Georgia Southern 1, Chattanooga 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The Chattanooga softball team was denied its 10th straight conference victory on Sunday as the Lady Mocs (25-20, 14-3 SoCon) were shutout 1-0 by Georgia Southern on Senior Day.
The UTC offense was stifled by GSU’s Breanna Streetmon (14-7), who went the distance for the win. The lefty allowed only six Chattanooga hits and struck out four as the Eagles avoided the sweep.
Kaity Holloway (4-2) was almost as strong for the Lady Mocs, throwing five and one-thirds of an inning, allowing only one run and four hits. Kandice Irwin threw an inning and two-thirds in relief with only two batters reaching on walks.
Much like the first game in yesterday’s doubleheader, Sunday’s game featured another pitcher’s duel early on. Streetmon and Holloway were stingy through the first three innings, allowing only one hit apiece.
In the fourth, the Eagles were finally able to solve Holloway thanks to a pair of singles and a walk. Sam Russo led off the inning with a base hit into rightfield. Russo would be retired however during the next at bat by a failed sacrifice bunt attempt from Megen Smith. With Smith at first, Amanda Glover then drew a walk to put runners at first and second with only one out.
After another fielder’s choice made it two outs in the inning, catcher Mackenzie Williams put GSU on the board with a single into centerfield to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Kandice Irwin then entered the game in relief for Holloway and was able to escape without any further damage as she got Marie Fogle to ground out to third.
That would be all the run support Streetmon needed as the southpaw pitched in and out of jams for her 14th win of the season.
The Chattanooga offense was able to get several runners on base, but was unable to drive those in, leaving eight on the basepaths.
The Lady Mocs staged their biggest rally of the afternoon in the sixth as Tiffany Baker led the frame off with a leadoff double. After a Toni Hutchison popout and a Brittany Eason strikeout, Jenni Martin put runners on the corners with an infield single. UTC would be unable to get that run across however, as Lynleigh Hurndon struck out to end the inning.
In the Chattanooga half of the seventh, Streetmon left no doubt, sitting down the Lady Mocs in order for the 1-0 win.
UTC will now head to Charleston, S.C. to close out the regular season against the College of Charleston. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning a 1 p.m.
Furman 5, Western Carolina 0
Greenville, S.C. -- Junior Lana Mackey hurled a four-hit shutout and recorded her 500th career strikeout as Furman blanked Western Carolina 5-0 to complete the sweep of its three-game Southern Conference softball series with the Catamounts Sunday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
Furman improved to 20-25 overall and 10-10 in the SoCon while the Catamounts fell to 11-31 overall and 7-14 in the league.
Mackey fanned eight batters on the afternoon to become just the fourth Paladin to reach 500 career strikeouts. She issued just three walks and stranded seven Catamount base runners on her way to improving her record to 11-12 in the circle.
Stephanie Field went 3-for-3 at the plate to pace the Paladins and highlighted a four-run sixth inning with a two-run single to score Jessie Homesley and Mackey. Homesley collected two hits and an RBI while Morgan Hughey went 1-for-2 with a pair of runs as Furman claimed its fifth consecutive victory.
Katie King allowed four earned runs on eight hits in six innings of work to absorb the loss for Western Carolina. King (5-16) walked one batter and struck out two.
Furman travels to Georgia Southern for a three-game SoCon series May 2-3, before opening Southern Conference Tournament play May 6, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
College of Charleston 8, UNC Greensboro 2
GREENSBORO, NC ? College of Charleston scored early and often as it completed the series sweep of UNC Greensboro and spoiled Senior Day on Sunday, 8-2. UNCG freshman Jordan Jewett knocked in both of the Spartans' runs on the day.
Jewett had two of UNCG’s five hits on the day, going 2-for-3 with an RBI triple in the third and an RBI single in seventh.
The Cougars (21-23, 12-8 Southern Conference) opened up a 4-0 lead after three innings, getting an RBI single from Kristie Shifflett in the first, an RBI single from Tiffany Harmon in the second and a two-run double from Shannon Howard in the third to chase UNCG starter Hannah Angel after three innings.
UNCG (19-29, 7-11 SoCon) got back to within three with a two-out rally in bottom of the third. Brittany Ausley drew a walk to get things going, and Jewett smacked her second triple of the season to the gap in right center to bring in Ausley with the Spartans’ first run of the day.
Amber Harrell came in to pitch for UNCG to lead off the fourth, and the junior needed just nine pitches to retire the Cougars in order for the first time.
CofC got to Harrell in the fifth and sixth innings, however, scoring a pair of runs in both frames. Amber Shifflett led off the fifth with a bunt single and Kristie Shifflett was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with no one out. Harrell struck out Howard looking, but Katie Forbes ? who had five RBI in the Cougars’ doubleheader sweep Saturday ? singled to left center to bring in Amber Shifflett. After another hit batter loaded the bases, pinch-hitter Katie Pesature drew a walk to force in Kristie Shifflett. Harrell got a strikeout and a flyout to stop the bleeding.
The Cougars added a pair of runs in the sixth as Christal Kotchman and Amber Shifflett drew consecutive walks to lead off the inning. Harrell got a strikeout and a foulout, but Forbes continued to torment the Spartans with another single to left center, scoring Kotchman and Amber Shifflett.
Trailing 8-1 entering the seventh, the Spartans worked a little more two-out magic. Pinch-hitter Katie Stripling coaxed a walk and Ausley followed by dropping a single down the left field line to bring Jewett to the plate with a runner in scoring position. The rookie didn’t disappoint, sending a 1-1 pitch back up the middle to score Stripling. CofC starter Terri Mesko got Mary Catherine Vercoe to fly out to center with runners on the corners to end the game.
Harmon was 3-for-5 a run and an RBI to lead the Cougars, who also got two-hit games from the Shifflett sisters and Forbes, who had three RBI Sunday to give her eight in three games against UNCG.
In addition to Jewett and Ausley, Kayla Hensley and Alex Emeterio had hits for the Spartans.
Mesko improved to 11-9 after allowing just two runs on five hits and four walks. She struck out eight.
Angel (11-12) took the loss, surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks in three innings, striking out three. Harrell worked four innings, allowing four runs on four hits and four walks. She struck out five.
The Cougars became the first SoCon team to sweep UNCG this season, and the first since Georgia Southern took a three-game set in Greensboro from April 12-13 of last year.
Prior to the game, UNCG honored seniors Angel, Vercoe, Leslie Furness and Lyndsay Mouse.
The Spartans continue their seven-game homestand when they host Liberty on Wednesday for a doubleheader at 3 p.m.
Samford 6, Elon 4
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford softball team took its final home conference series Sunday as it won the rubber game with Elon, 6-4. The Bulldogs came back from a three-run deficit to put together three straight innings of scoring to win their final regular-season conference game.
Samford (18-25, 10-14 SoCon) was led by Amy Gonzalez and Kylie Harmon who both went 2-for-2 on the day. Gonzalez had two RBI while Harmon added one. Katie England was 1-for-3 with one RBI while Aaren Fisher also was 1-for-3 at the plate.
Robyn Harmon (3-1) grabbed her third win of the season, pitching four and one-third innings and striking out four batters while giving up one earned run on six hits. Stephanie Royall earned the save as she came in and finished out the last one-third of the sixth inning. Amanda Barrs started the game in the pitcher’s circle, striking out three and giving up three earned runs on five hits in two and one-third innings.
Elon (14-28, 5-13 SoCon) was led by Patti Weber who went 3-for-4 on the day. Jacqueline Gonzalez and Kaitlyn Piazzolla were both 2-for-4 while Ashlee Crewe and Jaimie Rao were 1-for-4. Piazzolla had three of the Phoenix four RBI while Rao had one.
Melanie Helterbran (4-10) took the loss for the Phoenix as she pitched two and two-thirds innings and gave up four earned runs on four hits. She struck out one batter and walked one. Erin O’Shea started the game for the Phoenix and pitched three and one-third innings, giving up two runs on two hits. She struck out two batters and walked four.
Elon took a quick 3-0 lead when Piazzolla hit a home run with two outs and two runners on base. That lead lasted until the bottom of the fourth inning when Samford responded with a two-run inning to cut the lead to one.
After Jessica Owens grounded out to first base, Amy Gonzalez stepped up to the plate and homered to left center to get the Bulldogs on the board. O’Shea walked Amanda Jordan before being replaced in the pitcher’s circle by Helterbran. Jordan advanced to second base on a wild pitch while Aaren Fisher was at the plate, and then advanced to third when Fisher flied out to center field. Jordan scored when Kylie Harmon singled to the pitcher but the inning ended after Robyn Harmon lined out to the shortstop.
The fourth inning sparked a run by Samford in which the Bulldogs took over the game and scored four more runs in the next two innings.
In the fifth inning, Katie England homered to center field with two outs to tie the game before Owens walked. Gonzalez then stepped up and tripled to right center to score Owens and then scored herself on a throwing error by Elon’s right fielder. The Bulldogs were now up, 5-3.
Elon cut the Bulldogs’ lead to one in the top of the sixth inning with a home run by Rao but the Bulldogs jumped ahead by two again in the bottom of the inning when Fisher scored on an error by Elon’s second baseman. Robyn Harmon and Royall combined in the top of the seventh inning to hold the Bulldog’s lead and retire Elon for the last time.
Samford will close out its regular season with a couple of non-conference foes this week. The Bulldogs will first hit the road to take on Mercer this Wednesday and Thursday, April 29-30. The teams will play a single game on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT, and a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. on Thursday. Samford will then return home on Saturday, May 2, to make up a game with UAB that was rained out earlier this year. First pitch for the meeting is set for 1 p.m.