Chattanooga 4, UAB 2; UAB 5, Chattanooga 1
BIRMINGHAM --- In its final midweek games of the season, the Chattanooga softball team split with UAB on Thursday. The Lady Mocs (23-19) took the first game 4-2, but fell in game two to the Blazers (13-28), 5-1.
In the opening game of the twin bill, the Lady Mocs used clutch hitting and a strong outing from Brooke Loudermilk (5-1) for the 4-2 win.
Michelle Fuzzard (8-7) was unable to hold down the Blazers’ offense in the nightcap as UAB pulled off the split with a 5-1 win in game two.
In the top of the third, the Lady Mocs struck first in the opening game thanks to a miscue by UAB. Jenni Martin led off the inning with a walk and Jessica Traxler was then hit by a pitch to put two runners on with no one out.
After a sacrifice by Lauren Flores moved the runners to second and third, UTC got its first run of the afternoon thanks to an error by the Blazers’ first baseman, Laura Callaway. Callaway dropped a throw from the pitcher on a tapper from Lyndsey Stiles, which allowed Stiles to score.
Chattanooga would not stop there as the Lady Mocs would tag on another run during the next bat thanks to a RBI single from Kaiti Kelley, giving the Lady Mocs a 2-0 lead.
Loudermilk cruised through the third, but ran into trouble in the fourth as UAB was able to scratch across its first run on a sacrifice fly by Laura Callaway. The Blazers would tie the contest at two the very next inning thanks to doubles from Kayla Harris and Caley Walden.
After being held to just one hit through the first five innings, the Lady Mocs’ offense finally showed signs of life thanks to Tiffany Baker, Toni Hutchison and Brittany Eason. Baker started the UTC rally with a one-out single into leftfield. Hutchison stepped in next and drove in the second baseman with a double into centerfield to give Chattanooga a 3-2 lead.
Eason stepped in next and gave the Lady Mocs a big insurance run with a single into left, scoring Hutchison and giving UTC a 4-2 lead.
That would be all the support Loudermilk needed as the righty closed the game out for Chattanooga, allowing only three UAB baserunners through the sixth and seventh.
In the nightcap, the Lady Mocs were in a hole early thanks to a sloppy first inning. Fuzzard was able to record Walden for the first out, but then ran into trouble. The righty then walked Martina Landrum to put runners on first and second. The UTC defense then struggled to bail out Fuzzard as Traxler and Hutchison each made errors.
Hutchison’s miscue came with two outs in the inning and Chattanooga was unable to escape without damage as Mandy Lowman drew a bases loaded walk to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.
Unfortunately for UTC and Fuzzard, the UAB bats were productive in the second inning as well. The frame began with a single from Donna Plath, followed by a strikeout of Maegan Hornsby. The Blazers then had a single from Walden and a walk from Landrum to load the bases. UAB tacked on its second run of the game with a sac fly from Douglass to extend its lead to 2-0. Amanda Allen then broke the game open with a bases-clearing double to put the Blazers up 4-0 and knock Fuzzard out of the game.
Kaity Holloway entered the game for UTC in relief of Fuzzard and retired the first batter she faced to end the second.
That would be all the help Amber Torres (5-5) need for UAB as the right-hander allowed only one run on a Traxler squeeze bunt in the fourth as the Blazers cruised to the 5-1 win.
The Lady Mocs will now wrap up their nonconference schedule on Sunday, Apr. 19 against Southeastern Conference foe Kentucky. First pitch for the scheduled doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Lexington, Ky.
North Carolina A&T 3, UNC Greensboro 2; UNC Greensboro 4, North Carolina A&T 3
GREENSBORO, NC ? North Carolina A&T got a walk-off, 3-2 win in game one and UNC Greensboro got three RBI from Whitney Miller in the Spartans' 4-3 game-two victory as the squads split a doubleheader at the Aggie Softball Complex on Thursday.
After the Aggies (19-15) got their first win in program history against the Spartans (18-22) in game one, UNCG quickly jumped on N.C. A&T starter Sasha Philpot (8-7) in game two. Freshman Jordan Jewett led off the game with a walk, and a steal and a wild pitch put her on third. Classmate Alex Emeterio walked to put runners at the corners, and Miller brought both of them in with a double to right center for an early 2-0 lead.
UNCG starter Cory Mattson (3-3) was perfect the first time through the Aggies’ order, striking out the side in the third. But Yahamma White singled to center to lead off the fourth, breaking up the perfect game. After a sacrifice moved White to second, Ryanne Hill brought her in with a single to left and moved to third on a UNCG error. Tangala Conover followed with a single up the middle to bring in Hill, knotting the game at 2 apiece.
The Spartans wasted no time reclaiming the lead, getting a walk from Miller and an infield single from Katie Stripling with two outs to load the bases. Philpot then walked Kayla Hensley on four pitches to force in Emeterio with the go-ahead run.
UNCG added what would prove to be a necessary insurance run in the sixth, again loading the bases with two outs. Lyndsay Mouse walked, Whitney Sirois singled and Emeterio walked to bring up Miller, whose fielder’s choice brought in Mouse when the Aggies were unable to get Sirois at third in time.
N.C. A&T attempted to recreate the seventh-inning magic of game one, but could only push one run across on a UNCG throwing error. Mattson got Ashley Carter to fly out to center to end the game.
Mattson allowed just three runs ? two earned ? on seven hits and one walk, striking out a career-high 10 batters. She struck out at least one batter in every inning.
Philpot struggled with her control, allowing four runs on 12 walks and five hits, striking out five.
Five different players accounted for UNCG’s five hits in the game, while Mouse and Hensley had three walks each.
White, Conover and Jessie Larson had two hits each for the Aggies.
Game one saw the Aggies pick up their first win in 18 tries against the Spartans, as White led off the seventh with a single up the middle, and after a sacrifice and wild pitch moved her to third, Hill came through with a full-count single through the left side to score White with the winning run.
Just like in game two, UNCG jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead in game one, but that would be the last of the offense in the contest for the Spartans. Jewett and Miller drew consecutive walks to lead off the game, and a Mouse flyout to right moved both runners over. Mary Catherine Vercoe’s groundout brought in Jewett with the game’s first run, and Miller scored when White misplayed Emeterio’s grounder at third.
The Aggies got a run back in the third, getting three straight two-out hits from White, Carter and Hill to score their first run of the day.
UNCG got back-to-back singles from Emeterio and Leslie Furness to lead off the fourth, and a sacrifice from Emily Akiyama moved both runners up a bag. Aggies starter Jennifer Luper was up to the challenge, however, getting a strikeout and a flyout to center to end the inning with no damage done.
The Spartans threatened again in the top of the sixth, but again stranded two runners. Furness drew a one-out walk and Akiyama followed with a single to right, but Luper struck out the next two batters to again skirt disaster.
N.C. A&T got the equalizer in its half of the sixth, loading the bases with no one out on three straight hits from Hill, Conover and Larson. The Spartans were able to gun down Hill at the plate on a grounder to short, and UNCG starter Hannah Angel struck out pinch-hitter Philpot for out No. 2. Angel got to two strikes on pinch-hitter Antoinette Torres, but a passed ball allowed Conover to score from third with the tying run.
Miller drew a one-out walk in the seventh, but Luper again struck out the final two batters to squash any thoughts of a Spartans rally before Hill’s heroics in the bottom half sealed the win for the Aggies.
Hill finished the game 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while White and Carter had two hits each. UNCG again spaced out its hits, with Jewett, Emeterio, Furness and Akiyama accounting for the Spartans’ four base knocks. Miller drew three walks in the game.
Angel fell to 10-9 on the year, allowing three runs on nine hits and a walk in 6.1 innings of work. She struck out a season-high 10, including two each in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings.
Luper improved to 11-7, allowing two runs ? one earned ? on four hits and five walks. She struck out eight.
The Spartans return to action this weekend at Georgia Southern, where they will face the Eagles for a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and wrap up the three-game Southern Conference set with a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
East Carolina 7, Elon 5
ELON, N.C. - Brandi Jones hit the 25th home run of her career to tie the school record that was set by Pam Brock, who played at Elon from 1999-2002 in the 7-5 loss to East Carolina in non-conference softball action at East Field. The team’s combined for four home runs, including three three-run homers. Elon falls to 13=21 on the season while ECU improves to 31-11 this season.
Leading the Phoenix was Kaitlyn Piazzolla, who went two-for-three with four RBI and one run scored following a three-run blast in the third. Brandi Jones was three-for-four with a solo home run and two runs scored.
The Phoenix recorded the first hit of the day when Jones singled to left field in the bottom of the first. With one out, Patti Weber hit an infield single that put Jones at third. Piazzolla singled up the middle to score Jones that allowed Elon to take an early 1-0 lead.
Cristen Aona gave ECU its first hit of the game when she opened the top of the second with a single to shallow center. Sarah Bibee was then hit by a pitch to put Aona in scoring position. Elon was able to get the lead runner for the second out when Christina Merrida reached on a fielder’s choice. With two outs, Kaui Tom hit a three-run home run over the left field wall to give the Pirates a 3-1 lead. Elon’s Erin O’Shea ended the inning by striking out the final batter.
The Phoenix looked to threaten in the bottom of the second when Hannah Shelton and Jones reached a pair of singles. The final Elon batter struck out before Elon could plate a run.
Angel Barrella opened the top of the third with a walk that was followed by a bunt single by Charina Sumner that put runners at first and second. With no one out, Jessica Johnson belted a three-run home run to right center field that allowed ECU to take a 6-1 lead. A strikeout by O’Shea and a pair of pop-ups allowed Elon to end the inning.
Elon answered with a three-run homer of its own to make it a 6-4 game in the bottom of the third. Weber and Melanie Helterbran opened the bottom of the third with a pair of singles that brought Piazzolla to the plate. Once there, she sent an 0-2 pitch over the left centerfield wall to cut the lead to two.
The pitchers kept opposing batters at bay over the next two innings, combining for just two hits and 11 strikeouts. East Carolina ended the pitcher’s duel in the top of the seventh inning. Aona walked to reach. Following the walk, two ECU hitters were hit by pitches to load the bases. Bibee then singled to left field to score Aona to give the Pirates a 7-4 lead.
Jones recorded the final run of the game for Elon in the bottom of the seventh inning with a solo shot to left field to give her a share of the school record and make it a 7-5 game.
Toni Paisley picked up the win to improve to 23-6. She allowed one run on one hit in 4.2 innings. She also struck out 10. Also appearing in the circle for the Pirates was Brooke Swann, who threw 2.1 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and struck out two. Erin O’Shea fell to 5-6 on the season. She allowed seven runs on six hits and struck out five, tying her career-best, in 6.2 innings of work. She also issued three walks and hit three batters. Helterbran came on in relief of O’Shea in the seventh, allowing just one hit. She also registered one strikeout.
The Phoenix return to the road this weekend when it travels to Charleston, S.C. to face the College of Charleston. The team will play a double-header on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. The three-game series will conclude Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.