Elon 8, Michigan State 7
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? Ashlee Crewe went two-for-four at the plate that included two doubles and four RBI to lead the Phoenix to an 8-7 extra-inning win over Michigan State in the final game of the Tar Heel Invitational hosted by North Carolina. Elon finished the tournament with a 1-3 record. The team improved to 5-8 on the season and 3-0 against the Spartans under the direction of Patti Raduenz, a Michigan State alum. Elon took two games against Michigan State last season.
Melanie Helterbran earned the win to improve to 3-3 on the season. She allowed just three hits in six innings in the circle. She also tallied two strikeouts. Kelly Confer picked up the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits in five innings of work.
Jackie Gonzalez took advantage of a Spartan error that allowed her to reach first. She moved to third after Patti Weber reached on an error. With runners at the corner, Crewe doubled to left field to put the Phoenix up 1-0.
The Spartans put together back-to-back singles in the second inning for the team’s only offense for the first five innings of play.
Elon showed its power in the top of the fifth, as Brandi Jones and Gonzalez recorded back-to-back hits, which included a double by Jones. Weber followed the hits with a one-out walk that loaded the bases. Crewe stepped up to the plate and belted a double to left center that scored each of the three baserunners and gave the Phoenix a 4-0 lead. Jaimie Rao recorded the Phoenix’s fourth double of the game two batters later to score Crewe and make it a 5-0 game. The hit parade continued as Helterbran singled to score Rao. An error by Confer allowed Caitlin McGowan to reach first and move Helterbran into scoring position. The two would be left stranded as the final out was recorded.
Lori Padilla singled to start the bottom of the sixth inning, but Helterbran retired the next three batters to end the threat.
Kaitlyn Piazzolla added another run for the Phoenix with a solo homerun in the top of the seventh inning.
Michigan State scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings. The Spartans got on the board in the bottom half of the seventh inning when Lauren Kramer hit a lead-off single. Gina Mondo then sent a pitch over the left centerfield wall to give the Spartans its first runs of the game. Michigan State added three more runs in the inning after Melanie Bensema doubled to score Heidi Purtzer who reached on a single. Ali Grant, who singled, reached home on a Padilla single. The fifth run of the game came on a Kara Weigle double to center that sent Bensema across the plate. The final two runs of the innings, including the tying run, were scored off of RBI-singles by Kramer and Mondo that made it a 7-7 game.
Elon placed Pam DelPizzo on second in the top of the eighth inning where she moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by McGowan. Danielle Lafferty drove in the winning run with an RBI-single. Elon retired the final three Spartan batters in order to seal the 8-7 win.
The Phoenix begins conference play with a three-game series with Western Carolina next weekend at East Field. The teams will play a double-header Saturday, with the first game scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and the second game slated to start at 3 p.m. Elon will also play Sunday at 1 p.m.
Appalachian State 4, Samford 2
BOONE, N.C. - Michelle Lighton hit a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to lift Appalachian State University (7-8, 3-0) softball over Samford 4-2 in the final game of the series Sunday afternoon in Boone.
With two outs in the ninth, Katie Boyd drew a four pitch walk, her second-straight, to bring up Lighton. With a 2-0 count, Lighton smoked a line drive that just cleared the left field fence.
Kayla Richardson threw a complete-game seven-hitter for the Mountaineers', striking out four without walking a batter. The complete-game is her seventh of the season and the 40th of her career. She shutout the Bulldogs over the final five innings of play. With the win she moves to 4-3 on the year.
Both teams were able to get on the board in the first inning, Samford scored on an RBI single by Amanda Barrs to dive in Kristy Lawrence. Appalachian struck back with a Boyd opposite field shot with two outs. The home run is Boyd's SoCon leading sixth of the season.
The Black and Gold took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Andrea McIntyre and Sarah Rappe started the inning with back-to-back singles, after a foul out, Boyd drew her first of three walks on the day, to bring up Ashley Gaston hit a shot in the hold to the right of the short stop, the Bulldogs' short stop was able to field the ball but unable to make a play, as Rappe scored from third.
Samford tied the score in the fourth when Amanda Barrs scored on an error. Samford loaded the bases with one out but Richardson got a pop out and a ground out to end the threat.
The score remained 2-2 until Lighton's final blow. Stephanie Royall picked up the loss for Samford, allowing seven ASU hits and four earned runs. Amy Gonzalez and Barrs had two hits apiece to lead the Samford offensive attack, while ASU had seven different players get a hit, while Boyd scored two runs.
ASU looks to stay hot as they travel to Presbyterian on Wednesday March 11 for a mid-week doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
College of Charleston 4, Georgia Southern 0
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Junior pitcher Terri Mesko (McDonough, Ga.) threw a complete game shutout and senior designated hitter Shannon Howard (Carmichael, Calif.) went 3-for-3 with three RBIs as the College of Charleston (6-11, 2-1) defeated Georgia Southern (8-12, 1-2) 4-0 in the final game of their Southern Conference series on Sunday, March 8.
Charleston took the early lead in the first inning as senior outfielder Tiffany Harmon (Lynn Haven, Fla.) singled to lead off the inning and was driven in by a double to left center by Howard. The lead would stay at 1-0 until the third inning when sophomore outfielder Kristi Woodall (Huntersville, N.C.) singled to lead off and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Junior third baseman Kristie Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) then singled to left and advanced to second on an error, putting two runners in scoring position for Howard. Eagle pitching still did not have an answer for the Cougars hottest hitter as she singled to right field to make it a 2-0 ball game. GSU then got out of the inning without further damage on a fielders choice.
Mesko was dominant through the game’s first three innings as she faced the minimum nine batters, allowing one hit before the runner was erased on a caught stealing. In the top of the fourth inning, however, it was Georgia Southern’s turn to mount a challenge as they loaded the bases on a single, double and intentional walk with no one out.
At that point, Mesko induced a fly to center, fielder’s choice and a fly out to left field to shut the Eagles down and deny them their only legitimate scoring opportunity. CofC answered back in the fifth with Howard’s third RBI of the day as she singled home Woodall from third base to make it 3-0. The Cougars would add one more run, this one on a single by Harmon in the sixth, to reach the final margin at 4-0.
For Georgia Southern, no batter had more than one hit as the Cougars scattered three singles and a double by freshman centerfielder Marie Fogle. In the circle, sophomore pitcher Brianna Streetmon, who picked up the victory in the series opener, gave up nine hits and all four runs to fall to 3-4 on the season.
Howard led the way for the Cougars with her second straight strong performance at the plate. The Carmichael, Calif. native went 3-for-3 with three RBIs while Harmon was 2-for-2 with a run and RBI. Woodall finished the day 2-for-3 with a career-high tying two runs scored. Mesko pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only four hits, three of them singles, as she struck out three and walked one to move to 3-7 on the season.
Her three strikeouts bring her to 461 for her career and move her into second place all-time. She passed Kenzie Kohler’s mark of 460 and is two strikeouts away from passing Rachael Stern’s record of 462 and becoming the College of Charleston’s all-time strikeout leader.
Charleston will be back in action on Tuesday, March 10 with at double-header at Charlotte. Start time for the twin-bill is 3:00 p.m.
Chattanooga 3, Furman 1
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Thanks to another clutch hit from Jenni Martin and a stellar outing from Brooke Loudermilk, the Chattanooga softball team defeated Furman 3-1 on Sunday. The win gives the Lady Mocs (11-11/3-0 SoCon) the series sweep over the Paladins (6-11/0-3 SoCon) and extends its season-long winning streak to six.
“You can not put a price tag on a conference sweep,” head coach Frank Reed said. “We do not want to look back later in the season and regret we were not able to sweep at home. I am really proud of our pitchers, they kept us in the ballgame all weekend long and you cannot ask for more.”
Loudermilk (1-0) captured her first victory of the season going the full seven innings and allowing one unearned run. The Furman offense was only able to muster four hits of the righty, who threw the 41st complete game of her career.
Furman’s starting pitcher, Lana Mackey (3-5), was very effective as well holding the UTC offense to only five hits. One of the hits however, came off the bat of Martin, who had another two-out, two-run single to put Chattanooga on top to stay.
In the Lady Mocs’ game two 2-0 victory on Saturday, Martin broke a scoreless tie in the fourth with a two-run single.
Chattanooga struck first in the contest with a RBI single by Michelle Fuzzard that scored Lyndsey Stiles. Stiles, the Southern Conference’s stolen base leader, put herself in scoring position by stealing her 10th base of the season.
Mackey would settle down however as the junior allowed only hit for the next four innings. The Paladin offense would help its pitcher out in the fifth with its first run of the weekend. Furman centerfielder Meredith Mielke had a two-out single that scored Brythe Blankenship. The run was first that UTC had allowed in 21 innings and the single run the Chattanooga staff allowed the whole series. Blankenship finished the day 2-for-3 for the Paladins.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Lady Mocs started another late rally with a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Kristin Holloway. A Fuzzard sacrifice bunt sent Holloway to second, followed by a single up the middle by Tiffany Baker. Baker was able to advance to second on the throw by the Paladin centerfielder, which held up Holloway at third. After a Toni Hutchison strikeout, Martin come up big again with a 0-1 two-run single down the left field line to put UTC up to stay.
Loudermilk was able to close the door in the seventh with her fifth strikeout as the Lady Mocs kept its winning streak in tact.
The team will now hit the road for its first road conference series of the season as the team heads to Greensboro, N.C., for a series with UNC Greensboro on Mar. 14-15. The three-game tilt will begin of Saturday, Mar. 14 with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. The Lady Mocs next home game will be on Wednesday, Mar. 18 as the team hosts Belmont at 5 p.m.
UNC Greensboro 11, Western Carolina 3
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina softball (5-10, 1-2 SoCon) dropped the final game of the series to UNC Greensboro (9-12, 2-1SoCon) 11-3 Sunday at the Catamount Softball Complex.
Senior Catamount hurler Lauren Ross takes the loss after coming into the game in relief of sophomore Chere Monday who lasted two thirds of an inning to start the game. Ross falls to 3-3 on the year going 4.2 innings allowing seven runs on 10 hits.
UNC Greensboro had an offensive explosion throughout the game, opening the contest with two quick runs to start the first inning. The Spartans then tacked on an additional run in the third inning.
UNCG pitcher Cory Mattson had a no-hitter for three innings before junior Catamount catcher Danielle Reese broke it up with a lead-off homerun to start the fourth inning. The two-run Catamount deficit expanded to seven runs when the Spartans scored five runs in the top of the fifth inning.
Western Carolina did post two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Freshman Chelsea Schaffer became the second catamount to lead off with a homerun for WCU's second run of the game.
With two outs, Keri Burnside reached on a UNCG error and scored an RBI double by Reese.
The Spartans closed out the game with three runs in the top of the sixth inning to shorten the game by one inning. Mattson takes the win and improves to 1-1 on the year.
Western Carolina will host Georgia State Wednesday in doubleheader non-conference action beginning at 2 p.m. at the Catamount Softball Complex.