UNC Greensboro 4, College of Charleston 1 (9 inn.)
College of Charleston 4, UNC Greensboro 0
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. -- UNC Greensboro topped the College of Charleston, 4-1 in nine innings of game one, before CofC won game two 4-0 in a Southern Conference doubleheader Saturday at Patriots Point.
The Cougars (27-28, 8-6) finish their last home series Sunday at 1 p.m. The Spartans' record moves to 15-28 overall and 2-9 in the league.
Game one proved to be a pitcher's duel and went scoreless until the Spartans got on the board in the ninth inning with four runs. The Cougars responded in the bottom of the ninth with a single run, not enough for the win.
There were a combined nine hits in the opener and 26 strikeouts. Terri Mesko (10-17) pitched through eight innings. The McDonough, Ga., native struck out 15 UNCG batters and allowed four runs on four hits. Hannah Angel (7-12) threw 11 strike outs, allowing four hits.
Mary Greenway, Lyndsay Mouse, Brittany Ausley and Kristen Gabel scored runs for Greensboro in the win.
The second game saw a continuation of the defensive battle with just 13 combined hits. Charleston earned the shutout with four runs scored in the fourth and fifth innings. Tiffany Harmon led off the fourth with a single up the middle and the stole second with Kristi Woodall at the plate. Woodall hit a single back to the pitcher to score Harmon. Woodall went on to scored off a double from Kristie Shifflett and Shannon Howard recorded the third run on a sacrifice fly by Mesko. Freshman Samantha Kubinski scored the final run of the game on a Woodall single up the middle.
Howard (15-10) earned the win for the Cougars. The junior from Carmichael, Calif., threw a complete game. She struck out five batters and allowed six hits in the shutout. Amber Harrell (8-15) pitched through six innings for UNCG. She threw four strikeouts and allowed seven hits.
The series concludes Sunday, April 20, with first pitch set for 1 p.m.
Western Carolina 6, Georgia Southern 4
Georgia Southern 4, Western Carolina 3 (10 inn.)
STATESBORO, Ga. --- Georgia Southern junior Amanda Hall (Haddock, Ga.) drove in the tying and game-winning runs in game two to give the Eagles a softball split with Western Carolina Saturday at Eagle Field.
WCU took the opener 6-4 while GSU drew even with a 4-3, 10-inning win in the nightcap. Western moves to 14-31 overall and 4-13 in the Southern Conference while Georgia Southern is now 29-25 and 9-5.
Hall tied the game in the eighth inning with her sixth home run of the season and laid down a bunt to score sophomore Elizabeth Branan (Alpharetta, Ga.) in the 10th.
Freshman Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) (11-8) went the distance for GSU, allowing one earned run and nine hits in 10 innings of work. WCU’s Michelle Tating (7-7) also threw a complete game, giving up two earned runs and nine hits.
Hall went 2-for-4 in game two and sophomore Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.) and junior Michelle Beasley (Metter, Ga.) also had two hits apiece.
Side hit her 11th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the fourth, to set a new single-season school record. In just two seasons she has 20 for her career, tied for second-most at GSU.
The Catamounts used a five-run second inning and a strong pitching performance by Lauren Ross to take the opener. Ross (6-15) faced the minimum through 4 1/3 innings and walked none and struck out eight.
Western Carolina took a 6-0 lead into the sixth before allowing four runs to get Georgia Southern back in the game. Hall cut the deficit to two with a two-run bomb.
Senior Melissa Laliberte (Cobourg, Ontario, Canada) took the loss (14-9), allowing six runs (two earned) and six hits in seven innings.
The series concludes Sunday with a single game starting at 1 p.m.
Chattanooga 2, Furman 0
Chattanooga 2, Furman 1
Greenville, S.C. -- Brooke Loudermilk tossed a one-hit shutout in game one while Kandice Irwin and Kaitlin Holloway combined to hold Furman to one run in game two as Chattanooga swept the Paladins 2-0, 2-1 in Southern Conference softball action Saturday at Pepsi Stadium.
Loudermilk, the reigning SoCon Freshman and Pitcher of the Year, carried a no-hitter into the ninth when Stephanie Cushing doubled on a 1-2 pitch with two outs for Furman’s first safety. Loudermilk (13-6) did not issue a walk while fanning four batters in seven innings.
Laci Upchurch and Tiffany Baker provided all the offense that Chattanooga would need with solo blasts to left field in the second and fifth innings, respectively. Michelle Fuzzard collected two hits for the Lady Mocs.
Lana Mackey (14-18) suffered the loss for Furman allowing two runs on six hits in seven innings. She struck out five and did not issue a walk.
In game two, Katie Blevins delivered an RBI triple and scored a wild pitch with two outs in the sixth to rally Chattanooga for a 2-1 win.
Furman took the lead in the bottom of the fifth on a Lady Moc error.
Bethany Ullrich opened the inning with a double over the centerfielder’s head and moved to third on Katie Michaels’ single. With one out, Cushing lined out to the pitcher, but Holloway’s throw to first to double off Michaels got away allowing Ullrich to score.
Holloway (8-1) held Furman scoreless on one hit to earn the victory in relief. Blevins and Fuzzard each tallied two hits for the Lady Mocs.
Ullrich took the loss to fall to 5-6 on the season. She surrendered two runs on six hits in seven innings of work while walking two and striking out one. Michaels collected two hits for the Paladins in the loss.
The Paladins and Lady Mocs conclude their three-game series with a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.
Elon 5, Appalachian State 0
Elon 5, Appalachian State 1
ELON, N.C. ? Elon hitters amassed 18 hits while Phoenix pitchers yielded just eight hits scattered over 14 innings as Elon swept a Southern Conference softball doubleheader ? 5-0 and 5-1 ? from Appalachian State Saturday afternoon at East Field.
The Phoenix (20-19 overall, 8-6 SoCon) received plenty of offense from second baseman Jacqueline Gonzalez (5-for-7, four runs, RBI, SH), third baseman Debbie Zeigler (4-for-7, three runs, RBI, BB), rightfielder Allison Hartman (2-for-5, three RBI, 2B, SF), catcher Jaimie Rao (2-for-5, BB), shortstop Tracey Dahlen (2-for-6, run, BB) and designated hitter/pitcher Melanie Helterbran (1-for-6, three RBI, 2B, BB).
Elon also received dominating performances from pitchers Pam DelPizzo (6-6) and Helterbran (7-7). DelPizzo held the Mountaineers (7-30, 5-7) to no runs on four hits and two bases on balls while striking out eight batters over seven innings in the opener. Helterbran limited ASU to one earned run on four hits and no walks while fanning four over seven frames in the nightcap as the Phoenix improved to 9-3 at home.
Meanwhile, Appalachian State was led by designated hitter Meagan Squartino (3-for-6), catcher Katie Boyd (2-for-4, run, SB, two BB), leftfielder Natalie Willis (1-for-5, SH), first baseman Stephanie Long (1-for-6, RBI) and third baseman Andrea McIntyre (1-for-6).
ASU starter Yancy Moose (2-12) surrendered three earned runs on five hits and one base on balls to go with two strikeouts in two and 2/3 innings in the first game. Mountaineer reliever Teri Fister restricted Elon hitters to two earned runs on four hits in the contest’s final three and 1/3 innings. In the second contest, Kayla Richardson (4-14) scattered four earned runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out two Phoenix batters over six frames.
In the opener, Elon outhit Appalachian State 9-4 while the Mountaineers committed the game’s two errors. The Phoenix scored three times in the third inning. Centerfielder Brandi Jones scored on Gonzalez’s single to centerfield for the day’s first run. Gonzalez then scored on Helterbran’s double down the leftfield line. Zeigler ran across homeplate on Hartman’s single to center for the last run of the inning.
Elon scored twice in the fifth frame. Gonzalez scurried home for her second run of the day when Helterbran reached first base on an error at shortstop. Hartman’s sacrifice fly to right plated Zeigler to determine the eventual final margin.
In the nightcap, the Phoenix again outhit the Mountaineers 9-4. ASU made two errors to one by Elon. The Phoenix erupted for three runs in first inning. Helterbran drew a bases-loaded walk to send Gonzalez home for the contest’s first score. Zeigler scored on a groundout to shortstop by Hartman and Dahlen scrambled across the plate for the third run on DelPizzo’s groundout to third base.
Elon extended its edge to 4-0 in the second inning when Gonzalez advanced to third base on a single by Dahlen and then immediately scored on a fielding error at catcher. Appalachian State put up its lone run in the fourth frame when Boyd scored on a single by Long. The Phoenix tacked on one final run in the sixth inning when leftfielder Rebecca Rijavec scored on a single through the pitching circle by Zeigler.
The two teams will conclude their three-game series with a 1 p.m. meeting Sunday at East Field.