SoCon Softball Championship Page
Game 6: #7 Appalachian State 2, #6 Furman 1 (Furman eliminated)
Box Score
Photos
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Appalachian State managed just two runs on two hits, but the Mountaineers held the Furman offense at bay in a 2-1 victory in game six of the 2008 Southern Conference Softball Championship at the Patriots Point Athletics Complex.
ASU wasted little time getting on board as Brittany Gaston drove in both Mountaineers’ runs on a two-out RBI single up the middle in the top of the first inning.
Furman pitcher Lana Mackey buckled down the rest of the way by holding Appalachian without a hit for the final six innings. Despite the lack of hits, however, ASU still managed scoring threats in the second and fifth innings thanks in part to seven walks issued by Mackey, including four to the SoCon’s leading hitter Katie Boyd. Mackey fell to 16-26 after absorbing the loss.
ASU’s Kayla Richardson scattered nine hits and Furman left 13 runners on base, including at least one in each inning.
Furman’s Stephanie Cushing led all hitters with a perfect 4-for-4 mark at the plate, including an RBI single in the sixth inning.
Appalachian State (11-36) stays alive in the tournament and will take on the loser of the Chattanooga/UNC Greensboro game Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. Furman (21-33) is eliminated from the tournament with the loss, marking the first time since 2004 that the Lady Paladins failed to advance to the final day of competition.
Game 5: #4 Elon 5, #8 Western Carolina 3 (WCU eliminated)
Box Score
Photos
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Elon pushed across four runs in the third inning and cut short a Western Carolina rally in the sixth to hang on for a 5-3 victory in game five of the 2008 Southern Conference Softball Championship at the Patriots Point Athletics Complex.
With the win, Elon (26-26) stays alive in the tournament and advances to face the winner of the Furman/Appalachian State contest Friday at noon. Western Carolina’s season ends with a 19-36 record.
A Jamie Swank double and a walk to Danielle Reese to start of the sixth inning gave Western Carolina a serious threat in the sixth inning. Amber Hawkins then laced a sharp liner to left center where Rebecca Rijavec made a running catch and fired back to second base to double-up Swank. Elon pitcher Melanie Helterbran induced an inning-ending popout to end the Catamounts’ rally.
The No. 8 seeded Catamounts jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with runs in each of the first two innings. The Phoenix bounced back, however, with four runs in the top of the third. A pair of Elon singles placed runners on first and second for Allison Hartman who drove in a run with a single to left field. Rijavec added the big blow with a two-RBI double to the gap in left center, and third baseman Debbie Zeigler gave the Phoenix the lead for good with a two-out infield single when she beat out the throw at first.
Brandi Jones added an insurance run for Elon in the fourth inning with her seventh round-tripper of the season.
Helterbran (9-9) earned the victory after pitching 5.2 innings of scoreless relief. Helterbran entered the game with one out and the Catamounts still threatening, but the right-hander managed to keep WCU at bay, allowing an RBI single to Amber Hawkins which was credited to starting pitcher Pam DelPizzo. Helterbran tied her season high with seven strikeouts on the morning.
Lauren Ross pitched her second complete game of the tournament for Western Carolina, taking the loss and dropping to 9-19 on the year.
Rijavec led all hitters with three hits and a pair of RBI.