Chattanooga 3, Appalachian State 2; Chattanooga 4, Appalachian State 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Strong performances in the circle were huge for the Chattanooga softball team as the Lady Mocs (22-18/12-2 SoCon) swept away second place Appalachian State in a doubleheader on Saturday. UTC won the first contest in extra innings, beating ASU (17-22/9-8 SoCon) 3-2 in nine, while taking the second contest 4-0.
With the wins, the Lady Mocs extend their lead over the Mountaineers to four and a half games to remain atop the Southern Conference standings.
Game 1 went to Kaity Holloway (4-1), who pitched three perfect innings in relief of Brooke Loudermilk for the Lady Mocs. Kayla Richardson (9-12) took the loss, throwing eight and one-thirds of an inning and allowing three runs and striking out seven.
In the second game of the day, Michelle Fuzzard (8-6) shut down the ASU offense, allowing only four hits and striking out a career-tying eight batters for her fourth complete game shutout of the season. The offense was provided by Tiffany Baker in the game, who went 2-for-3 and belted her tenth home run of the season.
In the first game, the Chattanooga offense got to work early in the contest as UTC tallied three hits and a run off Richardson in the first. Kaiti Kelley gave the Lady Mocs its first baserunner of the contest with a one-out walk. Michelle Fuzzard sent Kelley to third with a single into right field to put runners at the corners with only out.
After a Tiffany Baker strikeout, Toni Hutchison put Chattanooga on the board with a run-scoring single into leftfield. The Lady Mocs threatened to put another run up in the frame, but Fuzzard was thrown out at home by Sarah Rappe on a Brittany Eason single.
Loudermilk was set to cruise control for the next few innings as the Mountaineer hitters could not figure out the righty. Over the next four innings the junior allowed only hit and struck out six ASU batters.
Richardson got into a groove of her own as well as the righthander held Chattanooga hitless through four strong innings.
Appalachian State was the next to strike as the Mountaineers finally solved Loudermilk in the sixth. The ASU rally began with a one-out single into center from Sarah Rappe. After another Loudermilk strikeout and a walk to Katie Boyd, Appalachian State broke through and tied the contest at one with a RBI single off the bat of Michelle Lighton.
The Chattanooga pitcher would escape without further damage by striking out Meagan Squartino.
In the bottom half of the sixth, the Lady Mocs answered with a rally of their own, which started with a one-out single from Hutchison. Pinch-runner Della Harrison would advance to second on a wild pitch before being driven in by an Eason single down the rightfield line.
Up 2-1 in the seventh, the Lady Mocs seemed poised for its fourth straight conference victory, but the late inning woes continued for UTC as the team was unable to hold the slim lead.
Rightfielder Brittany Gaston took the wind out of Chattanooga’s sails quick with a solo home run to leftfield to lead off the inning. Morgan Price then reached base on another hit, prompting the Lady Mocs to make a pitching change. In came Kaity Holloway and the sophomore retired the next three Mountaineer batters to extinguish the ASU rally in its tracks.
Richardson and Holloway continued their dominance over both offenses until the bottom of the ninth when the Chattanooga offense finally awoke. The frame began with a groundout by Jessica Traxler before the Lady Mocs rattled off three straight singles from Lauren Flores, Lyndsey Stiles and Kelley.
With the bases loaded, Fuzzard gave UTC the walk-off win with a fielder’s choice to short. Megan Rembielak’s throw was not in time at the plate as the Lady Mocs escaped with the 3-2 win.
Game 2 pitted Ashley Stubbs for ASU and Fuzzard for UTC in what was a pitcher’s duel through the early stages of the contest.
Stubbs was strong early for the Mountaineers as the freshman held Chattanooga without a hit until a Jenni Martin single in the third inning.
The righthander eventually ran into trouble however, courtesy of Baker and the long ball. In the fourth inning, the sophomore gave UTC a 2-0 thanks to a two-run blast to leftfield. The homer scored Fuzzard who had reached on her first single of the game.
That would be all the offense Fuzzard needed as the sophomore allowed only two more Mountaineer baserunners, en route to the 4-0 shutout. The two other UTC runs came in the sixth off errors from ASU first baseman Morgan Price.
The Lady Mocs will now take the week off from conference play as the team will play two out-of-conference road doubleheaders next week. UTC will play UAB on Thursday, Apr. 16 beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Chattanooga will then play at Kentucky on Sunday, Apr. 19.
Georgia Southern 14, Elon 4
Elon, N.C. -The Elon Phoenix softball team fell to Georgia Southern 14-4 in the first game of a three game series, which began Friday afternoon and concluded Saturday morning due to heavy rain and lightening in the Elon area. The loss dropped Elon to 12-19 on the season and 3-7 in Southern Conference action. Georgia Southern improved to 18=16, including an 8-5 mark in league play.
Georgia Southern picked up three early runs in the top of the first. The first run was driven in on an Amanda Hall single. Georgia Southern put two more runs on the board after Sam Russo singled up the middle that allowed the Lady Eagles a 3-0 lead. The final batter was retired when Jaimie Rao made a running grab in left field.
Brandi Jones opened the bottom of the first with a triple to right field. She scored one batter later when Jacqueline Gonzalez singled to the shortstop, cutting the lead to 3-1. Elon could not push another run across as the final batter hit into a double play.
The Lady Eagles added two runs in the top of the second inning to make it a 5-1 game. A Marie Fogle double was followed by a fielder’s choice by Robyne Siliga that loaded the bases. A double by Megen Smith scored Michelle Beasley and Fogle. Siliga was gunned down at home on a relay from Jones to Danielle Lafferty to Kaitlyn Piazzolla for the final out of the inning.
Melanie Helterbran came on in relief of Pam DelPizzo in the top of the third. Once in the circle, she set the tone of the remainder of the third by striking out the first two batters on six pitches. She allowed one hit in the inning, but struck out the final batter to end the inning.
The Eagles opened up to an 10-1 lead in the top of the fourth. Nina Iduate and Fogle started the inning with back-to-back singles. With one out, Hall sent the ball to straight away center for a three-run home run before lightening and rain delayed the game until Saturday morning. When the game resumed the following day, Jenny Side doubled down the left field line to score Bethany Crenshaw, who pinch ran for Russo. The Lady Eagles scored the final run of the inning when Hanna Ennis doubled to left center to send Side home.
Elon was poised to score in the bottom of the fourth as it loaded the bases with no one out. Rao started the inning by reaching on an error that was followed by a Piazzolla single. Helterbran was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With two outs, Georgia Southern’s Brianna Streetmon walked three straight Phoenix runners, to make it a 10-4 game. Scoring the runs for Elon were Lafftery, Hannah Shelton and Erin O’Shea.
Iduate and Fogle reached to start the fifth inning. The pair would move up on a passed ball to put both runners in scoring position. Iduate plated the 11th run on a wild pitch that moved Fogle to third. She scored one batter later, bringing the score to 12-4, when Smith doubled to left field.
Georgia Southern put two more runs on the board to take a 14-4 lead following a single to right by Smith that scored Fogle and an error on Elon’s Lafferty that allowed Smith to score.
Kristan Glover came in the game to pitch for Streetmon where she retired the side in the bottom of the fifth to seal the 14-4 win for the Lady Eagles. Streetmon picked up the win to improve to 11-5, allowing four runs, only one of which was earned, on four hits in 3.2 innings of work. She also struck out three and walked five. Glover threw 1.1 innings without allowing a hit and striking out two. DelPizzo picked up the loss for Elon to fall to 4-4 on the season. She pitch two innings, allowing five runs on four hits and three walks. Helterbran threw the final three innings, allowing nine runs, seven earned, and struck out five. She also walked one batter.
Elon will continue the series this afternoon with a double-header that will begin at approximately 1 p.m. The final game is slated for a 3 p.m. start.
Georgia Southern 6, Elon 5; Elon 6, Georgia Southern 3
ELON, N.C. - Jacqueline Gonzalez and Erin O’Shea helped to lift Elon to a 6-3 win over Georgia Southern after falling in game two 6-5 in Southern Conference softball action at East Field Saturday afternoon. The pair was a combined seven-for-15 with four RBI and two runs scored. Kaitlyn Piazzolla led the team in RBI with five, while also scoring twice and recording the team’s only home run of the day.
Elon is now 13-20 on the season, including a 4-8 mark in conference play. Georgia Southern ends the series with a 19-17 record and is 9-6 in the Southern Conference.
Solid pitching in the second game of the series kept the game scoreless over the first three innings. Elon’s O’Shea and Georgia Southern’s Kristan Glover combined to scatter three hits over the opening innings.
Georgia Southern broke the deadlock in the top of the fourth inning when Amanda Hall hit a two-run home run to left center to lift the Lady Eagles to a 2-0 lead. Megen Smith followed the home run with a walk that brought Sam Russo to the plate where she doubled to right field to put runners at second and third. Hanna Ennis scored Smith on a fielder’s choice bunt to make it a 3-0 game. A diving catch by Jaimie Rao in left field recorded the second out of the inning and prevented a run from scoring. With two outs and the bases loaded, O’Shea struck the final Eagle out to end the inning.
Elon brought the game within two in the bottom of the fifth inning at 3-1. Caitlin McGowan opened the inning with a single. An error by Georgia Southern allowed her to move to third base on a fielder’s choice by O’Shea. McGowan crossed the plate when Gonzalez singled to shallow right field. The final two batters were retired before Elon could push another run across.
Georgia Southern answered in the top of the sixth inning scoring two runs to make it a 5-1 game. Smith led off with a single that was followed by a pair of doubles by Russo and Ennis for the Lady Eagles first two runs of the inning. Pam DelPizzo came on in relief of O’Shea following the runs where she allowed the Phoenix defense to end the inning. The final two outs came when Nina Iduate lined out to Gonzalez at second where she then through third for the double play.
The Phoenix threatened in the bottom half of the inning after loading the bases, including back-to-back walks by Melanie Helterbran and Ashlee Crewe with no outs. A fielder’s choice by O’Shea allowed Danielle Lafferty, who pinch ran for Piazzolla after reaching on an error, to score Elon’s second run to make it a 5-2 game.
Georgia Southern got the run back, retaking a four run lead at 6-2, in the top of the seventh after Marie Fogle singled and later scored on a Phoenix miscue.
Gonzalez opened the final half-inning of the game with a single. Following and out, Rao hit an infield single that put runners at first and second. With one out, Piazzolla belted an 0-1 pitch over the right field wall for a three-run home to cut the score to 6-5. The Phoenix was unable to do any more damage as the final two outs were recorded.
Glover picked up the win to improve to 5-2 on the season. She allowed five runs, three of which were earned, on six hits in the complete game performance. She also struck out four and walked four. O’Shea suffered the loss to fall to 4-5 on the season. She threw five innings, allowing five runs on seven hits. She also recorded two strikeouts and two walks. Also seeing time in the circle for Elon was DelPizzo who pitched two innings, allowing one unearned run on one hit. She also walked one and struck out one batter.
The Phoenix jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Jones got things started with a single up the middle. Piazzolla singled to score Jones for Elon’s first run of the game and advance Patti Weber, who was hit by a pitch, to third. Weber scored two batters later when O’Shea worked the count to single, giving Elon a 2-0 lead. With the bases loaded, Georgia Southern’s Brianna Streetmon threw an illegal pitch, allowing Piazzolla to score the third run of the game.
The Eagles tied the game in the top of the second after Russo and Ennis hit back-to-back home runs. Russo’s homer also scored Smith who reached on a single. O’Shea entered the circle in relief of Helterbran where she struck out the first two batters she faced and got the final out by getting the last batter to ground out to Danielle Lafferty at shortstop.
Both offenses were quiet over the next three and a half innings, as the pitchers limited batters to just three hits. Elon broke the 3-3 deadlock in the bottom of the sixth inning as a Hannah Shelton walk was followed by a single by Gonzalez. A walk issued to Weber loaded the bases for Rao.
She drew a walk to bring home the winning run, allowing Elon to take a 4-3 lead. Piazzolla drew the team’s third consecutive walk, scoring Gonzalez to make it a 5-3 game. A single by O’Shea added an insurance run as it allowed Weber to cross the plate to give the Phoenix a 6-3.
O’Shea retired the final three Georgia Southern batters to seal the 6-3 win for Elon. She earned the win to improve to 5-5, throwing six innings and allowed just two hits. She also recorded a career-best five strikeouts. Helterbran threw one inning, allowing three runs on four hits and striking out one. Smith picked up the loss to fall to 2-7 on the season. She allowed three runs on four hits and walked five. She also struck out three. Streetmon pitch two-third of an inning, allowing three runs on three hits. Glove was the final Eagle to appear in the circle, allowing one hit in two thirds of an inning.
The Phoenix return to action April 16 when it hosts East Carolina for one game. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at East Field.
UNC Greensboro 6, Samford 3; Samford 2, UNC Greensboro 1; UNC Greensboro 8, Samford 4
GREENSBORO, NC ? UNC Greensboro took two of three games from Samford on Saturday, earning a 6-3 comeback win in the completion of Friday's suspended game before dropping game one of a doubleheader 2-1. The Spartans took the rubber match, 8-4.
Junior Brittany Ausley’s three-run home run in the sixth inning of game one broke a 3-all tie and gave the Spartans (17-19, 6-6 Southern Conference) the series opener.
Game one picked up where it left off Friday, with the Spartans down 2-0 and batting in the bottom of the third.
The Bulldogs (12-22, 6-12 SoCon) opened up their two-run lead on a second-inning sacrifice fly from Whitney Terry and an RBI double from Kristy Lawrence in the third inning Friday before lightning halted play.
When play resumed Saturday, the Spartans battled back in the fifth inning, scoring two on a Jordan Jewett triple that scored Laura Olenderski and Ausley. Lyndsay Mouse followed with a double to the gap in left center, scoring Jewett to put UNCG on top 3-2.
The Bulldogs got the run back in the top of sixth, when Katie England got in ahead of the tag on Amy Gonzalez’s fielder’s choice.
With the score now tied at three, Ausley hit a towering home run down the third base line in the bottom half of the sixth to give UNCG starter Hannah Angel a comfortable margin heading into the seventh.
Angel worked around a pair of Samford hits in the top of the seventh, striking out pinch-hitter Tessa Frates to end the game.
Angel improved to 10-7 on the season after allowing three runs on three walks and eight hits.
Bulldogs starter Amanda Barrs (2-11) took the loss, as she allowed four runs on six hits and four walks in five innings of work.
Mouse was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a pair of doubles in the game, while Jewett was 2-for-3 with two RBI. England led the Bulldogs at the plate with a 3-for-4 showing.
Game one of the following doubleheader saw Samford jump out to another 2-0 lead, but the Spartans would not be able to overcome this one. The Bulldogs jumped on UNCG starter Cory Mattson right off the bat, getting a Kylie Harmon single through the left side to lead off the game. After a pair of flyouts to right, Samford broke through on Barrs’ single up the middle to score Harmon.
The Bulldogs added another run on a strange play in the second inning. With runners on second and third, Samford tried a squeeze play, but Mattson fielded the bunt and scooped the ball home in time to nail Amanda Jordan at the plate. UNCG catcher Whitney Sirois fired the ball to second and seemed to gun down Harmon at second to end the inning, but obstruction was called on Mouse, allowing Harmon to take second. Meanwhile, Terry snuck in from third while the Spartans were making the play on Harmon, putting Samford up 2-0.
The Spartans got a run back in the bottom of the third when Olenderski scored on a Samford error, but starter Stephanie Royall made her lead stand up. She picked up her seventh win of the season by allowing just an unearned run on four hits and a pair of walks.
Mattson took the loss despite a solid outing, falling to 2-3 after surrendering two runs ? one earned ? on three walks and seven hits.
Robyn Harmon was 2-for-4 to lead the Bulldogs in the game, while four players accounted for UNCG’s four hits.
The Spartans wrapped up the long day with a convincing 8-4 win, falling just one pitch shy of a shutout and mercy-rule win. UNCG jumped out to a three-run lead in the bottom of the first, with Ausley and Mouse scoring on Mary Catherine Vercoe’s two-run double to right ? effectively ending the extreme defensive shift the Bulldogs had used on her in the first two games ? and Vercoe coming in on Sirois’ RBI single.
UNCG blew it open in the fourth, plating five runs to hold an 8-0 lead. Jewett’s two-run single to left center scored Emily Akiyama and Olenderski and Ausley came in on a Samford error that allowed Mouse to reach. Vercoe walked to load the bases, and Alex Emeterio was hit by a pitch to force in Jewett. Sirois followed with a sacrifice fly to right to score Mouse.
The Bulldogs staved off the mercy rule in the top of the fifth, taking advantage of three walks and a fielder’s choice to load the bases with one out. Ausley turned in an outstanding defensive play for out No. 2, charging hard into foul ground and making a sliding grab and firing a strike to the plate to keep the runners in check.
Starter Amber Harrell looked as if she might work out of trouble, but a wild pitch allowed Barrs to score from third, spoiling the shutout and taking the mercy rule out of effect. Gonzalez grounded out to second on the next pitch to end the inning.
The Bulldogs added three more runs on Barrs’ three-run homer in the top of the sixth for the final margin.
Kylie Harmon and Gonzalez had two hits each for the Bulldogs in the third game of the day, while Jewett and Sirois had two hits each for the Spartans.
Royall (7-8) took the loss, allowing seven runs ? five of them earned ? on five hits and four walks in 3.1 innings. Robyn Harmon made her first appearance of the season in the circle, working 2.2 innings of relief. She allowed one unearned run on two hits and three walks.
Harrell improved to 5-9 on the year, giving up four runs on six hits and eight walks.
The Spartans return to action on Tuesday when they host UNCG coach Jennifer Herzig’s alma mater, Charlotte, for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.
Furman 9, College of Charleston 0; Furman 6, College of Charleston 5
Greenville, S.C. -- Senior Stephanie Cushing lined a walk-off single into the left-center field gap in the bottom of the eighth to lift Furman to a 6-5 victory and Southern Conference doubleheader sweep of the College of Charleston on Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium. The Paladins blanked the Cougars 9-0 in game one.
With the sweep, Furman improved to 15-22 overall and 7-7 in the SoCon. The Cougars fell to 13-21 overall and 6-8 in league play.
Katie Michaels doubled to left to open the bottom of the eighth when CofC’s Tiffany Harmon failed to make the catch on a diving effort in left field. Stephanie Field reached on an infield single and Abby Robertson walked to load the bases ahead of Cushing’s game-winning single.
Lana Mackey (8-10), who entered the game with a runner on first and nobody out in the top of the eighth, retired all three batters she faced to set up her second victory of the day in the circle.
Furman erased a 3-0 deficit in the bottom of the second when Field launched her first career home run, a grand slam, down the right field line. The Paladins upped the lead to 5-3 in the sixth as Robertson doubled off the glove of the third baseman and scored on Cushing’s double to center.
With Charleston down to its last out in the seventh, Katie Forbes was hit by a Stephanie Mihaly pitch and Amanda Lonergan followed with a single to right. Amanda Maurer then knotted the game at 5-5 with a two-run triple to right field to force extra innings.
Shannon Howard (3-10) suffered the loss for Charleston allowing six runs on 15 hits in seven-plus innings in the circle. Harmon went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs for the Cougars. Field paced the Paladins going 4-for-5 with four RBI while Robertson and Cushing each collected three hits apiece.
In game one, Mackey hurled a one-hit shutout and Furman pounded out nine runs on eight hits to hammer the Cougars, 9-0.
The Perry, Ga., native fanned seven batters and limited the Cougars to just a first inning single to notch her first victory of the day. CofC starter Terri Mesko (7-9) surrendered six runs on three hits in just 1 1/3 innings to suffer the loss.
Brythe Blankenship keyed a three-run bottom half of the first inning with a two-run single and nine straight Paladins reached bases safely in the second inning as Furman plated six runs for the 9-0 margin.
Robertson, 5-for-5 in the doubleheader, Morgan Hughey and Kate Termini each added a pair of hits in game two. Blankenship batted in three runs in the shutout victory.
The College of Charleston returns home Wednesday afternoon to host Coastal Carolina in a non-conference doubleheader. Furman travels to face Appalachian State in a three-game SoCon series April 18-19, in Boone, N.C.