Samford 6, Central Arkansas 5; Samford 8, Southern Mississippi 3
HATTIESBURG, Miss. ---- The Samford University softball team picked up two wins Saturday in day two of the Southern Miss Invitational. The Bulldogs rallied in nine innings to overtake Central Arkansas, 6-5, and scored seven runs in the sixth inning of their second game to defeat Southern Miss, 8-3.
In the first game, Central Arkansas (0-2) struck the first blow as an error at third base brought in the first Central Arkansas run. However, Samford (3-0) answered back in the bottom of the inning as Katie England hit a homerun to left center field to bring in Jessica Owens and put the Bulldogs up, 2-1.
Central Arkansas tied the score in the top of the second inning as Samford would go without a run in the bottom of the inning. The Bears scored another run in the top of the third to make the score, 3-2, but the Bulldogs would score two more run to take a 4-3 lead. With the bases loaded, Amanda Barrs singled to left field which brought Owens and Aaren Fisher home.
With a tied score and after a scoreless fifth, sixth and seventh innings both teams would score one run each in the eighth inning. And in the bottom of the ninth inning, Reeves bunted to bring in Kristy Lawrence for the winning run.
Against Southern Miss, the first three innings would result in no runs for each team. In the top of the fourth Barrs singled up the middle before Kylie Harmon singles to the shortstop. Barrs advanced to third on a throwing error and Harmon stole second which set up Lawrence to hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Barrs.
Southern Miss (1-2) took the lead in the bottom of the fifth after a double brought in two runs. However, the sixth inning was owned by Samford as the Bulldogs scored seven runs to take an 8-2 lead. Two errors helped set up two bases-loaded situations, but England rattled off her second homer of the day to bring in three runs to give Samford the six run advantage. The Bears would score one more run at the bottom of the seventh, but Samford would walk away with the in and move to 3-0 on the season.
Fisher started of the first game in the pitcher’s circle for the Bulldogs and pitched four full innings giving up seven hits and four runs. Stephanie Royall took over in the fifth inning and pitched three innings with two strikeouts and giving up only two hits. However, it was Kayla Burris who walked away with her second-straight win in the circle, pitching the final two innings, giving up only one hit and one run and getting two strikeouts.
Barrs started in the circle against the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss. She pitched four and one-third inning, giving up five hits and two earned runs. Royall took over in the top of the fifth, facing 10 batters, striking out one and giving up only one run.
Barrs was two of three at the plate against Central Arkansas while Owens was three of four against USM.
Samford continues play Sunday in the Southern Miss Invitational with a morning double-header. The Bulldogs will face Western Kentucky at 10 a.m. followed by a 12:30 p.m. meeting with Arkansas.
Chattanooga 8, Virginia Tech 0; Troy 14, Chattanooga 2
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The Chattanooga softball team (3-1) had an afternoon of ups and downs on Saturday as the squad split its pair of games with Virginia Tech and Troy. The day began on a high note with an 8-0 victory over Virginia Tech (2-2), but the winning streak ended at three with a 14-2 loss to Troy (3-1).
Pitcher Kandice Irwin (2-0) threw the second complete-game shutout of her career as the Lady Mocs downed the Hokies in the first contest. Freshman Jenni Martin had an afternoon to remember with her first career home run in UTCs seven-run fourth inning. Martin has become a spark for the Lady Mocs in the seasons first four games, going 2-for-3 with four RBI off the bench.
The Lady Mocs were held to only one hit through the first three innings of the game by VT pitcher Kenzie Roark before the UTC offense awoke. Sophomore Lauren Flores led off the inning with a single, and eventually made her way to third on two Hokie passed balls. Flores would score from third on a Roark wild pitch for the games first run.
Tiffany Baker would drive in Michelle Fuzzard, who walked, to put the Mocs up 2-0. Baker continued her hot hitting from last night, going 2-for-3. Through four games the sophomore is hitting a whopping .615 (8-for-13).
Jessica Traxler then made her presence felt as she recorded her first career RBI with a squeeze bunt to drive in pinch-runner Kristin Holloway. Martin then came in off the bench for her pinch-hit home run as the UTC lead extended to six. Floress second hit of the day would end the scoring with an RBI double to drive in Lyndsey Stiles as UTC ended the fourth up 7-0.
The game would end in the sixth thanks to a Fuzzard single that scored Stiles, who had two stolen bases in the game.
In the nightcap, the Troy Trojans bats came in hot and never let up with 23 hits and 14 runs. Eleven Trojans recorded a hit as the UTC offense could not muster a run until the sixth inning. Kala Moore finished with three RBI and four other Trojans had 2 RBI apiece.
Fuzzard went 2-for-4 with a RBI in the defeat, while Baker was 1-for-3 with the teams other run batted in.
Kaity Holloway (1-1) earned her first loss of the season, giving up two runs in two innings.
The Lady Mocs will conclude the Chattanooga Challenge on Sunday with a pair of contests. UTC will open with Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. and will follow with Tennessee Tech at 3:30 p.m. from Jim Frost Stadium.
Illinois State 13, UNC Greensboro 2; Florida Gulf Coast 8, UNC Greensboro 5
TAMPA, FL ? Illinois State and Florida Gulf Coast both jumped out to big leads Saturday and UNC Greensboro was unable to rally either time, falling 13-2 and 8-5 to the Redbirds and Eagles, respectively, on the second day of play at the USF Louisville Slugger Tournament.
Illinois State (1-2) scored three runs in the third inning and two each in the fourth and sixth to put UNCG (1-3) in a 7-0 hole. Florida Gulf Coast (2-1) would do the Redbirds one better, leading the Spartans 8-0 by the second inning.
For the day, Lyndsay Mouse was a combined 3-for-5 with three runs scored, Brittany Ausley was 3-for-7 and Mary Catherine Vercoe was 2-for-6 with a home run and four RBI.
The Redbirds put up a trio of runs in the third, getting a two-run home run from Michelle Henderson and an RBI single from Diciembre Vaca to knock freshman Cory Mattson (0-1) from the game.
Illinois State added two more in the fourth on RBI singles from Becca Baltikas and Casey Gorrell, then tacked on another pair in the sixth on Gorrell’s two-run homer to make it 7-0.
UNCG finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the frame, with Mouse drawing a one-out walk and Vercoe bashing a two-out, two-run shot to left field.
Any hope of a UNCG comeback would be squelched in the top half of the seventh, however, as the Redbirds exploded for six runs on five hits and a Spartan error to put the game out of reach. Gorrell had another pair of RBI in the inning, while Kaprice Williams blasted a three-run home run.
Gorrell led the Redbirds at the dish with a 4-for-5 day, driving in five runs and falling a triple short of the cycle.
Mattson took the loss in her first collegiate start, allowing three runs ? two earned ? in 2.2 innings of work.
Mouse, Vercoe, Emily Akiyama and Whitney Miller had one hit each to account for UNCG’s four on the afternoon.
Against the Eagles later in the day, the Spartans again found themselves down big early. After FGCU scored in the bottom of the first, the Eagles got a three-run home run from Cheyenne Jenks and a two-run blast from Samantha Waldron in a seven-run second inning.
The Spartans would claw back into the contest, however, plating a pair of runs in the third and single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings before Dana Frantz nailed down her first save of the season.
In the third, Ausley and Mouse stroked consecutive one-out singles and Alex Emeterio walked to load the bases for Vercoe. The senior came through with a two-run single to get the Spartans on the board.
Kaitlin Merkt’s RBI single in the fifth scored Mouse, Ausley’s double in the sixth brought in Whitney Sirois and Kayla Hensley scored on an error in the seventh to cap the scoring.
Ausley was 3-for-4 in the game, while Mouse finished 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Sirois went 2-for-2 for the Spartans.
Angel pitched four innings of scoreless relief, limiting the Eagle offense to just three hits and a walk while striking out four.
Harrell dropped to 0-2 on the season after allowing eight earned runs on six hits and two walks in two innings of work.
The Spartans wrap up action at the USF Louisville Slugger Tournament on Sunday at 9 a.m., when they will face Minnesota, which is 3-1 at the tournament. The Gophers’ loss came to North Florida, which UNCG beat Friday to open the season.
AGATE
Illinois State 13, UNC Greensboro 2 (Feb 07, 2009 at Tampa, Fla.)
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Illinois State...... 003 202 6 - 13 14 1 (1-2)
UNC Greensboro...... 000 002 0 - 2 4 5 (1-2)
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Pitchers: Illinois State - Amber Smith; Megan Warner(7). UNC Greensboro - Cory Mattson;
Hannah Angel(3); Amber Harrell(6).
Win-Amber Smith(1-0) Loss-Cory Mattson(0-1) T-2:30 A-0
HR ILS - Michelle Henderson; Casey Gorrell; Kaprice Williams.
HR UNCG - MaryCatherine Vercoe.
Florida Gulf Coast 8, UNC Greensboro 5 (Feb 07, 2009 at Tampa, Fla.)
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UNC Greensboro...... 002 011 1 - 5 11 0 (1-3)
Florida Gulf Coast.. 170 000 X - 8 9 2 (2-1)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Amber Harrell; Hannah Angel(3). Florida Gulf Coast -
Catherine McDaniel; Dana Frantz(6).
Win-Catherine McDaniel(2-0) Save-Dana Frantz(1) Loss-Amber Harrell(0-2) T-3:00 A-0
HR FGCU - Cheyenne Jenks; Samantha Waldron.
South Carolina 7, College of Charleston 1
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Freshman pitcher Audrey Broyles struck out 14 batters and picked up the complete game victory in her first collegiate start as South Carolina (1-0) defeated the College of Charleston (0-1) 7-1 Saturday afternoon in the opening game of a double-header in Columbia, S.C.
Following a strikeout by junior pitcher Terri Mesko (McDonough, Ga.) to lead off the bottom half of the first inning, the Gamecocks exploded for four runs on a pair of doubles by freshman shortstop Evan Childs and Audrey Broyles. After another single, Mesko retired the next six batters and eight of the nest nine as she allowed only a hard single down the left field line in the third.
The Cougars bats took advantage in the top of the fourth inning as junior third baseman Kristie Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) collected her second single of the game followed by a bloop single to right by senior shortstop Christal Kotchman (Seminole, Fla.) to put runners on first and second with one out. Broyles, however, would settle down and strike out the final two batters to end the threat.
South Carolina then responded in the bottom of the inning with three runs on a two-run single by freshman utility Kandyce Redondo and an RBI single by sophomore infielder Jill Semento to make it 7-0. Freshman pitcher Laura Jeroszko (Simpsonville, S.C.) then came in in relief of Mesko and worked out of a first and second jam to get out of the inning.
Jeroszko continued to be solid in her first collegiate appearance as she struck out two batters in the fifth inning and held the Gamecocks scoreless the rest of the way.
Charleston fought back in the top of the seventh inning as redshirt sophomore catcher Katie Pesature (Brewster, N.Y.) belted her first home run of the year and fourth of her career to make it 7-1. The Cougars then followed with a hit batter and a single by senior outfielder Tiffany Harmon (Lynn Haven, Fla.) before a deep fly out locked up the season-opening victory for South Carolina.
Broyles (1-0) led the way for the Gamecocks with 14 strikeouts and picked up the complete-game victory in her collegiate debut. Her strikeout total marked the most in documented history for a South Carolina freshman making their debut. Offensively, senior utility Ashton Payne went 3-for-4 while Stubblefield, Childs and Broyles each finished with two RBI. Jill Semento was 2-for-3 with a run and RBI while sophomore catcher P.J. Fulmer went 2-for-3.
For the Cougars, Kristie Shifflett led the way with a 2-for-3 outing, including CofC’s first two hits of the game, while Katie Pesature finished 1-for-3 with a seventh-inning home run. In the circle, Terri Mesko (0-1) took the loss for Charleston after allowing five earned runs in 3.2 innings while Laura Jeroszko threw 2.1 scoreless innings of relief and struck out two.
The Cougars return to action with the second game of the double-header later today.
NOTES
The loss is the seventh consecutive to South Carolina dating back to the first meeting between the teams February 21, 2004 ... the Gamecocks had an 11-0 shutout out against Charleston in their last meeting on February 22, 2007 in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
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GAME 2
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South Carolina 6, College of Charleston 4
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Senior pitcher Shannon Howard (Carmichael, Calif.) belted her 17th career home run and went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI but it was not enough as homerun and drove in three runs as South Carolina (2-0) posted a 6-4 come-from-behind victory over the College of Charleston (0-2) Saturday afternoon in the second game of a double-header.
Following a pair of scoreless innings at the start of the nightcap, a double by freshman outfielder Amanda Lonergan (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) followed by a South Carolina error gave the Cougars an early 1-0 lead. It would be short lived as freshman shortstop Evan Childs knotted the score the following inning with a two-out blast, making it 1-1 as the teams went to the fourth inning.
Shannon Howard answered right back for the Cougars as she pounded a lead-off home run to put Charleston back ahead 2-1 in the fourth inning. They would add to their lead the following inning as a Lonergan single set the stage for a two-run home run by redshirt junior second baseman Amber Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.), the first of her career. That blast gave CofC a 4-1 advantage.
It would not last, however, as the Gamecocks drew a lead-off walk and put runners on first and second with a fielders choice before freshman shortstop Evan Childs belted a game-tying three-run home run over the left field fence.
With the score tied at 4-4, South Carolina retook the lead in the sixth inning with a pair of RBI singles by sophomore outfielder Laura Mendes and sophomore infielder Jill Semento.
That would be all the offense the Gamecocks would need as they set down the final six Cougar batters to close out the 6-4 victory and move to 2-0 on the season.
South Carolina was led by Evan Childs’ two home runs and 2-for-4, two run, four RBI performance while freshman designated hitter Audrey Broyles went 2-for-2. Mendes and Semento each added a run and RBI on the game. Freshman pitcher Kierstyn White threw two scoreless, hitless innings of relief to pick up the win and move to 1-0 while redshirt sophomore pitcher Krystle Robinson went five innings, striking out five and allowing five hits and four runs.
Howard led the way for the Cougars with a 2-for-3, one run, RBI performance while throwing six innings and striking out one. Despite a strong early effort, she gave up six runs, five earned, and took the loss to drop to 0-1. Amber Shifflett finished 1-for-3 with two RBI and drilled her first career home run while Amanda Lonergan went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.
The College of Charleston will wrap up the split three-game series tomorrow afternoon when they take on the Gamecocks at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. First pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m.