UNC Wilmington 8, Western Carolina 2
Western Carolina 7, UNC Wilmington 1
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina softball (13-10) split its home opener with UNC Wilmington (5-18), dropping the first game 8-2 and wining the second of the twin bill 7-1, Tuesday at the Catamount softball complex.
UNC Wilmington benefitted from 14 hits, a homerun from right fielder Brianna Lofton and three Catamount errors in game one. The Seahawks had three players with three hits in the game.
Catamount junior lefty hurler Katie King got the start in game one and took the loss, falling to 6-6. She went 3.2 innings allowing five runs, three earned, nine hits and struck out one. King was replaced by Bekah Burkett in the fourth inning giving up three runs on five hits.
The Seahawks scored two runs to start the game after loading the bases on back-to-back opening singles and a Catamount error. Brittany Pierce's sacrifice fly to left field scored the first run and Stacey Pinnon hit an RBI single for the second run.
Western Carolina cut the Seahawk led in half in the bottom half of the first inning. With one out, sophomore Jordan Fulton hit a single past the UNCW shortstop and stole the 21st base of her career to move into scoring position. Fulton scored thanks to an RBI single by Haley Pace.
UNCW added a single run in the second inning to go up 3-1. The Catamounts scored their second run of the game in the bottom of the third. Amelia Griffin led off the inning with a single and Fulton's sacrifice bunt pushed Griffin to second. Griffin scored off Morgan Wyatt's RBI single to centerfield.
The Seahawks added two runs in the fourth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh. Fulton and Wyatt each had two hits for the Catamounts.
In the second game, Western Carolina benefitted from a sold pitching effort from sophomore Amber Steinhardt, who tossed a complete game. Steinhardt gave up nine hits, one earned run, and improved to 7-3 on the mound.
After two scoreless innings, Western Carolina exploded for three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs, Seahawk pitcher Amanda Aditeys hit Fulton and placed her on first base. A Seahawk error earned Kelly Branam a trip to first and moved Fulton to second. Aditey walked Wyatt to load the bases and set up a big play by Pace, who laced a double to right center field and earning three RBI, with Futon, Braman and Wyatt scoring on the play.
Steinhardt was riding a shutout through three innings before giving up a homerun to the Seahawks Lauryn Buckworth for UNC Wilmington's lone run in the game.
Western Carolina would add to its lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring four runs. Amelia Griffin drew a walk to lead off the inning and a single by Fulton and Braman reaching on a Seahawk error loaded the bases. UNCW relief pitcher Amanda Davenport then promptly walked Wyatt to send in Griffin. After Pace struck out, Shemekia Scotton reached on a fielder's choice, but picked up an RBI when Fulton scored. Burnette and Foster also notched RBI in the inning scoring Braman and Wyatt.
Fulton, Braman and Wyatt each had a pair of hits in the second game. Western Carolina ended the game with seven hits.
Western Carolina returns to action on Wednesday hosting Lipscomb in a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at the Catamount Softball Complex.
Georgia Tech 13, Georgia Southern 0
Georgia Tech 10, Georgia Southern 0
ATLANTA, Ga. - Georgia Southern Softball (10-17) ran into a hot-hitting Georgia Tech squad on Tuesday (March 15th) afternoon at Mewborn Field. The Yellow Jackets (19-4) brought a 10-game winning streak into the game and took the opener 13-0 and the finale by a 10-0 score. Freshman designated player Shelby Morrill hit a single in the first inning of game one and posted a double in the opening frame of game two.
Tech scored three runs in the bottom of the first, then added two more with a home run in the second. An eight-run third inning gave the Yellow Jackets more than a cushion with 13 runs off 13 hits, a total which included five home runs. Georgia Southern's offense posted two hits with Marie Fogle hitting a lead-off double to open the game, but after Morrill's single, the Eagles were retired in order by senior pitcher Kristen Adkins for the next 12 outs. Adkins pitched four scoreless innings for a total of 22.1 consecutive frames without a run by an opponent.
In the day's second game, a two-run Yellow Jacket home run put them up by two in the first inning. A home run by Kelsi Weserman added another run to the scoreboard and by the end of the second, Georgia Tech was up by four.
Georgia Tech exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning off back-to-back home runs. Georgia Southern loaded the bases in the fifth as junior catcher McKenzie Williams started the fifth inning with a double to left center. Sophomore Kayla Brooks hit a single with one out, moving Williams to third. Consecutive outs retired the side to end the game.
Georgia Southern travels to Western Carolina for a three-game Southern Conference series against the Catamounts beginning Friday, March 18th. The 12-9 WCU squad was swept by Furman last weekend to open SoCon play.