Furman 5, Western Carolina 1
Furman 4, Western Carolina 3
Greenville, S.C. - Senior Morgan Hughey collected five hits on the day, including a walk-off RBI single in game two, to propel Furman to a 5-1, 4-3 doubleheader sweep of Western Carolina on the opening day of Southern Conference softball play Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
With one out in the bottom of the eight and the score knotted at 3-3, Jessie Homesley doubled off of the glove of Catamount rightfielder Amelia Griffin. Hughey, 3-for-4 in game two, followed with a single back up the middle to score Homesley and complete the Paladins come-from-behind victory to secure the sweep.
Furman (6-12, 2-0 SoCon) trailed 2-0 in the second inning of game two after Western Carolina's Shemekia Scotten put the Catamounts on the board with a two-out-two run double to right-center that scored Kelly Braman and Amber Steinhardt who had both reached base via base on balls. Morgan Wyatt upped the margin to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly in the third inning after Jordan Fulton singled, stole second and moved to third base on a throwing error.
The Paladins pushed across an unearned run in the fifth to trim the margin to 3-1 in the fifth inning and pulled even with a two-out rally in the sixth. With Lauren Collier on second and two down in the sixth, Hughey singled through the left side to put runners at the corners. Freshman Hannah Pace followed with a double down the left field line to score both runners and tie the game at 3-3.
Along with Hughey's three-hit outing, Collier and Homesley each collected two hits apiece for the Paladins. Sophomore Kayla Suskauer (3-4) earned the victory in the circle limiting the Catamounts to three runs on only four hits over eight innings of work. The Tampa, Fla., native notched six strikeouts and walked four WCU batters.
Katie King (6-3) suffered the loss for Western Carolina (12-8, 0-2 SoCon) allowing three earned runs on eight hits in 7.1 innings. She fanned five batters and did not issue a walk. Fulton went 2-for-3 to lead the Catamount offense.
In game one, Furman belted three home runs, including back-to-back long balls by Collier and Hughey in the second inning, en route to a 5-1 victory over Western Carolina.
Collier put the Paladins on the board in the bottom of the second leading off the frame with a solo shot off of the left field foul pole. Hughey followed with a drive over the right-centerfield fence to put Furman ahead 2-0.
After WCU cut the margin in half with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, Furman added three runs in the bottom of the inning to cap the scoring. Hughey delivered a one-out single between shortstop and third base and sophomore Emily Boyer followed with a towering two-run blast to left-center. Nikki Legg walked, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error before scoring on Stephanie Field's single to left field.
Collier (3-8) scattered four hits and allowed only one run while tossing a complete game for the Paladins. She fanned five batters and walked just three in seven innings. Hughey and Boyer each registered a pair of hits for Furman.
Steinhardt (6-3) allowed four runs on six hits in 3.1 innings to absorb the loss for Western Carolina.
Furman goes for the sweep when the Paladins and Catamounts tangle in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Chattanooga 11, Samford 0
Chattanooga 5, Samford 3
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ---- The Samford softball team fell in both games of a doubleheader at Chattanooga to start the Southern Conference season Saturday.Chattanooga won the first game, 11-0 and the second game by a score of 5-3. Samford falls to 3-17 and 0-2 in league play while Chattanooga improves to 17-3, 2-0 in the SoCon.
In the first game, the Lady Mocs used a two-RBI single to jump on top after retiring Samford in order in the first inning. In the second inning, an RBI single and another RBI double extended the lead to 4-0 before Tiffany Baker blasted a three-run home run to put UTC ahead 7-0. The Lady Mocs ended the inning with a two-RBI triple and made it an 11-0 ballgame in the fourth inning with a two-run home run by Natalie Powers.
Powers and Michelle Fuzzard led the Lady Mocs at the plate. Powers was 2-for-3 with four RBI and a run while Fuzzard was 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Fuzzard (8-3) also pitched a five-inning one-hitter, striking out one batter and walking one.
Amanda Jordan had the only hit for the Bulldogs with a single to left field in the second inning. Kayla Burris (2-8) took the loss for the Bulldogs, giving up 11 runs on 13 hits in 3.2 innings. She recorded two strikeouts and two walks, while Emily Waters recorded the last out of the game on a swinging strikeout.
In game two, it was the Bulldogs who struck the first blow. With one out, Harmon was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a single by Alex Adams. Kayla Shaffer then reached base on a fielder's choice, Harmon scored and Adams advanced to third on a muffed throw by the shortstop. Aaren Fisher followed with a single to score Adams and put Samford ahead, 2-0.
Jordan led off the second inning with her first home run of the season to put the Bulldogs up, 3-0. However, UTC answered back with a run in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by Kasey Tydingco, and added another in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice hit by Fuzzard to cut the Bulldogs' lead to one. The Lady Mocs moved into the lead after a two-run double and an RBI single in the sixth inning. UTC retired Samford in the top of the seventh to seal the win, 5-3.
Fisher led the Bulldogs in the second game, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Harmon, Adams, Jordan and Arica Dykes also recorded hits while Shaffer and Jordan each had two of the Bulldogs' three RBI.
Harmon (0-6) pitched a complete game, giving up five runs on eight hits. She recorded three strikeouts and allowed five walks.
Lyndsey Stiles led the Lady Mocs in game two with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, two runs and an RBI. Sara Poteat also went 2-for-3 while Della Harrison, Jessica Traxler and Lauren Flores each recorded a hit.
Nikki Waters pitched the first inning and gave up two runs on three hits while Kandice Irwin (5-1) earned the win, pitching the remainder of the game and giving up three hits and recording six strikeouts.
The Bulldogs and Lady Mocs will close out the series Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
Georgia Southern 6, Appalachian State 4
Georgia Southern 5, Appalachian State 4
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern Softball rolled to a 6-4 win in game one, but needed a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to take the game two victory, 5-4, on Saturday (March 12th) to open Southern Conference play. The Eagles (10-14, 2-0 SoCon) led 3-0 going into the seventh, but four Appalachian State (6-13, 0-2 SoCon) runs gave the visitors a lead with a half inning to play. A pair of Georgia Southern runs in the bottom of the seventh sealed the thrilling come-from-behind victory.
The Mountaineers penned a four-run rally with two outs in the bottom of the seventh of game two, started by a single to right-center by Katie Boyd. The hit forced Johnson to remove starting pitcher Megen Smith scattered seven hits in six and two-thirds of work. Freshman Allie Miles replaced Smith and walked Megan Remielak to put runners on first and second.
A double by ASU's Meghan Smith brought Boyd home and an errant throw from centerfield hit the Mountaneer's shoe, deflecting it away and allowing Rembielak to score. Miles, however, recorded the final out of the inning with a clutch strikeout and the Eagles trailed by one run going into the bottom of the seventh.
A pair of quick hits by GSU's Smith and Hanna Ennis put runners on first and second and forced Appalachian State to go to the bullpen. Both Georgia Southern runners moved up on a wild pitch and sophomore Andrea Tarashuk singled up the middle to tie the game by plating Smith. On a 1-2 count, sophomore Tabby Douberley drew the hero card and laced a single up the middle to push Ennis, representing the winning run home. Miles picked up the victory in the circle, for her fourth win in just a third of an inning of work.
Georgia Southern took a 1-0 lead in the first inning with two outs when Smith scored on a fielding error by the Appalachian State second baseman. The Eagles doubled the advantage in the third inning with Marie Fogle's sixth home run of the season to re-take the team lead in that category. In the fourth inning, pinch runner Nicole Benton scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Kelly Burnett to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead.
---GAME ONE---
In the second inning of game one, the Mountaineers struck first by cashing in on an early Georgia Southern error. Starting pitcher Brianna Streetmon fielded a ball up the middle, but had the toss to first base sail over Douberley's head to allow ASU's McKenzie Phillips to score. The Mountaineers went up 2-0 in the third inning when Hannah Dow singled Megan Rembielak in to score.
In the bottom of the frame, Shelby Morrill's hot bat brought Fogle home with a single. The next batter, Smith, ripped a towering two-run home run down the left field line and gave the Eagles a lead they would not surrender, 3-2.
An Ennis single in the bottom of the fifth allowed Smith to score, diving spectacularly to avoid the tag by Appalachian State catcher Michelle Lighton at the plate. Consecutive walks to Douberley and Mackenzie Williams with the bases loaded pushed Tarashuk across to give GSU a 5-2 lead. Georgia Southern tacked on a single run in the sixth when Fogle scored off an RBI-swinging bunt by Smith to go up 6-2.
Appalachian State mounted a seventh-inning rally, pushing Rembielak across on a triple down the right field line by Smith. A single up the middle by the next batter brought Smith home. Streetmon, however, settled down to induce a pair of pop ups and a ground out to retire the side and preserve GSU's 6-4 victory. Streetmon went the distance for the Eagles to improve to 5-4 on the year adding three more strikeouts to her season total.
The teams close out the three-game set on Sunday with a matinee at 1 p.m.
Elon 4, College of Charleston 0
College of Charleston 1, Elon 0
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The Elon softball team split a pair of games with College of Charleston to open up Southern Conference play today, March 12, at Patriots Point. The Phoenix took the first game, 4-0, after a great performance by pitcher Lauren Taylor but dropped the second game of the doubleheader, 1-0. Elon is now 12-5 (1-1 SoCon) on the season, while the Cougars sit at 17-7 (1-1 SoCon).
Game 1
The Phoenix got on the board first with a one-out solo home run to left field courtesy of Kaitlyn Piazzolla, her first round-tripper of the year. After Danielle Lafferty reached on an error by College of Charleston second baseman Hillary Stringer, Pam DelPizzo hit a double off the fence to put runners in scoring position for Elon. With two outs, Jackie Gonzalez singled through the left side for her second hit of the day to push Lafferty across the plate and place runners at the corners for Caitlin McGowan. But CofC starter Alexa Datko managed to get McGowan to ground out to end the inning, but the Phoenix held on to a 2-0 edge.
The Cougars made noise in the bottom of the third after Katie Forbes reached on a fielder's choice and then advanced to second off a ground out by Amanda Lonergan. A two-out double down the left field line by Katie Pesature moved Forbes to third but Taylor got Katie Nutaitis to keep the two-run lead intact.
CofC head coach Shelly Hoerner made a switch in the circle in the top of the fourth, bringing in Jen Rosene from the bullpen to relieve Datko. Datko exited after giving up one earned run off six hits and striking out two.
McGowan got the offense going for Elon in the top of the fifth by leading off the inning with a single. After McKenzie Harrelson pinch-ran for McGowan at first base, Emerald Graham belted a double to the gap in left center to score Harrelson and give Elon a 3-0 lead. After back-to-back ground outs put two outs on the board, Piazzolla reached on an error by Stringer, her second of the game, which brought home Graham for the second Elon run of the inning to make it a 4-0 game.
Taylor (7-2) earned the complete-game shutout after giving up five hits and striking out three. Gonzalez finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI and one stolen base. Datko took the loss for the Cougars to fall to 7-3 on the season.
Game 2
After being shut out in the first game, the Cougars wasted no time by scoring one run in the first to take a 1-0 advantage. Carly Corthell scored the unearned run after reaching on a single, advancing to second and then third on a throwing error and came across the plate off a double by Forbes.
The Phoenix threatened in the fourth with back-to-back bunts by Tomeka Watson and Gonzalez to place runners on first and second with no outs for Elon. However, the Cougars got out of the inning without allowing any Elon runs to maintain its small lead.
In the top of the sixth, the Phoenix loaded the bases with no outs in hopes of breaking the game open, but CofC pitcher Stephanie Saylors was able to strike out both McGowan and Graham and forced Carleigh Nester to fly out to center to keep it a one-run game.
Erin O'Shea (4-2) took the loss for the Phoenix on the back end of the doubleheader giving up three hits and one unearned run, while fanning half a dozen Cougars in six innings of work. Saylors improved to 6-4 with the complete-game shutout giving up two hits and striking out eight.
The Phoenix wraps up its three game series with College of Charleston tomorrow, March 13, with a 1 p.m. game.