Chattanooga 2, Western Carolina 0
Chattanooga 3, Western Carolina 2 (10)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team picked up two victories over Western Carolina, 2-0 and 3-2 in 10 innings. Senior Brooke Loudermilk (Locust Grove, Ga.) and junior Nikki Waters (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) each threw complete games to extend its Southern Conference record to 9-0 on the season.
"I threw a mixture of pitches," said Waters. "But what really dominated was the curve and the change. The changeup worked well today whereas it didn't early in the season."
Providing the offense for Chattanooga (26-0, 9-0 SoCon) was junior Lauren Flores (Fort Ogelthorpe, Ga.) lead the Lady Mocs at the plate on the day, going 5-for-7 with a double and a run scored.
With her second strike out of game two, Loudermilk reached the 800-strikeout plateau in her career and finished the day with 809 currently for her career.
Also on the mound, Waters threw a complete game one-hitter against Western Carolina (4-22, 0-11 SoCon). She struck out nine batters and retired the final 17 batters of the game after allowing her only walk.
Doing well at the plate for Chattanooga was sophomore Jessica Traxler (Chino Hills, Calif.), who recorded two hits and two RBI. Senior Tia Blosser (Knoxville, Tenn.) also recorded an RBI in each game.
The Lady Mocs travel to Nashville on Tuesday for a doubleheader that begins at 5 p.m. and continue the week at conference foe Georgia Southern next weekend. The team returns home on the 14th with a doubleheader against UAB.
Game One: Chattanooga 2, Western Carolina 0
The UTC softball team scattered nine hits as Waters threw a one-hitter and struck out a season-high nine in a 2-0 victory over Western Carolina at Frost Stadium. Senior Kaiti Kelley (Chattanooga, Tenn.), junior Lyndsey Stiles (Hixson, Tenn.) and Flores each recorded two hits to lead the Lady Mocs at the plate.
After walking a batter in the second inning, Waters retired the final 17 batters of the game to improve her record to 7-3. She only gave up a leadoff double and a walk second inning against the Catamounts.
Chattanooga started the scoring in the first inning, with Stiles beating out a throw from the second baseman. Stiles swiped second, and advanced to third on an infield single from Kelley.
Following a stolen base by Kelley that put two runners in scoring position, senior Tia Blosser (Knoxville, Tenn.) flied out to left center field to score the first run of the game for UTC.
The score would remain the same until the sixth, when Flores doubled down the left field line and advanced to third on an infield hit by senior Brittany Eason (Chattanooga, Tenn.).
Following a pinch run stolen base by junior Kristin Holloway (Chickamauga, Ga.), Traxler grounded out to the third baseman, but an errant throw from the first baseman to the catcher allowed Flores to score. The Catamounts were able to end the inning by tagging Holloway at the plate.
In the top of the seventh, Flores made a spectacular diving catch near the left field line to help preserve the one-hit shutout.
For Western Carolina, Amber Steinhardt pitched a complete game, striking out one batter. Jordan Fulton got the Catamounts only hit, a leadoff double to start the game.
Game Two: Chattanooga 3, Western Carolina 2 (10)
The Lady Mocs used the international tiebreaker rule to defeat Western Carolina, 3-2, in 10 innings. Flores and Traxler both had multi-hit games as they recorded three and two hits, respectively.
Starting in the circle for UTC was Loudermilk throwing a complete 10-inning game, giving up seven hits, two earned runs and striking out 10. The victory improved Loudermilk's record to 13-6 on the season.
"I feel like a made a lot of good strides today because I got to push through my trouble innings," said Loudermilk. "This is a good pitching performance to follow through on this week going into the Georgia Southern series. Southern is a great team and we have to beat them right off the bat, rather than play 10 innings like we did today."
Chattanooga started the second inning with a walk drawn by junior Tiffany Baker (East Ridge, Tenn.) and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Jenni Martin (East Ridge, Tenn.). Traxler doubled over the center fielder's head to bring home Baker for the first run of the game.
After advancing to third on a groundout by senior Lynleigh Hurndon (McDonough, Ga.), Traxler scored on a wild pitch to give the Lady Mocs a 2-0 lead.
Western Carolina responded in the top of the third with two infield hits from Fulton and Robyn Burnette. Colby Liles followed with a double to centerfield that plated both runners to tie the score at two.
After Loudermilk escaped the top of the 10th in the first inning of the international tiebreaker, Stiles was placed on second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Kelley. Blosser followed with a single up the middle for the game winning hit as Chattanooga won, 3-2.
The Catamounts' Katie King went the distance on the rubber striking out four, while Liles drove in two runs at the plate.
Furman 11, Appalachian State 10
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Furman rallied from a six-run second-inning deficit to down Appalachian State 11-10 and claim the best-of-three Southern Conference series from the Mountaineers on Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
With its fifth victory in its last six outings, Furman improved to 11-12 overall and 7-4 in the SoCon while winning its third consecutive league series. Appalachian State dropped to 16-14 overall and 5-6 in the conference.
Trailing 10-8 in the bottom of the fifth, sophomore Stephanie Field and junior Katie Michaels opened the frame with back-to-back singles to shortstop for the Paladins. Jessie Homesley followed with a two-run double that landed just out of the reach of the diving Michelle Gorzelle down the left field line as Field and Michaels raced home to tie the game at 10-10.
Pitcher Lana Mackey plated Homesley on a one-out grounder to second to give Furman the 11-10 lead and retired the Mountaineers in order in the sixth and seventh innings to notch her second win of the series and third of the week.
Appalachian State jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top half of the first inning as the first five batters reached base and scored. Megan Rembielak and Katie Boyd added RBI singles in the second to stretch the ASU lead to 6-0 before Furman responded with a five-run bottom of the second.
Furman loaded the bases on singles by Mackey and Brythe Blankenship and an error that allowed Alyssa Williams to reach safely. A fielder's choice got the Paladins on the board and Furman plated two more runs on a wild pitch and ground out before Homesley drove in a pair with a single off of the third baseman's glove.
Allie Cashion's two-run homer keyed a three-run fourth for the Mountaineers as they stretched the lead back to 9-5, but Furman used two ASU errors and just one hit to score three of its own in the bottom of the inning. Rembielak singled in another run in the fifth to give ASU a 10-8 advantage and set the stage for Furman's fifth inning rally.
Homesley went 2-for-3 with four RBI and Field scored three runs after collecting two hits and a pair of walks. Blankenship notched two hits and catcher Alex Bimonte drove in two runs.
Mackey improved to 8-6 in the circle despite giving up 10 runs on 13 hits in seven innings of work. The senior, who retired the last seven batters she faced, fanned six batters and walked three.
Reliever Caitlin Wainright (8-6) suffered the loss for Appalachian State allowing six runs, only three earned, on five hits in two innings of work. She walked three and struck out one batter. Rembielak went 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBI while Cashion was 2-for-4 with a homer and four runs batted in. Sarah Rappe totaled three hits and stole two bases.
The 21 combined runs marked the second highest total in the history of Pepsi Stadium which opened in 2001. Furman and Elon combined for 22 in a 15-7 Paladins victory during the 2007 season.
Furman travels to face the Charlotte 49ers in a doubleheader on Monday. First pitch in Charlotte, N.C., is set for 5:30 p.m.
Most Furman home games and selected road contests will be available via GameTracker. Fans can follow Furman action by logging onto www.furmanpaladins.com and following the links on the athletics schedule or by surfing to the Furman softball page.
UNC Greensboro 6, Elon 0
Elon 6, UNC Greensboro 1
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Brittany Ausley was a combined 4-for-8 with three RBI and Amber Harrell struck out 14 batters over two games as UNC Greensboro split a Southern Conference doubleheader against Elon on Saturday, winning 6-0 in game one before falling 6-1 in game two.
Ausley did most of her damage in game one, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a two-run single.
Her leadoff home run in the bottom of the first set the tone early for UNCG (14-19, 4-4 SoCon), but it was her two-run single with the bases loaded in the fourth that gave the Spartans a comfortable 4-0 lead.
With UNCG nursing a 2-0 lead thanks to Kaitlin Merkt's third-inning sacrifice fly, Emily Akiyama singled up the middle to lead off the fourth. A walk and a fielder's choice loaded the bases for Ausley, who worked the count full before stroking her second hit of the day to give the Spartans some breathing room.
UNCG would add two more in the fifth inning, scoring a pair of unearned runs without the benefit of a hit. Elon (24-8, 9-3 SoCon) committed two errors in the inning, with Merkt and Eileen Horsmon scoring on the second one to make it a 6-0 game.
Harrell (5-9) turned in a brilliant outing. The senior from McDonough, Ga., allowed just four hits and a walk, striking out nine in picking up the win. She allowed just one runner past second base and retired the side in order in fourth and fifth innings.
UNCG then turned a wild double play to escape trouble in the sixth. After a fielding error allowed the leadoff runner to reach, Harrell coaxed a foul pop for out No. 1. Erin O'Shea then lifted a popup into shallow center that Merkt got a glove on, but could not corral. Ausley made a barehanded grab on the ball before it hit the ground, then fired back to first to double off Tomeka Watson to end the inning.
Emerald Graham had two of Elon's hits in the contest, as she was 2-for-3.
O'Shea (11-3) took the loss for Elon, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings. Pam DelPizzo worked the final 3 2/3, allowing four runs (two earned) on two walks and two hits.
Game two was an Elon slugfest, as the Phoenix crushed three home runs to salvage the split. But it was a spectacular defensive play by Graham in the bottom of the sixth that preserved the Elon win.
With UNCG trailing 4-1, the Spartans loaded the bases on singles from Alex Emeterio and Horsmon and a fielder's choice from Akiyama. With two out, freshman Heather Robb - who had already hit her second homer of the season in the fifth inning - crushed a ball to the gap in right center that would have easily cleared the bases and tied the score.
Graham made a phenomenal running grab on the ball, however, reaching up and making the snowcone catch near the wall to snuff out the UNCG rally.
Caitlin McGowan's solo shot in the fourth was the first run of the game, and pinch-runner Carly McDougall scored from third on a UNCG throwing error.
Elon added two more in the top of the fifth, with Ashlee Crewe hitting a homer to right center to plate Graham.
UNCG got a run back in the bottom half of the frame on Robb's homer, making it 4-1 and setting the stage for the sixth-inning drama.
After dodging trouble in the sixth, Elon added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh, getting a Watson solo homer and an RBI single from McGowan.
Watson, Graham and McGowan all finished with two hits each for Elon in game two, while Ausley and Emeterio had two each for UNCG.
Lauren Taylor (11-3) picked up the win for the Phoenix, allowing just one run on eight hits.
Harrell took the loss, allowing two runs - one earned - on four hits and two walks in 4 innings. She struck out five.
The Spartans' Strike Out Cancer campaign raised $156 in donations for UNCG's Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society on the day.
UNCG returns to action Wednesday for a doubleheader at Liberty in Lynchburg, Va. First pitch for game one is slated for 2 p.m.
Samford 2, College of Charleston 0
CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Samford softball team shutout College of Charleston, 2-0, Saturday in the Southern Conference series finale. The Bulldogs grabbed their second league win of the season and improved to 11-21 overall and 2-10 in conference play. Charleston falls to 13-17 overall and 3-5 in SoCon play.
"This was just a great effort all the way around," Samford head coach Beanie Ketcham said. "We executed well today. We only had six hits but we made them count. Stephanie (Royall) had a great outing and the defense stepped up and made some clutch plays. I was very proud of their performance."
Samford first got on the board in the top of the third inning when Aaren Fisher doubled down the left field line to drive in Anna Kimbrell from second base. The Bulldogs then added one more run in the top of the seventh inning as Amanda Jordan scored on a ground out by Kayla Shaffer.
Kimbrell led the Bulldogs in the game with a 2-for-3 appearance at the plate. She also scored one of Samford's runs while Jordan scored the other. Fisher, Amanda Barrs, Alex Adams and Amy Gonzalez each recorded a hit while Fisher and Shaffer were credited with Samford's two RBI.
Stephanie Royall (6-4) pitched her fourth complete game and third shutout of the season, giving up five hits while walking three batters and recording one strikeout.
Amber Shifflett, Kristi Woodall, Amanda Lonergan, Kristy Giragosian and Hillary Stringer recorded the five Cougar hits in the game. Terri Mesko (5-7) gave up two earned runs on six hits in seven innings of play. She walked one batter and struck out one.
Samford will be back in action on Wednesday, April 7, when the Bulldogs take to the road to meet up with Auburn at Jane B. Moore Field on the Auburn University campus at 6 p.m.