Appalachian State 7, Virginia Tech 5
BOONE, N.C. - Megan Rembielak hit a two-run single to tie the game at five and Allie Cashion followed with another two-run single as Appalachian State University softball rallied from a 5-2 deficit to beat Virginia Tech 7-5 Wednesday night in Boone.
With the win, ASU improves to 18-15 overall while Virginia Tech drops to 15-24 on the year. The win is ASU's first-ever over Virginia Tech and the second over an Atlantic Coast Conference institution, the Apps beat NC State in 2004.
After the Hokies scored three runs in the top of the fifth, the Mountaineers battled back in the sixth. Michelle Lighton led off the inning with a single, and after a foul out and a ground out, Hannah Dow singled to left field to move Lighton to third. Meagan Squartino followed with a pinch-hit single up the middle to score Lighton and narrow the lead to 5-3. Sarah Rappe reached on an error to load the bases to set the table for Rembielak and Cashion. Rembielak lofted a line drive over the third baseman's head and just inside fair territory to tie the game and Cashion lined an 0-2 pitch into right-center to drive in the game-winning runs.
ASU struck quickly in the bottom of the first, Rappe led off with a single and advanced to second on a bunt single by Rembielak. Virginia Tech starting pitcher Jasmin Harrell was able to get the next two batters out, but Michelle Lighton blasted a double off the right-center field fence to drive in Rappe and Rembielak.
The Hokies came back to tie the game with single runs in the second and third and took a 5-2 lead in the fifth when Misty Hall hit a three-run homer to left center.
Rembielak, Cashion, McKenzie Phillips and Lighton all had two hits apiece to lead ASU's 11 hit attack. Courtney Liddle and Kristen Froehlich led the Hokies' with two hits apiece.
Caitlin Wainright earned the win in relief, pitching two innings and giving up one hit.
ASU is back in action on Friday as they host UNC Greensboro on Friday in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
UNC Greensboro 11, Liberty 10 (9)
Liberty 10, UNC Greensboro 2 (5)
LYNCHBURG, Va. - Junior Katie Stripling hit a pinch-hit grand slam with two out in the top of the ninth inning and UNC Greensboro held on for an 11-10 win in game one of a doubleheader with Liberty on Wednesday. The Flames picked up a 10-2 win in 6 innings in game two to earn the split.
In a wild game one that saw both teams hit grand slams, Stripling came up with yet another clutch hit to lead the Spartans (15-20) to the comeback win. The catcher from Baytown, Texas, has made a habit of coming up with crucial hits off the bench so far this season, and Wednesday's bomb was her third pinch-hit homer of the year.
With the game tied at 7 heading into the ninth, Alex Emeterio was placed on second via the international tiebreaker rule. Kaitlin Merkt drew a one-out walk and Emily Akiyama dropped in a bloop single in shallow right to load the bases. After a strikeout, UNCG coach Jennifer Herzig called on Stripling to do what she's done best this season, and Stripling didn't disappoint, sending a 2-2 pitch out to left center for her first career slam.
The Flames (19-10) answered with three runs in their half of the inning to make it interesting. J'nae Jefferson scored on a UNCG error and Amber DePasquale added a two-run homer to cut it to one. But UNCG pitcher Cory Mattson got Kaylee West to foul out to first to nail down the win.
UNCG had jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning on two-run singles from Akiyama and Brittany Ausley and an RBI fielder's choice by Heather Robb. But Liberty came roaring back with six in the fifth inning, all by a matter of inches. Jenny Law's two-run double glanced off the top of Kristen Gabel's glove after Gabel drifted back toward the wall in center, and Kelly Strickland hit a grand slam that was just out of Gabel's reach in right center to give the Flames their first lead of the day.
Down to their last three outs in the seventh inning, UNCG rallied to tie it at 6. Walks by Chelsea D'Ambrosio and Eileen Horsmon and a single from Emeterio loaded the bases for Merkt, who worked a four-pitch walk to tie the game. Liberty reliever Tiffani Smith struck out the next two batters to avoid further damage.
Both sides scored in the eighth inning, with Whitney Sirois driving in Heather Robb on a sacrifice fly to put UNCG on top and Cassie Hendrix - down to her last strike - stroking a two-out single to plate pinch-runner Jenna Eatmon and force the decisive ninth inning.
Mattson (8-10) picked up the win with 4 2/3 innings of relief, allowing four runs - two earned - on five hits and a walk. She struck out five.
Katie Warrington (6-5) took the loss, allowing 10 runs - only three of which were earned - on six hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings. She walked five and struck out four.
Akiyama and Laura Olenderski had two hits each for UNCG. Strickland paced the Flames at the plate with two hits and four RBI. Ashley Bensinger and Hendrix also had two hits for Liberty.
Game two saw UNCG jump on top 1-0 in the first inning, with Emeterio reaching on a fielder's choice and coming in on Horsmon's single and a Liberty error.
The Flames would blow the game open in the second inning, however, getting the inning started with back-to-back doubles from DePasquale and West to even the score and rapping out six hits in the frame overall. Strickland had a two-run single in the inning.
Liberty added a pair of unearned runs in the third inning, with Meredith Baisden and Bridgett Woods scoring on a UNCG error with two outs.
UNCG got a run back in the top of the fourth, with Horsmon leading off with a single up the middle and later scoring when Liberty catcher Bensinger dropped what would have been a force out at the plate on a bases-loaded fielder's choice.
The Flames put the game in mercy-rule territory in the sixth, plating three runs. West knocked in a run on a bloop single to left center and Baisden ended the game with a two-run double to left center.
Mattson took the loss in game two, as she was credited with three runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Katrina Johnson (3-2) picked up the win for Liberty, allowing two unearned runs on three hits and five walks in 6 innings.
Four players had two hits for LU in the game. Horsmon was 2-for-3 to lead the Spartans.
UNCG returns to Southern Conference play this weekend at Appalachian State. The Spartans and Mountaineers will play a doubleheader Saturday followed by a single game Sunday, both starting at 1 p.m.
Georgia State 6, Furman 3
Georgia State 3, Furman 2
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Georgia State used a five-run fourth inning to claim a 6-4 victory in game one and held off Furman 3-2 to complete the sweep in game two in non-conference softball action on Wednesday at Pepsi Stadium.
The Panthers upped their record to 26-11 on the season while Furman slipped to 12-15.
In game one, Morgan Hughey staked the Paladins to a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the first with a two-run double. With Furman leading 2-1 in the top of the fourth, the Panthers used a hit batter, Paladin error and walk to load the bases with nobody out. Lily Skelton was hit by a pitch to force home the first run and Whitney Phillips reached on an infield single to give Georgia State a 3-2 advantage. Audrey Mason drew a base on balls to up the lead to 4-2 and Lauren Jones delivered a two-run single to give the Panthers a 6-2 cushion.
The Paladins scored one run in the fourth after Brythe Blankenship doubled and scored on a groundout. Furman opened the seventh with singles by Hannah Bradley and Stephanie Field, but could manage just one run on a Jessie Homesley grounder before pitcher Alana Thomas (8-2) put an end to the Furman rally.
Thomas allowed four runs on nine hits over seven innings to earn the victory. She walked one and struck out one. Rebecca Roles went 2-for-3 with two runs and Rachel Cunningham contributed two hits for Georgia State.
Bradley (0-4) took the loss for Furman allowing six runs, just one earned, on seven hits in seven innings of work. Field, a sophomore, notched three hits, while Hughey doubled and drove in two runs.
In game two, Heather Lowry (4-4) tossed six-plus innings allowing two runs on three hits while fanning eight Paladins to earn the victory for Georgia State.
Rachel Cunningham put the Panthers ahead in the fourth with an RBI single to score Elizabeth Thomas and Paige Nowacki drove in Phillips with a sacrifice fly to left field.
After Georgia State added an insurance run on Skelton's RBI single in the seventh, Hughey opened the bottom of the frame with a single and Lana Mackey followed with a base on balls to chase Lowry from the game. Reliever McCall Langford got Blankenship to pop up before Alyssa Williams singled to load the bases with one out. Hughey scored on Megan Schonhar's single off of the third base bag to trim the lead to 3-1. After Bradley's fielder's choice on which Mackey was cut down at the plate, Field singled through the right side to score Williams and pull the Paladins within a run. Langford, however, got Katie Michaels to bounce back to the circle to end the threat.
Langford worked a scoreless inning to earn her first save. Cunningham collected two hits to pace the Panthers offense.
Starter Kayla Suskauer (2-4) absorbed the loss for Furman. The freshman allowed two runs on four hits in six innings in the circle. Field went 1-for-3 with an RBI and walk to lead the Paladins.
Furman travels to Elon University for a three-game Southern Conference series this weekend. Saturday's doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Auburn 13, Samford 0
AUBURN, Ala. - The Samford softball team dropped its non-conference match-up at Auburn Wednesday night as the Tigers shutout the Bulldogs, 13-0, in five innings. Auburn put up 10 runs in the first inning before adding three in the fourth. The Bulldogs fall to 11-22 while the Tigers improve to 21-15.
Amy Gonzalez recorded Samford's only hit of the game with a single in the top of the fifth inning. Stephanie Royall (6-5) took the loss for the Bulldogs, pitching just one-third of an inning while giving up seven runs on six hits in the first inning. Kayla Burris and Emily Waters pitched in relief and gave up a combined three earned runs on seven hits.
Nine of the 14 Tigers who played had at least one hit in the game. Kyndall White and Amber Harrison led the Tigers, going 3-for-3 at the plate. White's home run and double credited her with six RBI while Harrison's single and home run earned her two RBI. Elizabeth Eisterhold also grabbed two RBI with her home run in the first inning.
Anna Thompson pitched a complete game for the Tigers, giving up just one hit and recording eight strikeouts.
Auburn got on the board straight away in the bottom of the first inning on a one-out double by Harrison to drive in White. Eisterhold then followed with a home run to right-center field to take a 3-0 lead. The Tigers put together back-to-back base hits before Kelley Smiley singled to drive in the fourth Auburn run.
After five Auburn hits, Samford pitcher Royall hit Katie Colton and was then replaced by Burris. Burris then hit Krista Clyde to bring in the sixth run for the Tigers and then a grand slam by White put the Tigers up by nine before Caitlin Stangl lined out to second base for the second out.
Harrison then hit the third home run of the inning to give Auburn a 10-0 lead. Eisterhold walked before Kelsey Cartwright popped up to center field for the third out.
Samford was able to keep the Tigers from scoring in the second inning with a three-up, three-down situation which included the Bulldogs' first of only two strikeouts of the game.
The first base-runner for the Bulldogs came in the top of the third inning when Auburn pitcher Anna Thompson walked Rachael Reeves with two outs. However, Reeves was caught stealing on the third pitch of Aaren Fisher's at-bat to record the third out of the inning.
Auburn extended its lead to 13 in the bottom of the fourth when Janelle Green hit a double to put runners on second and third. Then Lianna Wuchte singled to drive in Aurora Salter before White hit a bases-clearing double to put the Tigers up 13-0.
For the Bulldogs in the bottom of the fourth, Alex Adams flied out to left field for the first out but Amanda Jordan reached base on an error by the first baseman before Gonzalez erased Thompson's no-hitter with a single through the left side. However, Auburn was able to record the next two outs, striking out Kayla Shaffer and Anna Kimbrell.
Samford is off this weekend but will return to action next Tuesday, April 13, as the Bulldogs take on cross-town rival UAB at the Blazers' new home field. The Bulldogs will then be back at home on Thursday for a doubleheader with Ole Miss before hosting Georgia Southern Saturday and Sunday.