Elon 5, UNC Wilmington 4 (10)
Elon 10, Virginia 8
ELON, N.C. - The Elon softball team picked up two wins on opening day of the 2010 season with a 5-4 extra-inning win over UNC Wilmington (1-2) and a 10-8 win over Virginia (1-1) in the Phoenix Leadoff Classic at East Field. It was the first time in program history that Elon has defeated Virginia. It was also the first time since April 6, 2005 that it has beaten a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Emerald Graham led the team offensively over the two games, hitting at a .714 clip after going 5-for-7 with two home runs, seven RBI and four runs scored. She was also walked twice and was 1-for-1 on the base path. As a team, the Phoenix finished with a batting average of .348 for the day. Erin O'Shea finished with four doubles and an RBI.
Pitchers Pam DelPizzo and Lauren Taylor each picked up a win in the circle. DelPizzo got the win against UNC Wilmington after allowing just three hits and an unearned run in six innings of work. Taylor threw 5.1 innings against Virginia, allowing eight runs, six of them earned, on 10 hits. She also struck out four and walked four.
Game One
Down by one entering the bottom of the 10th inning, the Phoenix posted two runs to earn a 5-4 win over UNC Wilmington. With runners on the corners, Caitlin McGowan drove in Danielle Lafferty with an RBI single up the middle to tie the game 4-4. With two outs and two on, Hannah Shelton worked the count and hit a ball to shallow right field to push McGowan across home plate and give Elon the win.
Neither team was able to plate a run in the final two innings of regulation, sending the game into extra innings on a 3-3 tie. Both offenses remained quiet over the first two extra innings. Ashley Shingleton crossed home plate in the top of the 10th inning to give UNCW a 4-3 lead. Per International Tie Breaker rules, Shingleton was placed on second before advancing to third on a groundout. UNC Wilmington took the lead on a sacrifice fly to center by Stacey Pinno. The Seahawks stranded two runners as DelPizzo got Lauryn Buckworth to groundout to short.
The Phoenix struck early in the game, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first inning. Jackie Gonzalez reached on an infield single and moved to second on a wild pitch before Graham drove Gonzalez home with a single to centerfield.
UNC Wilmington tied the game in the top of the third inning. With Morgan Walters on second base, an Elon passed ball allowed her to score and tie the game at one.
Graham drove in two more runs in the bottom of the third inning, giving the Phoenix a 3-1 lead. Gonzalez started the inning with a laser to right field but was caught stealing second base one play later. Tomeka Watson drew a walk that brought Graham to the plate where she belted a no doubter to straight away centerfield that allowed the Phoenix to retake the lead.
The Seahawks added a pair of runs in the fifth inning to tie the score at 3-3. Allison Lanouette got things started with a single through the left side. The next two batters drew walks to load the bases with no outs. A Phoenix passed ball allowed Lanouette to score to make it a 3-2 game. Shingleton hit a two-out sacrifice fly to centerfield that sent Buckworth home for the tying run. DelPizzo got out of the two-out, bases-loaded situation by striking out the final Seahawk batter.
Graham went 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI to lead the Phoenix. She also registered a 1.667 slugging percentage and has an on-base percentage of .800. Gonzalez finished with a .600 batting average after going 3-for-5 with a run and a RBI. Shelton and McGowan each finished with one RBI.
Though DelPizzo got the decision, O'Shea earned the start and threw four innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits. She also struck out one Seahawk batter.
Game Two
Graham belted a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning that allowed the Phoenix to take an early 3-0 lead against the Virginia Cavaliers.
UVA answered in the top of the second with back-to-back home runs that made it a 3-2 ballgame. The Cavaliers tied the game 3-3 when Abby Snyder scored on a Phoenix throwing error.
The Phoenix used a one-run third inning to take a 4-3 lead. Graham beat out the throw from right field for a single. Kaitlyn Piazzolla sent Graham home with a RBI double to right field. The Phoenix threatened with two outs, but UVA's Taylor Williams made a diving catch in center field that prevented Elon from tacking on another run.
UVA tied the game at four in the top of the fourth inning after Sarah Tacke hit a RBI double that scored Nicole Koren. Taylor retired the final batters with a groundout and a strikeout.
The Phoenix scored six runs on five hits and two errors in the bottom of the fourth inning that allowed it to jump out to a 10-4 lead. With one out, Gonzalez beat out the throw from third for an infield single. A pair of UVA errors allowed her to round the bases for Elon's first run of the inning. Graham scored Watson with a RBI single that made it a 6-4 game. O'Shea drove the ball to deep right center for a stand-up double to score Graham from third. With two runners in scoring position, McGowan drew a walk and advanced on a wild pitch that sent Lafferty home. Following a pitching change, DelPizzo earned two RBI with a single to center that put Elon up 10-4. UVA's Melanie Mitchell retired the final Elon batter to end the inning.
The Cavaliers cut the Phoenix lead to four, 10-6, with a two-run fifth inning. Clara Kendall led off the inning with a triple. Following a strike out, Giannina Cipolloni sent the ball over the left field wall for a two-run home run. UVA added a pair of singles, but Taylor was able to get McCaskey to ground out to short for the final out of the inning.
UVA threatened late in the game, plating two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Alison Pittman greeted the inning with single up the middle and advanced to second on a Phoenix error. She was later called for leaving the base early, leaving just one runner on for the Cavaliers. A pair of walks allowed UVA to load the bases with just one out that forced an Elon pitching change. O'Shea walked in a run that made it a 10-7 game before Alex Skinkis hit a sacrifice fly that pushed Kendall across home plate. With two runners in scoring positions, O'Shea retired the final Cavalier on a pop up to third.
The Phoenix tried to add to its lead in the bottom of the sixth as O'Shea belted her second double of the game and fourth of the day. McGowan followed with a walk, but the final three batters were set down in order to end the inning.
Down two, Virginia's Tacke walked to open the seventh inning. She would not advance farther as O'Shea got the final three batters to groundout to seal the 10-8 win.
In 1.2 innings of relief, O'Shea did not allow a hit. Stephanie Coates picked up the loss and dropped to 0-1 on the year. She allowed six runs, only one of which was earned, on four hits in less than an inning of work. She also threw two wild pitches and walked two batters. Melanie Mitchell finished with seven strikeouts and allowed just two hits in 2.2 innings of relief.
The Phoenix will be back in action at East Field on Saturday, Feb. 20 when it welcomes Rider and Georgetown for the Elon Invitational. Rider and Georgetown will open the two-day tournament at 11 a.m., before the Phoenix takes on Rider at 1:15 p.m.
Central Arkansas 5, Samford 4
Samford 11, South Alabama 2
MOBILE, Ala. - The Samford softball team begins the season 2-1 after splitting a pair of contests in the final day of the Mardi Gras Invitational. The Bulldogs fell to Central Arkansas, 5-4, in Sunday morning's meeting before bouncing back with an 11-2 five-inning victory over host team South Alabama Sunday evening.
"We played well today," Samford Head Coach Beanie Ketcham said. "We just didn't have enough energy in the first game today, and really, we didn't deserve to win that game. But from the first pitch of the last game, we were just focused. We executed well and stole bases and ran well."
Against Central Arkansas, Amy Gonzalez led the Bulldogs with a 3-for-4 appearance at the plate followed by Katie England who went 2-for-4 and scored two of Samford's four runs. Alex Adams brought in three of Samford's four runs while, defensively, Robyn Harmon and Anna Kimbrell combined for 11 of Samford's 21 putouts.
Amanda Barrs (0-1) started at the circle, pitching four and one-third innings. She gave up three runs on three hits while striking out three and walking two. Stephanie Royall came in to finish out the fifth inning, walking two batters while giving up one earned run on one hit. Robyn Harmon finished out the contest for the Bulldogs, giving up just three hits while striking out two batters.
Central Arkansas got on the board first in the top of the first inning before tacking on another run in the top of the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. Samford cut the lead to one in the bottom of the fourth when a sacrifice fly by Adams brought England around to home plate.
The Bears added another run in the top of the fifth before holding the Bulldogs scoreless in the bottom of the inning. The UCA made it a 5-1 lead in the top of the sixth after scoring two more runs. The Bulldogs put together a nice three-run comeback in the bottom of the sixth but it fell just one run short of tying the game.
With Harmon and England on second and third, Adams doubled to bring the duo in and get Samford within two runs of the Bears. Amanda Jordan singled, and then reached second base on the throw, which brought Emily Waters, who was pinch running for Adams, home to make it a 5-4 ballgame.
The Bulldogs shut out the Jaguars in the first three innings in Sunday's matchup against South Alabama. Samford got on the board quickly in the first inning before putting up six in the top of the second inning to grab a 7-0 lead.
Aaren Fisher led off the inning, reaching base after being hit by a pitch, before taking second on a sacrifice bunt by Jordan. Fisher stole third and Jordan stole second due to a throwing error before USA loaded the bases after hitting Rachael Reeves by a pitch. Gonzalez singled to bring in Fisher, and with two outs, Barrs hit a grand slam to put the Bulldogs up, 7-0.
The Jaguars kept Samford scoreless in the top of the fourth inning and got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the inning. However, those runs were unearned as the scorers reached base on a hit-by-pitch.
Samford added two more runs in the top of the fifth inning before shutting out the Jaguars in the bottom of the inning, ending the game on a run rule.
Gonzalez and Adams led the Bulldogs at the plate, both going 2-for-4 against the Jaguars. However, Barrs and Harmon were the leaders when it came to score as Barrs tallied six RBI while Harmon scored three runs.
Harmon (1-0) also pitched a complete game and secured her first win of the season, the fourth in her career. She gave up just two runs on two hits and struck out four batters while only walking two.
"We had several highlights this weekend," Ketcham said. "The win over SIUE, a team that won 40 games last year, was obviously a great win. The comeback in the sixth of the game against Central Arkansas was good. It was good to see that we could come back after being down. We just couldn't finish in that game. And they way we played in the last game along with Barrs' grand slam was exciting. Everybody in the lineup is contributing."
The Bulldogs are back in action this Thursday, Feb. 18, as they take on Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena, Miss., at 2 p.m. Then Samford returns to host the Magic City Classic, Feb. 26-28, at Bulldog Field.
Charleston Southern 6, College of Charleston 4
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Erin Kegley went five-for-seven with two RBI and a home run to lead the Charleston Southern Bucs to the 6-4 and 4-2 doubleheader wins over the College of Charleston softball team in front of 109 fans at Patriots Point Field in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
The Cougars fell to 0-2 on the year after having its opening-season tournament in Columbia, S.C. canceled due to snow, forcing CofC to add two games with the Bucs. CSU evened its early season record to 2-2.
Charleston tied the game at two in the third inning of the first game off a two RBI single by Katie Forbes (Odessa, Fla.), her only hit of the doubleheader. Amanda Lonergan (Pembroke, Fla.) led the Cougars with a two-for-five effort, including a two-RBI home run in the sixth inning of the first game that knotted the game at four heading into the seventh inning.
In the top of the seventh, Kegley doubled to center field, driving in Shayla Cullum for the eventual game-winner for the Bucs. Kegley scored on the next play after Kristin Kelleher singled to give the Bucs an insurance run. Sondra Vetter, who earned the win pitching a complete game for CSU, retired the Cougars in order in the bottom of the seventh as the Bucs took the first game 6-4.
After Charleston Southern spotted two runs in the top of the third inning of the second game, Kristi Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.), who went two-for-four with an RBI, doubled in the bottom of the third to score Kristi Woodall (Huntersville, N.C.) to cut the margin to one, 2-1.
Charleston Southern responded with two runs in the top of the fourth to go up 4-1, before the Cougars staged a comeback in the seventh after Amber Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.), who went three-for-eight today, homered to left center to cut the margin to 4-2. That would be as close as Charleston would get after the next two batters went down in order, giving Charleston Southern the 4-2 victory and CSU's Kimberly Hobbs the win with a complete game performance.
Stephanie Saylors (Easley, S.C.) picked up the loss for the Cougars in game one, while Terri Mesko (McDonough, Ga.) earned the loss in the second game.
Charleston is next in action when it hosts the CofC Cougar Classic Feb. 19-21 with the Cougars facing Akron in their first game that Friday at 4 p.m.
Virginia Tech 8, UNC Greensboro 2 (10)
Jacksonville 10, UNC Greensboro 2
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - UNC Greensboro junior Katie Stripling hit a two-out, pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the seventh to send the Spartans' first game at the Jacksonville University Tournament on Sunday to extras, but Virginia Tech scored six runs in the top of the 10th to take an 8-2 win. The host Dolphins topped UNCG 10-2 in 6 innings in the nightcap.
With UNCG (1-3) trailing 1-0 to the Hokies (3-1) in the seventh and down to its last out, Stripling hit for nine-hole hitter Laura Olenderski and belted her second career home run out to left to keep the Spartans alive.
Virginia Tech got the run back in the top half of the eighth, with Kristin Graham singling up the middle to score pinch-runner Sarah Ashby, who was placed on second via the international tiebreaker rule to lead off the inning.
The Spartans answered with a run in the bottom half to again prolong the game, as Brittany Ausley scored from third on a Virginia Tech error. UNCG would leave runners on second and third, however, as Hokie reliever Kenzie Roark got a strikeout to end the inning.
UNCG starter Amber Harrell (0-2) put the side down in order in the top of the ninth, and UNCG seemed to be in business in the bottom half. Eileen Horsmon was placed on second and Emily Akiyama was walked to set up the force out at third. Whitney Sirois sacrificed both runners over, and Olenderski was intentionally walked to load the boases. Roark worked out of trouble, however, inducing a fielder's choice off the bat of Ausley to gun down Horsmon at home and a grounder from Jordan Jewett to end the inning and leave the bases full.
The Hokies would blow the game open in the top of the 10th, sending 11 batters to the plate. Misty Hall was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to knock in Richelle McGarva with what would prove to be the winning run, and Graham followed with a two-run single up the middle. Pinch-hitter Marra Hvozdovic added a two-run single to center to make it 7-2 and Whitney Davis singled to right to score Cruz.
Jewett nailed Hvozdovic at the plate to prevent another run from scoring on Davis' single. It was Jewett's second outfield assist on the afternoon, as she also gunned down Bkaye Smith at the plate in the fifth.
Roark (1-1) retired UNCG in order in the bottom half of the inning to nail down her first win of the season. Graham got the no-decision despite 5.1 solid innings of work. She allowed just four hits and two walks, striking out four before giving way to Roark in the sixth.
Harrell surrendered eight runs - five earned - on eight hits and six walks. She went 10 innings, the most for a UNCG pitcher since Danielle Byrne went a school-record 12 against Furman on March 28, 2004.
Harrell battled some wildness throughout her 10 innings, as she had two wild pitches and hit a school-record four batters in addition to her six walks. She also struck out seven.
The Hokies scored an unearned in the third inning, when Davis scored on a UNCG error. The Spartans had five miscues in the game.
Emeterio had two of UNCG's six hits, going 2-for-5 in the game.
Smith, Davis and Graham had two hits each for the Hokies.
In game two, the Dolphins (3-0) exploded for four runs in the first and knocked UNCG starter Cory Mattson (0-1) out of the game in the second en route to the big win.
Kayla Ouellet singled, stole second and scored on a wild pitch all before an out had been recorded, and after a walk to Katie Kelly, Amanda Schmidt hit the first of her two home runs in the contest. JU would add another run on a UNCG error later in the inning.
The Dolphins tacked on two more in the second. Ashley Mora's double put runners on the corner with one out to knock Mattson out of the game, but reliever Raeanne Hanks didn't fare much better, allowing Schmidt and Mora to score on wild pitches.
The Spartans finally got on the board in the third inning, scoring a pair of two-out runs. Jewett got the rally started with an infield single, and Emeterio brought her in with a triple down the left field line. A Merkt single scored Emeterio before JU starter Olivia Kline got a strikeout to end the inning.
Jacksonville would add two more runs in the fourth on Kline's two-run single and two in the sixth on Schmidt's second two-run homer of the game.
UNCG had one last chance to avoid the mercy rule, and seemed to have a rally going in the bottom half of the frame. Merkt drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a JU error on Kayla Hensley's fielder's choice. Freshman Chelsea D'Ambrosio followed with a single to center to load the bases, but Kline induced a fly to right from Ally Johnson and Merkt was nailed at home on a throw from Dolphin right fielder Kelly McKeon. Kline struck out Stripling to end the game.
Five different players accounted for UNCG's five hits against the Dolphins. Mattson was charged with six runs, five of them earned, on four hits and three walks in 1.1 innings. Hanks allowed four runs - three earned - on five hits and two walks in 4.2 innings.
Kline (1-0) picked up her first win of the season, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks in 6 innings. She struck out eight.
Schmidt finished 2-for-4 with four runs and four RBI. Kline was 3-for-4 with two RBI.
UNCG returns to action Friday at the Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C. There, the Spartans will meet Delaware on Friday at 11 a.m., St. Joseph's and host North Carolina on Saturday and will play in either the consolation or championship game Sunday.