against the Appalachian State Mountaineers 6-2 and 5-2 in front of 125 fans Friday at Patriots Point Stadium.
The Cougars improved to 15-21 overall, and 2-0 in the Southern Conference, while the Mountaineers fell to 4-20 overall, and 3-2 in conference. The two teams finish their three game series Saturday, Mar. 22 at 1:00 pm at Patriots Point Stadium.
In game one, Charleston struck first in the bottom of the second inning when Kristie Shifflett homered to left field to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead. In the next inning, Howard's RBI double brought in Christal Kotchman to extend the lead to 2-0. The Cougars added a run in each of next two innings, and two in the bottom of the sixth to secure the win.
Terri Mesko (6-10) pitched a complete game, striking out 10 and allowing only two runs on four hits. Richardson (3-8) picked up the loss, allowing 13 hits and six runs.
Kotchman led the Cougars offensively, going 2-for-2 with two RBI. Mesko and Brittany Small each went 2-for-3 to contribute the Cougar victory.
The Mountaineers were led by Katie Boyd who went 1-for-3 with one RBI.
In the night cap, the Cougars broke open a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the second inning and scored three runs, capped off by Howard's two-run double.
Appalachian State cut the lead to two, scoring a run in the sixth, but the Cougars responded with a run in the bottom to keep the margin at three.
Howard went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. She also picked up her eighth win of the season, allowing only two runs, while striking out nine.
Shifflett also added one hit and one RBI.
Yance Moose (1-8) received the loss, allowing five runs on five hits.
Chattanooga 4, UNC Greensboro 1
Chattanooga 4, UNC Greensboro 2
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ? Chattanooga took both ends of a doubleheader with UNC Greensboro in the Southern Conference opener for both teams on Friday. UTC took the first game, 4-1 and the Lady Mocs took the late game, 4-2, with a three-run home run from Katie Blevins in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Lady Mocs took an early 1-0 lead in the early game in the second inning with a leadoff home run from Blevins and tacked on two more runs in the second inning, including another home run, to take a 3-0 lead.
The Spartans avoided shutout with a run from Gabel in the sixth inning. The Port Neches, TX native started the inning with a bunt to get on base and teammate Mary Greenway followed with a single to third base which advanced Gabel to second base. The Spartans loaded the bases when Lyndsay Mouse reached on a fielder’s choice and an error from the Chattanooga shortstop sent Gabel around the bases for the score.
UNCG (9-17, 0-2 SoCon) was led by freshman Kristen Gabel who was 2-for-5 from the plate with one double on the day. Kaitlin Merkt was also impressive from the plate and tallied two hits on the afternoon, including a double.
Hannah Angel and Amber Harrell each pitched one complete game of the doubleheader. Angel (3-9) allowed four runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings of work while striking out eight and Amber Harrell (6-8) allowed four runs on six hits in the late game.
The late game was a pitchers duel heading into the fifth inning with neither team being able to push a run across the plate. UNC was held to no hits through the fifth inning while the Lady Mocs tallied two hits but it was the Spartans that tallied the first run of the game.
The Lady Mocs walked designated player Whitney Sirois to open the inning and sacrifice bunt from catcher Leslie Furness moved Sirois to second base. Shortstop Kaitlin Merkt tallied UNCG’s first hit of the day and made it count with an RBI double which sent Laura Olenderski, pinch running for Sirois, around the plate and gave UNCG a 1-0 lead.
Chattanooga answered back in the bottom of the inning and tied the game with a RBI single from Michelle Fuzzard and with the game tied heading into the seventh inning UNCG scored the go-ahead run early in the inning. Brittany Ausley hit a leadoff single and moved to second with a sacrifice bunt from Sirois and was sent home on an RBI double from Furness to take the 2-1 lead.
The Lady Mocs played spoiler and tallied three runs in the bottom of the inning to take the doubleheader. Chattanooga was able to put two runners on base and Blevins slammed her second home run of the day to send all three around the bases to end the game.
The teams will return to the diamond for the final game of the series on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 12 Noon at Jim Frost Stadium.
AGATE
Game One
UNC Greensboro...... 000 001 0 - 1 3 1 (9-16, 0-1)
Chattanooga......... 010 021 X - 4 7 1 (17-14, 1-0)
Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Hannah Angel. Chattanooga - Loudermilk.
Win-Loudermilk(7-6) Loss-Hannah Angel(3-9) T-1:40 A-120
HR UTC - Tembey (4); Blevins (10).
Game Two
UNC Greensboro...... 000 010 1 - 2 4 3
Chattanooga......... 000 010 3 - 4 6 0
Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Amber Harrell. Chattanooga - Irwin; Loudermilk(7).
Win-Loudermilk(8-6) Loss-Amber Harrell(6-8) T-1:35 A-125
HR UTC - Blevins (11).