Appalachian State 6, IPFW 2
Appalachian State 10, Southeast Missouri State 2
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Appalachian State University softball beat IPFW and Southeast Missouri State on Saturday at the Blues City Classic to move to 3-1 on the season. ASU beat IPFW 6-2 and topped SEMO 10-2 Saturday night.
Allie Cashion hits a three-run double in the first inning, as ASU scored four runs in the first and the Apps never looked back in the win over the Mastadons.
Freshman Frannie Seader picked up her first collegiate win, pitching six innings, allowing five hits while striking out five.
The Mountaineers gave her an early cushion as Sarah Rappe led off the bottom of the first with a walk, followed by a Megan Rembielak bunt single and a Katie Boyd walk. Cashion hammered a double to right-center to clear the bases. After a wild pitch, Michelle Gorzelle drove in Cashion with an RBI groundout to give ASU a four-spot in the first.
ASU gave Seader another run on an RBI single by Meghan Smith that drove in McKenzie Phillips to give ASU a 5-0 lead.
Boyd added another insurance run in the sixth with a sacrifice fly that scored Rappe in the fifth.
IPFW scored two runs in the sixth but that was it as ASU hung on for the win.
Rembielak had a career-high three hits to lead ASU.
Katie Boyd, McKenzie Phillips and Hayley Grabner each had two hits as the Mountaineers hammered Southeast Missouri State 10-2 Saturday night.
ASU scored five runs in the second to break the game open. Gorzelle started the big inning with a one-out triple, and after a Phillips walk Meagan Squartino drove in Gorzelle with an RBI single. Rappe drove in Phillips with a sac fly and after a Rembielak walk, Boyd hit a bases clearing triple for the commanding 5-0 lead.
The Mountaineers tacked on two more in the third with RBI hits by Phillips and Grabner. ASU tacked on three more in the third to invoke the eight-run rule to end the game.
Lost in the scoring onslaught was the pitching of Hannah Dow, who shut down SEMO, allowing just four hits in five innings with eight strikeouts.
The Apps close out the tournament with an 11 a.m. game Sunday against McNeese State.
Chattanooga 2, Butler 0
Chattanooga 9, Austin Peay 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - After a day where the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team blasted five home runs, the squad found different ways to score for most of the day Saturday recording a 2-0 win over Butler and 9-0 victory against Austin Peay. The Lady Mocs only recorded one extra-base hit, a double by senior Tia Blosser (Knoxville, Tenn.), until their last at bat in the second game when junior Tiffany Baker (East Ridge, Tenn.) and Blosser hit home runs to left.
"It was good that Brooke [Loudermilk] kept us in the game giving us an opportunity to win," said head coach Frank Reed, who is two victories away from 800 in his career. "Lauren Flores had a great hit with runners in scoring position. It came at a great time for us and showed a lot of team pride and unity. I think that it carried over into the second game because they realized that we cannot let other teams hang around for three, four or five innings. We scored early and often. We had some help from people off the bench getting some key hits to push the runs up to nine. Getting finished in five innings is always a good feeling."
Senior pitcher Brooke Loudermilk (Locust Grove, Ga.) pitched another gem for the team when the squad needed it most recording 10 strikeouts, while only allowing one hit in the win against the Bulldogs. Against Austin Peay, junior Nikki Waters (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) pitched a two hitter with both hits coming with two outs in the fifth inning.
Chattanooga concludes the three-day tournament on Sunday when they face Northern Iowa at Noon. The matchup with the Panthers will be for the Play It Again Sports Austin Peay Classic title as both teams come in undefeated for the weekend.
Game One: Chattanooga 2, Butler 0
The UTC softball team used another 10-strikeout performance from Loudermilk to defeat Butler, 2-0, in Clarkesville, Tenn. at the Play It Again Sports Austin Peay Classic. Timely hitting by junior outfielder Lauren Flores (Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.) proved to be the difference in the game as both teams left a combined eight runners on base.
A pitching duel between Loudermilk and Bulter's Jenny Esparza was the story of the game as the two hurlers combined for 17 strikeouts and only yielded three hits. Loudermilk retired the final 18 Bulldogs in order and only gave up one hit.
After Loudermilk gave up a walk and fanned two batters to start the contest, senior Kaity Kelly (Chattanooga, Tenn.) was the first base runner for Chattanooga hitting a bunt single to the pitcher, where no one was covering first base. Falkenberry erased the threat after striking out the next two batters in order.
The Bulldogs had an opportunity in the second inning, when a hit batter and a bunt single put two runners on base with no outs, but Loudermilk was up to the task recording a fly out and two strikeouts.
Chattanooga had a similar situation in the bottom half, when Esparza hit the first two Lady Mocs, but a failed sacrifice bunt that would have moved the runners up a base and a strikeout quickly put an end to the inning.
After each side was retired in the third, the Lady Mocs scored the first runs of the game on a two RBI single by Flores into left center field. The two runners that came in were freshman Kasey Tydingco (Fairfield, Calif.), who pinch ran after junior Tiffany Baker (East Ridge, Tenn.) walked, and senior Laci Upchurch (Madison, Tenn.), who reached on a throwing error by the third baseman that placed two runners in scoring position.
There were plenty of opportunities for the Lady Mocs as they had at least one runner on base in each inning against the Bulldogs, but only could push two runs across the plate.
Game Two: Chattanooga 9, Austin Peay 0 (5 innings)
Playing in the twilight, Chattanooga banged out 13 hits to score nine runs in a shutout victory against Austin Peay. Baker went 3-for-3 picking up two singles and a home run, while driving in two runs.
In the circle, Waters gave up only two hits with both coming with two outs in the final inning, while she fanned six hitters.
Seven different Lady Mocs notched a base hit, while Blosser and Baker each drove in two. Senior Laci Upchurch (Madison, Tenn.) had two hits along with Blosser.
After the Lady Govs stranded one on base in the top of the first, junior Lyndsey Stiles (Hixson, Tenn.) led off with a single thru the hole on the left side of the infield and freshman Sara Poteat (Thomaston, Ga.) legged out a base hit to the pitcher. Another single to the pitcher from junior Michelle Fuzzard (Huntington Beach, Calif.) scored Stiles from third.
Following all the infield base hits, Baker hit a laser line drive off the fence in center scoring Poteat. Two more runs came off RBI singles by Upchurch and Flores. Chattanooga took a 5-0 lead with six hits, but had the opportunity to push even more runs across leaving the bases loaded.
Defensively, shortstop Poteat made a diving stop on a ball hit up the middle in the second and threw a bullet over to Fuzzard at first for the out, which was one of the many plays that the Lady Mocs made on the day.
Once again, Baker started a rally in the second inning with a single to left, while Upchurch followed with a single to right, all with one out. Blosser drove in one with a RBI double into the left center gap. The Lady Mocs would end the inning leaving two runners on base in scoring position.
With the bases empty in the fourth, Baker drilled a 2-2 pitch that landed on the tennis courts beyond the left field fence. The solo shot was the 23rd of her career moving into a tie for fourth with Tara Temby (2005-08), which was fifth on the season.
Just two batters later, Blosser joined in by hitting a home run to left center, which was her second of the season. Tydingco picked up her first career hit on a line drive over the third baseman, while sophomore Jenni Martin (East Ridge, Tenn.) also notched a hit for the first time this season.
The Lady Govs put a scare into Chattanooga with a two-out rally in the top of the fifth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases, but Waters was up to the task striking out the final batter.
Chattanooga plays its home opener Feb. 26 in the Frost Classic against Rutgers and Kansas starting a 3 p.m. from Frost Stadium. The Lady Mocs welcome 15 teams into the Scenic City for the annual three-day event and continue action against Kentucky and Georgetown on Saturday. The tournament concludes for Chattanooga on Sunday with a matchup against Miami (Ohio).
College of Charleston 7, James Madison 1
College of Charleston 5, Wagner 0
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Red-shirt junior catcher Katie Pesature (Brewster, N.Y.) and freshman pitcher Stephanie Saylors (Easley, S.C.) helped the College of Charleston softball team (3-3) to a pair of victories on the second day of the C of C Cougar Classic. The Cougars earned a 7-1 victory over James Madison before one-hitting Wagner for a 5-0 victory in the second game of the day.
Against JMU, Pesature got the College of Charleston on the board in the first inning as she took advantage of a double and two walks in front of her as she belted a grand slam to right center for a 4-0 lead. Sophomore outfielder Amanda Lonergan (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) added a fifth run the following inning when she got hit with the bases loaded to make it 5-0. The Dukes got their lone run when sophomore Caitlen Manning singled up the middle with a runner on second.
Riding the pitching of junior Alexa Datko (San Diego, Calif.), the Cougars entered the seventh with that 5-1 lead before a lead-off walk by senior catcher Amanda Maurer (Haubstadt, Ind.) set the stage for a two-run homerun by sophomore third baseman Kelley Dillon (Hanahan, S.C.). That shot accounted for the final margin of 7-1.
Datko pitched a complete game, allowing only four hits, the one run and struck out four while Pesature finished with four RBIs. She was joined offensively by Dillon who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and her first homerun. Red-shirt senior second baseman Amber Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) added a double and a pair of runs while Lonergan reached base all four times without an official at bat.
She walked in her first plate appearance and the got hit in her next three, tying the program record for most hit-by-pitch in a game. She equaled the mark of three set by Ashley Whetsell on March 6, 1999 against University of Missouri-Kansas City and by Brittany Pohlen at East Tennessee State on April 24, 2004.
In the second game, the College of Charleston jumped out ahead of Wagner 5-0 in the first two innings as senior third baseman Kristie Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) belted a first inning two-run homerun and the Cougars put up three runs in the second inning. In that frame, junior shortstop Hillary Stringer (Summerville, S.C.) ripped her first career homerun, a two-run blast to left center, in the second inning while Shifflett added an RBI double. Lonergan closed out the offense for CofC in the bottom of the sixth as she tripled to left center to make it 6-0 and lock up the victory.
Stephanie Saylors pitched a complete game one-hitter, allowing only a first inning single to the first batter, to earn her first collegiate victory while Kristie Shifflett went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs, a double and her first homerun of the season. Lonergan, Maurer, Dillon and Stringer each added RBIs for the Cougars.
The Cougars are back in action tomorrow as they take on No. 15 Louisville on the final day of the C of C Cougar Classic. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. at Patriots Point.
Elon 11, Rider 0 (5)
Elon 8, Georgetown 4
ELON , N.C. - Elon's Erin O'Shea (1-0) struck out four and walked just one batter on her way to a no-hitter in Elon's 11-0, five inning win over Rider (0-2) in the first game of the Elon Invitational on Saturday afternoon at East Field. The Elon softball team (4-0) remained undefeated after Danielle Lafferty's grand slam in the third led Elon to an 8-4 win over Georgetown (1-1) in the second game of the day.
Lafferty went 3-for-6 with nine RBI that included a grand slam and a pair of doubles. Tomeka Watson hit at a .571 clip with three RBI and four runs scored.
Pam DelPizzo (2-0) earned Elon's other win, allowing one run on six hits in six innings of work against Georgetown. She also struck out four batters. Lauren Taylor saw one inning of action, allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on five hits.
Game One - Elon 11, Rider 0 (Five Innings)
The Phoenix hammered out 11 hits, led by Lafferty who went 2-for-2 with five RBI, two doubles and a walk in the 11-0, five-inning win over Rider. Watson drove in two runs and scored three times in the win.
The Phoenix scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Hannah Shelton got things started with a single down the right field line. A pair of singles by Jackie Gonzalez and Watson loaded the bases for Elon and brought Lafferty to the plate where she drilled a bases-clearing double to right field. She was left stranded at third after the next three batters were retired in order.
The Phoenix added five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kaitlyn Piazzolla and Ashlee Crewe greeted the inning with a pair of singles. Following two fielder's choices, Watson doubled to right center that scored Shelton and Crewe. Emerald Graham drove in Gonzalez with an RBI single through the left side. A pair of Rider miscues, including a wild pitch and an error, allowed the Phoenix to plate its final two runs of the inning that put it up 8-0.
Lafferty belted another double in the bottom of the third inning that scored Gonzalez and Watson and extended Elon's lead 10-0. Lauren Taylor hit a RBI single to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning that gave Elon's 11th and final run of the game.
Rider's Sam Bennett saw 1.1 innings of work, allowing eight runs on eight hits. Kelsey Krisch also saw time in the circle, allowing three runs on three hits and five walks in 2.2 innings of work.
Game Two - Elon 8, Georgetown 4
Georgetown took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Kelsie Hanson's single to center was followed by a RBI single through the left side by Kristi Preuss. The Hoyas added a run following a wild pitch and an error on the Phoenix.
Elon answered in the bottom of the third inning with seven run on six hits. Caitlin McGowan opened the inning with a double to left field. Piazzolla added a single that put runners on the corners. A throwing error by Georgetown's Cara Savarese plated McGowan for Elon's first run of the inning and made it a 3-1 game. Graham followed a bunt single by Watson with a RBI single that cut the Hoya lead to one, 3-2. With one out and the bases loaded, Lafferty belted a no-doubter that gave Elon a 7-3 lead.
Watson added a RBI in the bottom of the fourth that made it an 8-1 game. DelPizzo opened the inning with a single and advanced to third following a walk and a groundout. With one out and runners at second and third, Watson drove the ball to right field that scored DelPizzo from third. The final two outs were recorded after Georgetown turned a double play.
Georgetown added a run in the top of the seventh on a Demetria Cipriano RBI single. Savarese ended the chance of a late inning rally when she popped up to Lafferty at short.
The Phoenix returns to the field tomorrow afternoon at 1:15 p.m. and 3:30 for the second day of the Elon Invitational. Elon will take on Georgetown in the early game and wrap up the weekend against Rider.
Lipscomb 10, Georgia Southern 0
Georgia Southern 6, Binghamton 4
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Eagles avenged a heartbreaking loss Friday to Binghamton with a 6-4 defeat of the Bearcats Saturday in day two of the Eagle Classic. The win put the Eagles in the championship game of the Eagle Classic against Lipscomb who is undefeated so far this weekend. Oakland and Binghamton will play in the first game at 11 a.m.
Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.) led off the game with a single and scored a run after stealing second. Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) drove in Fogle and advanced to second on a throwing error. Smith then stole third before scoring while Mackenzie Williams (Baxley, Ga.) was caught in a rundown.
The Eagles would fall behind Binghamton 3-2 before rallying with Smith starting the sixth inning with a single up the middle. She advanced to second on Sam Russo's (Snellville, Ga.) sacrifice bunt and scored on Williams' single. Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.), who was 2-4 on the day, hit a single which drove in Williams. Kelly Burnett's (Boynton Beach, Fla.) sacrifice fly to center field scored Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.).
The Eagles would add one more insurance run in the top of the seventh inning thanks in part to a wild pitch by Bearcat pitcher Rhoda Marstellar. Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) earned the win (2-1) going seven innings, giving up four runs on seven hits, two of which were earned and striking out three.
"We had to find a way to regroup and bounce back after a tough morning to get ourselves into the championship game," coach Maggie Johnson said. "It was still a game to learn from but get the end result we wanted."
In Georgia Southern's first game of the day, Lipscomb used a seven-run, second inning to jump out to a 7-0 lead over the Eagles. Kellie Sirus' single to left field drove in two runs for the Lady Bison. Lipscomb's Abby Keese hit a two-run homer to right field to end the scoring in the inning.
Eagles' senior Burnett broke up Whitney Kiihnl's no hitter in the bottom of the fifth with a line drive single to left field. However, the Eagles would not be able to plate any runners in the fifth inning. Lipscomb would add three more runs in the top of the sixth inning as they defeated the Eagles 10-0.
In the opening game of the day, Binghamton (2-1) rallied to beat Oakland (0-3) 5-4. Binghamton jumped out to a three-run lead before watching it disappear behind four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for Oakland. DeAnnie Plemon hit a two-run homer to right field for the winning runs for Binghamton in the top of the seventh.
In the other game of the tournament, Lipscomb continued its domination of its opponents by jumping out early, scoring six runs in the bottom of the first. A three-run home run to deep center by Vanessa Medina gave the Lady Bison a hot start which continued into the second, plating 10 runs on seven hits and four errors by Oakland fielders. Lipscomb would go on to defeat Oakland 20-0 in five innings.
The Eagle Classic concludes Sunday with Oakland taking on Binghamton at 11 a.m. at Eagle Field. The Eagles will play Lipscomb at 1 p.m. for the Eagle Classic Championship. The game can be heard locally on 91.9 The Buzz with announcers Daniel Sallerson and Drew Cheshire.
St. Joseph's 2, UNC Greensboro 1 (9)
North Carolina 8, UNC Greensboro 0 (6)
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - UNC Greensboro suffered its second straight heartbreaker in a 9-inning, 2-1 loss to St. Joseph's to open play Saturday at the Carolina Classic, then saw No. 23/24 North Carolina explode for eight runs in the sixth to blow open a pitchers' duel and take an 8-0 win in the nightcap.
After a scoreless first seven innings, the Spartans (1-6) had the bases loaded with no one out in the bottom of the eighth against St. Joe's (2-1), but couldn't push a run across.
The Hawks capitalized on UNCG's missed opportunity, scoring two runs in the top of the ninth and holding off a Spartan rally in the bottom half to take the win.
UNCG starter Cory Mattson (0-2) was the hard-luck loser, as she allowed just two unearned runs on seven hits and two walks in 9 innings of work.
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, SJU's Taryn Ashwayk was placed on second to lead off the ninth. Bernadette Moran sacrificed pinch-runner Taylor Korpita to third, and Deanna Stinner brought Korpita in with a sacrifice fly to left. After Rochelle Christman walked and stole second, Alaina Loguidice reached on a UNCG error that allowed Christman to score.
The Spartans answered with a run in the bottom half, with Heather Robb placed on second to start the inning. An Eileen Horsmon single brought Robb in to cut the deficit in half, but SJU pitcher Erin Gallagher (2-1) retired the next three batters in order to end the game.
UNCG had a golden opportunity in the eighth, with Brittany Ausley placed on second and Kristen Gabel intentionally walked to set up the force out at third. Alex Emeterio drew a walk to load the bases, but Gallagher would get a strikeout, foul-out and fielder's choice to escape unscathed.
Mattson was in control from the get-go, retiring the game's first six batters before allowing a leadoff walk in the third. SJU's best chance to score in regulation came in the fifth inning, but Gabel cut down Christman at the plate to keep the game scoreless.
The Spartans, meanwhile, missed chances of their own to score early, with Gabel knocking a one-out double in the first inning before being stranded at third.
UNCG put runners on the corners with one out in the second, but couldn't push a run across then, either. Finally, Kaitlin Merkt doubled and Emily Akiyama walked to lead off the fourth, but Gallagher again got three straight outs to get out of trouble.
Horsmon finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Spartans. Dana Parks was 3-for-5 for the Hawks.
Gallagher tossed 6 solid innings, allowing just one unearned run on three hits and four walks. Ashwayk pitched 3-plus innings, allowing three hits and a walk before yielding to Gallagher in the fourth.
UNCG's game against North Carolina started much the same way, with starter Amber Harrell matching the Tar Heels' Danielle Spaulding and Amber Johnson inning-for-inning in another pitchers' duel.
Emeterio broke up Spaulding's perfect game with a single up the middle with two down in the fourth inning, and freshman Ally Johnson singled to right off of Johnson one inning later, but UNCG couldn't get a sustained rally going. The Spartans' only other base-runner was Gabel in the sixth. She reached on a Tar Heel error with two outs but was stranded at first.
Meanwhile, Harrell dodged trouble and kept the Tar Heel hitters at bay through the first five innings despite issuing six walks to that point. Ally Blake's second-inning double and Brittany Robinson's third-inning single were UNC's lone hits prior to the sixth inning, but that was when the wheels fell off for the Spartans.
Harrell issued back-to-back walks to start the inning, and after a sacrifice moved both runners over, two runs scored on Stephanie Murad's single and a UNCG error. Another walk knocked Harrell from the game, and another UNCG defensive miscue loaded the bases. Reliever Raeanne Hanks then walked in a run before Anna Roberts launched a grand slam out to center to make it 7-0. Blake's RBI single later in the inning put the mercy rule into effect.
Harrell fell to 0-3 with the loss, as she allowed four runs - two earned - on three hits and nine walks in 5 1/3 innings of work. Hanks allowed four runs on three hits and a pair of walks in a third of an inning.
Johnson (3-2) picked up the win for the Tar Heels, as she surrendered no runs on just one hit in 2 innings. Spaulding allowed just one hit in 4 innings of work, fanning 11 - recording all but one of her outs via the strikeout. She whiffed UNCG's first eight batters of the game before Jordan Jewett grounded out to third to end the third inning.
UNCG will face Delaware in the consolation bracket of the Carolina Classic on Sunday at 11 a.m. The Blue Hens handed the Spartans a morale-sapping loss Friday, jumping out to a 7-1 lead before seeing UNCG tie the game in the late stages. Delaware then scored with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to steal the win, 8-7.
No. 6 Georgia 18, Western Carolina 0 (5)
ATHENS, Ga. - Western Carolina softball (0-3) lost to No. 6 Georgia 18-0, in five innings, Saturday in the second day of the Red and Black Showcase. The Catamounts face Winthrop at 11:45 a.m. Sunday in the final day of the tournament.
The Bulldogs scored multiple runs in all four innings with two in the first, five in the second and third and six in the fourth. Georgia had six multiple base hits with three doubles and three homeruns.
The Catamounts had four hits in the game with two coming from senior catcher Danielle Reese who went 2-for-3. Amber Hawkins and Kristen Gay each had a hit.
Western Carolina Sophomore pitcher Katie King started the game, going two innings, and took the loss, falling to 0-2. Pitchers Chere Monday and Bekah Burkett combined to close out the game.