Samford Takes Two of Three From College of Charleston
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford softball team grabbed its first two wins in Southern Conference play Sunday in a near tripleheader that was played at Bulldog Field. The Bulldogs took the first two games before falling in the third after the Cougars rallied late in the game to win it.
Because of rain on Saturday, the Samford (8-13, 2-4 SoCon) and Charleston (8-14, 3-3) had to suspend play in the first game after only two innings of play. The pair picked back up where they left off at noon on Sunday, finished game one and played two more after that.
Samford put up a seven-run rally in the bottom of the sixth to win the first game, 8-4. The Bulldogs then led the whole second game and held the Cougars off after they put two runs on the board in the top of the seventh. In the third game, Samford held a 4-0 lead until the top of the sixth when Charleston brought in four runs to tie the game. The game then went into extra innings and the Cougars put up two more in the top of the eight before hold the Bulldogs scoreless in the bottom of the inning.
The Bulldogs will be back in action next weekend as they take to the road to take on Chattanooga, March 21-22.
Samford 8, College of Charleston 4
When play was suspended on Saturday, Charleston led, 1-0 at the top of the third with two outs and runners on second and third. When play resumed on Sunday, the Cougars batted in those two to take a 3-0 lead but Samford answered back in the bottom of the fourth with a solo homerun by Kristy Lawrence.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Charleston led off with a homerun by Kristi Woodall to make it a 4-1 ballgame. Kayla Burris then replaced Stephanie Royall at the mound and the Bulldogs recorded three straight outs.
In the bottom of the inning, Samford rallied back to record put seven runs on the board to take the game, 8-4. Katie England lead off with a homerun while Charleston hit the next two batters ? Amanda Barrs and Kristy Lawrence ? to place them on base. With runners at first and second, Amanda Jordan rattled of a big double to right field to bring Barrs and Lawrence home.
After a pitching change, Whitney Terry bunted to get on first and stole second while Jordan advanced to third base. Rachael Reeves then reached first on a fielder’s choice which brought Jordan in for Samford’s fourth RBI of the inning. Amy Gonzalez came to bat, singled and advanced to second on the throw. That brought Terry in to make it a 6-4 game before Jessica Owens singled to bring in Reeves. Aaren Fisher then laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring Gonzalez in for the winning run.
Burris got her second win of the season, striking out three and walking none in two innings. Royall pitched five innings, struck out four, walked three and gave up three earned runs on seven hits. Terri Mesko took the loss for the Cougars giving up five earned runs on three hits. She struck out three and walked three in five innings of play. Laura Jeroszko finished out the game for the Cougars, pitching one whole inning and giving up three runs on three hits.
Six Bulldogs chalked up one RBI each while Jordan tallied two of her own. Gonzalez had two stolen bases while Terry had one. Lawrence and Terry led in putouts with eight and seven respectively.
Samford 4, College of Charleston 3
Samford opened the second game with a three-up three-down top of the first inning. The Bulldogs then put two on the board in the bottom of the innings to take a 2-0 lead. Owens led off with a single to the pitcher and advanced to second when Fisher grounded out to the pitcher. England and Barrs were then walked, which loaded the bases. Lawrence came to the plate and singled to left field to bring in Owens. With the bases still loaded, Terry walked and England scored.
After a scoreless second inning, Samford retired three straight in the top of the third before putting one up in the bottom of the inning. Lawrence got on base with a single to center field and advanced to second on the throw. Jordan then doubled and moved Lawrence to third and Charleston loaded the bases once more by walked Terry. Harmon singled to right field and brought in Lawrence.
Charleston answered back with a run in the top of the fourth as Shannon Howard singled to bring in Tiffany Harmon. The Bulldog made it a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth when Owens singled with runners on first and third to bring in Jordan.
The Cougars tired to spark a rally in the top of the seventh, putting two on the board but fell just short as the Bulldogs took game two, 4-3.
Barrs got the win for the Bulldogs, pitching six whole innings and striking out four. She walked zero batters and gave up only three earned runs on six hits. Burris earned the saved for the game, coming in to relieve in the seventh inning. She struck out one batter and only gave up two hits. Howard took the loss for the Cougars, giving up four earned runs on ten hits. She walked four and struck out seven.
College of Charleston 6, Samford 4
Samford got on the board first in the third game when England bought in Owens on a double to left center. The Bulldogs and Cougars would play three and a half scoreless innings with only three hits between them but Samford would take a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Bulldogs put runners on second and third with one out before England doubled to right center to bring in Fisher and Owens to make it a 3-0 ballgame. England then stole third while Barrs was at the plate before Barrs struck out swinging. Lawrence then singled to left field to bring in England and the Bulldogs had a 4-0 lead at the five innings.
Charleston answered back with four of their own in the top of the sixth to tie the game at four. Christal Kotchman led off with a walk before Harmon doubled to center field. Pesature loaded the bases with a single and then Kristie Shifflett hit a grand slam homerun to bring in all four RBI.
Samford worked a three-up three-down top of the seventh before Charleston retired the Bulldogs in the bottom of the inning with only one hit. The Cougars mad e their move in the top of the eighth, though, making it a 6-4 game with two runs. Shifflett singled to get on base and Howard hit a homerun to drive in the two runs. The Cougars grabbed game three, 6-4.
Alexa Datko earned the win for the Cougars. She pitched a full eight innings, striking out three batters and walking only one. She had four earned runs on nine hits, two of those being doubles.
Royall pitched seven and one-third innings, striking out three and walking two batters. She gave up four earned runs on five hits before Burrs came on in relief. Burris took the loss after striking out one batter and giving up the two winning runs on two hits.
England led the Bulldogs in RBI in the third game while Lawrence had Samford’s fourth and led in putouts with 11.
Georgia Southern 3, Appalachian State 2
STATESBORO, Ga. - Amanda Hall's (Haddock, Ga.) walk-off double to the wall in left gives Georgia Southern (11-12, 4-2) a 3-2 win over Appalachian State (9-11, 3-3) Sunday at Eagle Field. The Eagles completed the sweep of the Mountaineers and improved to 4-2 in Southern Conference play.
“We talked all week long about coming together as a team and moving together in the same direction,” said head coach Maggie Johnson. “We came out and played as a single unit and got the job done.”
After the Mountaineers took a 2-1 lead in the top half of the sixth, the Eagles responded scoring a two-out run in the bottom half of the inning. Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) drove in pinch runner Bethany Crenshaw (Warner Robins, Ga.) with a RBI double to left.
Ennis tied a season high with two doubles in Sunday's game and became the third Eagle to hit two doubles in a game this year.
Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) retired the side in order in the top of the seventh setting the Eagles up for a dramatic bottom half of the inning. Streetmon pitched a complete game one-hitter allowing only one earned run.
Robyne Siliga (Oceanside, Calif.) led off the bottom half of the inning and promptly drilled a stand-up double giving Georgia Southern a prime scoring opportunity. Hall followed Siliga to the plate and drove her sixth double of the season to the wall scoring pinch runner Stephanie Peet (Lawrenceville, Ga.) from second. Georgia Southern walked off the field with a 3-2 win and series sweep of the Mountaineers.
“We were at a great place in our lineup. Robyne has the ability to come up with a big hit any time she steps in the box.” said Johnson. “Amanda is great under pressure and she stepped up.”
Streetmon carried a no-hitter into the sixth before Katie Boyd drove in the tying run with a full count triple. The Mountaineers took the lead on a controversial obstruction call on the catcher. Boyd came home after Ennis caught Morgan Price's fly ball. Ennis appeared to throw Boyd out near the plate when Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.) collided with runner after catching the throw. The home plate umpire ruled that Side had obstructed Boyd's advancement and the run was counted.
The Eagles led for five innings after scoring a run in the first inning. Ennis led off with the first of her two doubles. Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.) moved her to third on a base hit, and Ennis scored on a ground ball to second by Hall.
Softball hits the road for seven straight road games before taking a weekend off. The Eagles will take the field Tuesday in Clinton, S.C. against Presbyterian. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 2 p.m.