College of Charleston 9, Charlotte 0
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Junior pitcher Terri Mesko (McDonough, Ga.) made history as she became the Cougars all-time strikeout leader and junior third baseman Kristie Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) became the 20th player to hit two home runs in a game as the College of Charleston (7-12, 2-1) blanked Charlotte (9-5) 9-0 in the second game of a double-header on March 10, 2009.
Having recorded a first inning strikeout against Lorena Vela, Mesko carved her name in the Cougars’ record book in the second inning when she got Keri Palma swinging at 5:40 p.m. for the 463rd strikeout of her career. She surpassed the previous mark of 462 set by Rachael Stern from 2003-05 to become the College of Charleston’s all-time leader in strikeouts. She finished the game with four strikeouts for a current total of 465 for her career.
Mesko wasn’t the only Cougar having a career day as Kristie Shifflett produced one of the best days of her career, going 2-for-3 with five RBIs and two home runs in the nightcap. On the day, she was a combined 4-for-7 with two home runs, two doubles and six RBIs as each of her hits went for extra bases.
One of those extra base hits was a towering grand slam down the left field line in the second inning that pushed the Cougars lead from 1-0 to a commanding 6-0. That turned the tide as Charleston then took control of the game and added another three runs in the top of the fourth inning to reach the final margin of 9-0.
Senior outfielder Tiffany Harmon (Lynn Haven, Fla.) tripled to lead off the game and scored on a wild pitch in the first inning to make it 1-0 and an RBI single by senior shortstop Christal Kotchman (Seminole, Fla.) pushed the lead to 2-0 in the second. With the bases loaded, Shifflett promptly unloaded them in the next at bat as she delivered her grand slam and her fourth home run of the season to make it 6-0.
Shifflett added her second home run of the game in the fourth inning with a solo shot to left to make it 7-0 before CofC added two more runs on a single by freshman shortstop Katie Forbes (Odessa, Fla.) and a sacrifice fly by redshirt junior second baseman Amber Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) to push the lead to 9-0. Mesko then wrapped it up as she set down the final six 49er batters in order to claim her fourth vicory of the season.
For Charlotte, senior shortstop Sierra Brooks and sophomore outfielder Kendra McCall had the only hits while freshman pitcher Erin Buchan suffered the loss in the circle. She went 1.2 innings, giving up six runs and three walks to fall to 1-1.
Kristie Shifflett led the attack for the Cougars with a 2-for-3, two home run, five RBI performance while Kotchman, Forbes and Amber Shifflett accounted for the other three RBIs with one apiece. Harmon tripled and went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and Kotchman finished 2-for-3 with a run, RBI and a walk. Mesko went the distance and pitched a two-hit shutout to move to 4-7 on the season.
The two home runs in a game for Shifflett ties for the second most times in program history and is the 18th time a Cougar has accomplished the feat. Her five RBIs represents a career high, surpassing her previous mark of four, which she accomplished twice, last against South Carolina State on April 10, 2007.
The Cougars resume their Southern Conference schedule when they make their longest trip of the season, traveling to Birmingham, Ala. to face Samford from March 14-15. They will play a double header on March 14 and a single game on March 15. Both days are scheduled for a first pitch time of 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
NOTES
Terri Mesko becomes the Cougars all-time strikeout leader with 465 for her career ... Kristie Shifflett belted a pair of home runs to tie for the second most in a single game in program history ... Shifflett broke her career high with five RBIs.
Charlotte 7, College of Charleston 2
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Junior third baseman Kristie Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs but it was not enough as the College of Charleston (6-12, 2-1) dropped a 7-2 decision at Charlotte (9-4) in the first game of a double-header on Tuesday, March 10.
Following a pair of singles to lead off the first inning, Shifflett got the Cougars on the board as she doubled to left center to make it 1-0. After getting out of the inning with a pop out and ground out, Charlotte answered back in the home half of the inning as freshman third baseman Lorena Vela doubled and was driven home by a single by junior outfielder Serena Smith to tie the game at 1-1.
The 49ers offense truly came to life in the third inning as junior utility Keri Palma doubled to left field for an RBI and senior leftfielder Jenny Rumbles made it 4-1 with a double of her own. They would add another three runs the following inning as Smith delivered a two-run single and sophomore catcher Tenaya Tucker doubled home the seventh run.
The score would stay that way until the top of the seventh inning when the Cougars mustered a single run on another Kristie Shifflett double before falling 7-2.
Serena Smith led the 49ers with a 3-for-4, three RBI day while Tucker finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Vela went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs and Jenny Rumbles delivered two RBIs. Keri Palma finished 1-for-3 with a run and the only other RBI. In the pitching circle, Emily Jeffrey went the distance, allowing eight hits and two runs while striking out seven batters to pick up the win. She moves to 5-3 on the season.
For the Cougars, Kristie Shifflett drilled a pair of doubles and went 2-for-4 with both RBIs while senior outfielder Tiffany Harmon (Lynn Haven, Fla.) went 1-for-2 with a run and a walk. Senior pitcher Shannon Howard (Carmichael, Calif.) went three innings and gave up seven hits, four runs, one earned, and struck out one to take the loss for the Charleston and drop to 3-5. Freshman first baseman Laura Jeroszko (Simpsonville, S.C.) pitched three innings of relief, allowing five hits and three runs.
St. Louis 11, Samford 8; Samford 7, St. Louis 5
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford softball team split its doubleheader with St. Louis Tuesday evening, falling, 11-8, in an eight-inning hitting battle and winning, 7-5, in the second game which was dominated early by the Bulldogs.
Samford (6-12, 0-3 SoCon) 25 hits on the night and came out with a vengeance in the first game. The Bulldogs wrapped up a one hit first inning with St. Louis (5-13, 0-0 A10) at bat and then rattled off five runs in the bottom of that inning. The Billikens answered back with five of their own in the top of the second inning but Samford kept SLU scoreless for the next three innings.
The Bulldogs took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Whitney Terry bunted to bring in Amanda Barrs but SLU tacked on one more in the top of the sixth to tie the score again. The seventh inning was eventful as the Billikens had only one batter reach base on hit-by-pitch while Samford’s Terry was the only Bulldog to reach base.
Extra innings it was for the two teams then, but SLU came out with hot bats, putting up five runs in the top of the eighth. Samford answered back with three of their own but it would not be enough to take the game.
Samford had 13 hits and four errors while SLU had 10 hits and two errors. Stacie Gillette (1-6) got her first win for the Billikens while Kelcie Matesa earned her first save. Stephanie Royall started at the mound for the Bulldogs but was relieved by Kayla Burris (1-2) after giving up those five runs in the top of the second inning. Burris finished out the game, giving up seven hits and one earned run, but striking out nine batters and only walking one.
“We obviously did a lot of things well in this first game,” Samford head coach Beanie Ketcham said. “The first inning, we just right out. We had eight hits, scored five runs. The pitchers gave us a lot of ground balls, a lot of what we were looking for but for whatever reason, we are just in a bit of a funk defensively. It’s not that we necessarily making physical errors. We are just giving up infield hits and not closing in on the ball hard enough.”
Katie England brought in a team-high three runs in the game while Rachael Reeves had two and Aaren Fisher, Amanda Jordan and Terry each had one. Three Bulldogs had doubles in the game ? England, Reeves and Amy Gonzalez. Terry led in putouts with 11 while Kristy Lawrence, England and Gonzalez each had four.
In the second game, SLU struck the first blow. The Billikens brought in two runs in the top of the first but the Bulldogs responded with two of their own in the bottom of the inning. With three errors by the Billikens and three straight hits of their own, the Bulldogs tied the game at two.
After a base hit by SLU in the top of the second, Samford record three straight outs and it was then the Bulldogs turn at the plate. Three more runs were scored in the bottom of the inning. While England reached first base on an error by the SLU centerfielder, Fisher, who was on third, came home. Barrs then singled to right field and England rounded the bases and scored the second run. Kristy Lawrence then put Barrs in scoring position on second base and Jordan brought Lawrence in on single to right center.
Again in the third inning, Samford continued to pile on the runs. The Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead with two more runs. Reeves was walked in and Barrs brought in Gonzalez on a sacrifice fly. SLU added three more runs ? one in the fifth and two in the sixth ? but it was not enough as the Bulldogs went on to win it 7-5.
Barrs (1-5) got her first win of the season as she pitched a complete game. She faced 35 batters and struck out six, giving up 12 hits and four earned runs. She only walked two. She also led the team in RBI with two while going two-for-three at the plate.
“Barrs and I talked a little bit and I asked her how her confidence was since she hadn’t had a win yet,” Ketcham said. “But I have thrown her against our toughest teams so far. One of her goals tonight was to throw one pitch at a time and not worry about the defense behind her and really keep her composure. She did that really well tonight. Another goal for her tonight was to reduce the number of walks and she did that as well.”
Samford posted those seven runs on eight hits and only committed one error. The Billikens had 12 hits and six errors in the second game.
“I really challenged our team to bounce right back and told them that everything that is going wrong is fixable,” Ketcham said. “We’ve just got to stay with it and keep scoring runs.”
The Bulldogs will be back at home this weekend, March 14-15, as they close out a five-game homestand with their second conference match-up. Samford will host the College of Charleston beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch is at 1 p.m. CT. Saturday will also be Strikeout Cancer Day. All proceeds from ticket sales and half from concession sales will benefit the UAB Division of Hematology and Oncology at Children’s Hospital.