Appalachian State 11, Dayton 8
Appalachian State 1, UNC Wilmington 0
WILMINGTON, N.C.- Appalachian State University softball's (3-9) offense got into a comfortable rhythm and tallied two wins against Dayton, 11-8 and host-UNC Wilmington, 1-0 at the Hughes Brother's Seahawk Classic on Friday afternoon at Boseman Field in Wilmington, N.C.
ASU 11, Dayton 8
Senior Katie Boyd started off the game with a leadoff triple to right field, but was left there after two strikeouts by senior Sarah Rappe and sophomore Allie Cashion and a lineout by sophomore Meghan Smith to end the Mountaineer's first inning.
Not able to put any runs on the board, Dayton pushed a single run across after Rachel Archer singled her way on via a bunt. Archer advanced to second after a pitch got away from junior Michelle Lighton. A groundout to senior McKenzie Phillips allowed Archer to move over one more base to third and she scored the game's first run after Kathleen Maloof grounded out.
Appalachian tallied two hits in the next stanza, but did not score its first run of the game until the third inning. Smith doubled into left field and Cashion followed up with a single right back up the middle and advanced to second on a throw to attempt to get Smith out at home plate, tying the game up at 1-1. The Mountaineers went down after that.
In the bottom of the third, the Flyers tacked on an additional run after Emily Stegeman homered to left field, but ASU answered back into the top of the fourth inning with four runs.
M. Philips got the multi-run inning started with a single to shortstop. Junior Megan Rembielak reached on a fielder's choice allowing M. Phillips to move over to second base. Sophomore Hayley Grabner laid down a sacrifice bunt and allowed the Mountaineers to have two runners in scoring position at second and third. Boyd was intentionally walked to load the bases. Sophomore Sheridan Phillips was called upon to pinch hit for Rappe, but reached on a fielder's choice after M. Phillips was thrown out at home. Smith then stepped into the box and launched second home run of the season and first grand slam of her ASU career to give Appalachian a 5-2 lead.
Appalachian got Dayton out in the bottom of the fourth in order to give way to the fifth inning of action.
Senior Hannah Dow garnered a leadoff walk to begin the fifth forcing the Flyers to make a pitching change to bring in Alysha Issacson. Lighton doubled down the right field line, putting runners on first and third for ASU. M. Phillips then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Dow to cross home and increase Appalachian's lead to 6-2.
Dayton answered ASU's offensive attack in the bottom of the fifth by scoring five runs.
Alicia Nichols pinch hit for Brandy Brown, but struck out swinging for the first out of the inning. Archer walked and swiped second and scored after Stegeman doubled to center field. Jordan Jennings came in to pitch run for Stegeman and was immediately on the move as she advanced to third on a wild pitch. The pitch proved to be costly as Maloof singled to left field, allowing Jennings to come around for the second Flyer run of the inning.
Sophomore Frannie Seader was then relieved of her pitching duties and sophomore Louise Gibson came in to take over for ASU.
Gibson walked her first batter she faced, but got Lauren Nacke to pop out to M. Phillips at shortstop for the second out of the stanza. Megan Barrett walked in the next at bat, loading the bases full of Flyers. Dana Trotta was the second Flyer to walk and allowed Maloof to cross home. Gibson lost the grip on a pitch and it went wild, bringing in Isaacson. Another wild pitch allowed Dayton to score, but Carlyn Harlow grounded out to Rembielak to end the inning.
Appalachian had one more offensive charge in its pocket as the Apps put up a five spot of its own in the top of the sixth.
Boyd singled back up the middle to lead off the Mountaineer sixth. Rappe got on via a fielder's choice and Smith came through again except with a single through the left side, advancing Boy to third and Rappe to second. Cashion flew out to center field and brought home Boyd. Smith stole second and with runners on second and third, Lighton launched her first home run of the season in the next at bat. M. Phillips continued the Appalachian run with a double to center field, causing the Flyers to dip into its bullpen. Rembielak singled and moved over to second due to a throwing error by Nacke, allowing M. Phillips to come across. Grabner would ground out to shortstop to end the inning.
Dayton pushed one more across in the sixth, but the Black and Gold held on to win the game 11-8.
Gibson (1-2) earned her first win of the season after she replaced Seader, who came in for junior Caitlin Wainright. The staff combined to only give up five hits.
The offensive amassed 14 hits, tied for eighth all-time in ASU single-game history, while the 11 RBIs is now tied for sixth all-time in single-game history.
The four hit, four RBI attack by Smith are both career highs for the sophomore, as well as her five at bats.
ASU 1, UNC Wilmington 0
Despite being edged in the hits category, 4-3, a Boyd leadoff home run in the bottom of the first held up to give the Mountaineers its second victory of the day.
The Seahawks scattered hits in the second, third and seventh, but no one got further than second base as Dow threw her second complete game of the season, tying her with Gibson for the team lead in that category.
Appalachian is back in action again tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Boseman Field.
Chattanooga 14, Toledo 3
Chattanooga 11, East Tennessee State 1
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Two three-run bombs by junior pitcher Michelle Fuzzard in the first inning of each game set the tone in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team's sweep of Toledo (0-1), 14-3, and East Tennessee State (1-7), 11-1, in five innings. She also picked up the victory in the circle against the Zips to improve to 5-1.
Also adding homeruns for Chattanooga (9-3) were senior right fielder Della Harrison and sophomore first baseman Kasey Tydingco, who had a game ending homer due to the eight-run rule in the fifth against Toledo. Fuzzard paced the Lady Mocs with four round trippers this season, while Tydingco and Harrison are not far behind with three each.
Fuzzard had a career day with a 5-for-5 performance in the doubleheader including two home runs, a double, eight RBI and two walks.
Senior pitcher Kandice Irwin threw two innings of relief against Akron and recorded 3.1 innings against the Bucs, while combining for five strikeouts.
The Lady Mocs are back in action on Saturday at the Frost Classic with first pitch of a doubleheader against IUPUI and Northern Iowa set for Noon. Live video will be available through MocsVision on GoMocs.com. All games of the eight-team tournament can be followed via live stats through the link above.
Game One: Chattanooga 14, Toledo 3 (5 inn.)
Chattanooga took an early 3-0 lead in the first and did not look back against Toledo in a 13-4 five inning victory. Senior Lyndsey Stiles, Fuzzard, Harrison and Tydingco each drove in three runs and notched multiple hit during the contest.
In the circle, Fuzzard tossed three innings and gave up three runs on three hits, while senior Kandice Irwin threw the remainder of the contest. Both hurlers struck out two.
Following a leadoff walk in the first to Stiles and an error by the shortstop, Fuzzard stepped to the plate and drilled a 3-2 over the bleachers in left putting Chattanooga up, 3-0.
The Zips struck in the top of the third as the leadoff hitter was hit by a pitch and Kattie Palmer doubled to left, then Becki Heimbinger homered to right center to knot the score at three.
Harrison drew a walk to start the bottom-half of the frame. Two bunt singles by junior shortstop Jessica Traxler and freshman catcher Natalie Power started a rally by loaded the bases and senior left fielder Lauren Flores put the Lady Mocs back on top, 4-3, with a sacrifice fly.
With a double down the right field line, Stiles added two more runs on the scoreboard for Chattanooga.
Lindsey Tobias led off the fourth with an opposite field homer to right center off Irwin to cut into the Lady Mocs advantage, 6-4.
After a single by Fuzzard to start off the fourth, freshman Layne Rainey came in to pinch run and junior third baseman Tiffany Baker reached on a fielder's choice to short. Harrison drove a 2-2 pitch over the right field fence as Chattanooga extended its lead to 9-3.
The Lady Mocs put two runners on the bases with a throwing error by the shortstop and an infield single by Flores. Stiles followed with a single up the middle that scored Powers from second to push the lead to 10-3.
To begin the fifth, Fuzzard doubled to left center and was followed by a Baker single to put runners at the corners. Freshman Chelsea Watson pinch ran for Baker. Tydingco ended the game with her third home run of the season to left center bringing the run rule into effect.
Toledo was led by Heimbigner and Tobias at the plate with a three-run and solo home run, respectively, while Whitney Young and Jen Solanics logged innings for the Zips.
Game Two: Chattanooga 11, East Tennessee State 1
Fuzzard went 2-for-2 in the 11-1 Chattanooga victory against East Tennessee State with three-run homer and five RBI. Sophomore second baseman Sara Poteat notched two-hits, while junior shortstop Jessica Traxler drove in two.
Senior pitcher Niki Waters (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) started in the circle for the Lady Mocs, but was relieved by Irwin in the second, who picked up the victory and struckout three.
After Stiles drew a leadoff walk and Poteat beat out an infield single to the pitcher, Fuzzard gave the Lady Mocs an early 3-0 lead on a homer that curled around the left field foul pole.
From there the Bucs made mistakes in the circle as Baker walked and Tydingco was hit, then Harrison notched a single up the middle to load the bases. Junior catcher Vivian Morimoto drew a walk before a pitching change that brought in Shelby Morris.
With a single up the middle by Traxler, the Lady Mocs took a 6-0 advantage as Harrison and Tydingco crossed the plate. Flores then singled through the left side to reload the bases.
Following Poteat getting hit and Fuzzard drawing another walk, Chattanooga was retired in the first on eight runs and five hits.
The Bucs responded in the second with a run of their own as Cambell doubled down the left field line and Hensley reached on an infield single to put runners at the corners. Cambell crossed the plate on an illegal pitch call on Waters.
Chattanooga added to its lead in the third as Stiles began the frame with an infield single and stole her 10th base of the season before Poteat singled to third on a bunt. Fuzzard drove in Stiles with a single to right and advanced to second on the throw that beat Poteat to the plate. Freshman Layne Rainey (Clarksville, Tenn.) came into run for Baker after a base on balls.
Harrison put the Lady Mocs up 11-1 on a hard hit ball to left center that went off the outfielder's glove allowing Rainey and Fuzzard to score.
The Bucs were led by Amy Campbell, who went 2-for-2, while Katie Henderson, Nicole Fox and Whitley Hensley notched hits. Katie Wolf threw the final 3.2 innings and fanned three relieving Jessica Duncan and Morris.
It was a homecoming of sorts for first year ETSU head coach Brad Irwin, who served with the Lady Mocs as an assistant over the past four seasons.
Presbyterian 3, Western Carolina 0
North Carolina Central 7, Western Carolina 5
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Western Carolina softball (7-5) dropped both games in the opening day of the North Carolina A&T Tournament falling 3-0 to Presbyterian and 7-5 to NC A&T after the game was called due to darkness.
In the first game of the tournament, Western Carolina lost to Presbyterian 3-0. It was just the second time this season the Catamounts have been shutout. The two teams had a three hour delay, prior to the start of the game, because of inclement weather.
When the two teams hit the field, the Blue Hose didn't waste anytime, posting two runs in the top of the first inning. Presbyterian College added a lone run in the sixth inning.
Sophomore pitcher Amber Steinhardt dropped her first game on the mound against Presbyterian. She tossed a complete game allowing three runs, just one of them earned, on four hits and struck out four. Steinhardt falls to 4-1.
The Catamounts strung together just three hits in the contest. Kelly Braman Steinhardt and Makenzi McAteer each had hits in the game.
The Catamounts game with the host Aggies, as stated above, was called in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs and NC A&T leading 7-5. The Aggies do not have lights on their field, and after the first game was postponed two hours due to inclement weather, the games were pushed back and couldn't beat the darkening skies.
Western Carolina got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second inning after a scoreless first. Haley Pace scored the first run for the Catamounts after reaching first on a fielder's choice, advancing to second on the throw and stealing third. Pace scored on an Aggies passed ball. Sarah Spencer kept the inning alive by drawing a walk and the bases were loaded with Catamounts when Makenzi McAteer singled and Jordan Fulton walked. Spencer scored the second run of the inning on an Aggie fielding error.
North Carolina A&T took the lead in the bottom of the second and took it in a big way. The Aggies exploded for seven runs on six hits.
The Catamounts added two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Junior Erin Foster led off with a triple and scored off an RBI single by Steinhardt. An Aggie fielding error allowed Shemekia Scotton to score after reaching first on a fielder's choice.
Bekah Burkett started the game and takes her first lost of the game on the mound, falling to 0-1. She was replaced by Katie King in the second inning.
Steinhardt and McAteer each had two hits in the game.
Western Carolina continues play in the North Carolina A&T Invitational. The Catamounts face Rider at 11 a.m. and IPFW at 3 p.m.
Marshall 1, Georgia Southern 0
Auburn 9, Georgia Southern 1
AUBURN, Ala. - Georgia Southern softball dropped both games Friday on day one of the War Eagle Classic at Jane B. Moore Field on the campus of Auburn University. Marshall took game one, 1-0, and Auburn benefitted from four Eagle defensive errors for a 9-1 win.
In the sixth inning of game one, Marshall's Alianna Telles singled up the middle to plate Alamda Lara to give the Thundering Herd a 1-0 lead. Bethany Crenshaw broke up Marshall's perfect game bid in the bottom of the frame with a swinging bunt single down the third base line. The senior, however, would be stranded at first base.
Allie Miles pitched a complete game and suffered the hard-luck loss. She allowed one run off three hits and fanned four in the game. Both offenses struggled in the game as four total hits were recorded.
Against Auburn, Marie Fogle led off the game with a bloop single to shallow right centerfield. Kelly Burnett advanced Fogle to second with a bunt, but the Eagles were unable to advance her any further in the inning.
Georgia Southern was hampered by poor defensive play as the Eagles committed four errors against Auburn. The Tigers scored two runs off two hits and an error in the second inning to take an early 2-0 lead. In the top of the third, Fogle sliced the Auburn lead in half with a towering home run to right centerfield with one out. She now leads the team with four home runs this season.
Auburn struck back with four runs in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of a pair of Georgia Southern errors in the frame to post a 6-1 lead. In the fourth inning, the Tigers tacked on three more runs to post the 9-1 final score.
Senior Brianna Streetmon struck out three Tigers in 3.2 innings of work. She allowed nine runs, four earned off seven hits. Classmate Megen Smith tossed the final third of an inning and recorded a strikeout.
On Saturday, the Eagles face Belmont (6:30 p.m.) and Middle Tennessee State (9 p.m.) in the War Eagle Classic before closing play on Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. versus Murray State.
Lipscomb 10, Samford 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford softball team dropped its first game of the Magic City Classic to Lipscomb Friday night, 10-0, at the UAB Softball Complex in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Lady Bisons pitcher Whitney Kiihnl pitched a six-inning no-hitter to hand the Bulldogs their fifth loss in a row.
Lipscomb (4-6) jumped out to a quick lead in the top of the first inning after an RBI single and two home runs, including one two-run bomb that fell just to the right of the left field foul pole.
Samford (2-9) held Lipscomb to just one hit for the next four innings until the Lady Bisons tacked on six more runs in the top of the sixth inning with the help of back-to-back solo home runs and a three-RBI single.
Kayla Burris (1-4) started the game and took the loss for Samford. She pitched just one-third of an inning, giving up four earned runs on four hits. Nicole Bobrowski pitched the final 5.2 innings, giving up two earned runs on seven hits. She recorded four strikeouts and allowed just one walk.
All but two Lipscomb players had a hit against Samford. Mollie Mitchell, Vanessa Medina and Mackenzie Tucker led with two hits each. Medina also had two of the Lady Bisons' four home runs while Haley Elliott and Caroline Mason also hit a home run each. Mitchell led her team with four RBI while Elliott and Medina each had two.
Kiihnl (4-4) pitched the complete no-hitter shutout and recorded 17 strikeouts.
Samford opens play at home Saturday with day two of the Magic City Classic. The Bulldogs will play Indiana State at 12:30 p.m. and Alabama State at 5:30 p.m.
Alabama State and Eastern Illinois will play in the first game of the day at Bulldog Softball Field at 10 a.m. Radford and Lipscomb will face off in the 3 p.m. game while Radford and St. Louis close out the day in the 8 p.m. game.
Morehead State 13, UNCG 1
Kansas 8, UNCG 3
GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNCG dropped a pair of games at its own Spartan Classic on Friday, falling to Morehead State 13-1 in 5 innings and to Kansas 8-3.
In the day's earlier action, Minnesota beat Morehead State 4-0 and Kansas 5-4.
The game against Morehead State (4-7) got away from the Spartans (6-6) early as the Eagles sent 12 batters to the plate in an eight-run second inning. Morehead State led off the inning with three straight walks, and a pair of RBI singles and a bases-loaded walk knocked UNCG starter Josie Felix (2-1) from the game.
The Eagles rapped out four hits in the inning but took advantage of five walks and a hit batter to turn the contest into a blowout early. Rebecca Butler and Kayla Brill each had two-run singles in the frame.
Morehead State added three more runs in the third, scoring on an RBI grounder, an error and a single up the middle to make it 11-0.
UNCG avoided the shutout in the bottom half of the frame, as Kaitlin Merkt and Eileen Horsmon hit consecutive two-out singles. The pair advanced on a passed ball and Merkt them came in on a wild pitch.
Morehead State capped the scoring with two more in the fourth, getting an RBI grounder and a run another error to make it 13-1.
The game had a very different look early on, as UNCG left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first. Freshman Aisha Figueroa led off with a single up the middle, and Alex Emeterio reach on catcher's interference one out later. Merkt singled through the left side to load the bases, but Morehead State starter Kelcey McMurray induced a fielder's choice to erase Figueroa at the plate and a strikeout to escape unscathed.
Merkt was 2-for-3 in the game for the Spartans, while Brooke McCartney led the way for the Eagles with 3-for-3 effort.
McMurray picked up the win with 3 innings of four-hit ball, allowing just an unearned run. Felix was rocked for six earned on three hits and four walks in 1-plus innings.
Game two saw the Spartans jump out to a 2-0 lead over Kansas (11-1) in the third inning. Jordan Jewett got things going with an infield single to shortstop, and eventually scored on a Jayhawk throwing error. Emeterio added an RBI fielder's choice to make it a 2-0 game.
Kansas took a lead it would not relinquish in the top half of the next inning, getting back-to-back home runs from Marissa Ingle and Brittany Hile.
The Jayhawks would add two more in the fifth, getting RBI singles from Ingle and Hile, but the Spartans would get a run back in the sixth on an RBI fielder's choice. UNCG wasted a chance for more, however, as it had the bases loaded with nobody out before Kansas starter Allie Clark limited the damage.
Hile put the game out of reach in the top half of the seventh, hitting a towering three-run homer that hit off the top of the fence in left field to make it 8-3.
Cory Mattson (2-4) took the loss in the circle for the Spartans, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 12 hits in 7 innings. Clark (6-1) allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits in the complete-game effort.
The Spartan Classic continues Saturday with Morehead State and Kansas squaring off at 11 a.m., followed by UNCG vs. Minnesota. The teams will then get into bracket play with games scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Drexel 4, College of Charleston 2
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The College of Charleston softball team dropped its opening game of the CofC Cougar Classic against Drexel, 4-2 in eight innings, at Patriots Point on Friday night. A morning rain storm pushed the Classic back several hours and CofC's scheduled nightcap against Liberty was cancelled.
For the second game in a row, the Cougars rallied from behind on two separate occasions to force extra innings but this time fell short to an eighth-inning two-run home run off the bat of Paige Collings.
The Cougars (6-4) take the loss despite outhitting the Dragons (2-4) eight to six in the contest.
Drexel took an early lead in the first inning when Rachel Campbell led off with a single up the middle, worked her way to third and eventually scored on an RBI groundout by Jenn Reading.
The Cougars finally equalized in the bottom of the fifth inning when Lizzy Vaughn blooped a ball into left field and legged out a triple on the play. Amanda Lonergan plated Vaughn with a hard-hit ball to the shortstop.
Drexel jumped back on top in the sixth with a pair of no-out singles and eventually scored on a Cougar fielding error.
CofC was not deterred and bounced back once again in the bottom of the sixth with a game-tying two-out rally. Kelsey Hodgson started off the rally with a single through the left side followed by an infield single by Hillary Stringer. Carly Corthell then singled back up the middle to score Kaitlyn White who had pinch run for Hodgson.
The game went into an extra frame and with a runner placed on second by extra-inning protocol, Collings homered over the left-field fence to put Drexel up, 4-2.
The Cougars loaded the bases in their half of the eighth but Stringer's hard-hit line drive was gloved by the Dragons' shortstop to end the game.
The Cougars play two games on Saturday afternoon opening with Notre Dame at approximately 2 p.m. and Marist immediately afterwards. The remainder of the Classic, barring further weather conditions, will follow the original schedule with six games in total on Saturday and three on Sunday.