UNCG 4, College of Charleston 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Kaitlin Merkt hit her second two-run home run in as many days and Katelyn Bedwell added a two-run single as UNCG dropped College of Charleston 4-0 on Sunday to claim the series.
With Jordan Jewett on base and two out, Merkt put the Spartans (11-12, 2-1 Southern Conference) on the board in the bottom of the first inning, sending Jen Rosene's 2-2 pitch high out to right center for her fifth homer of the season.
The score would remain 2-0 until the bottom the fifth, when Alex Emeterio, Merkt and Bedwell strung together consecutive two-out hits. Emeterio got things started with a single to left and Merkt moved her to third with a double to the wall in right. Bedwell then dropped a bloop single into shallow left center to knock in Emeterio and Merkt with some insurance runs.
The Cougars (18-10, 2-4 SoCon) stranded 10 runners on the day, leaving two on in the second and seventh innings and leaving the bases loaded in the third and sixth.
A two-out walk by Kristi Woodall and a single by Kelsey Hodgson put runners on first and second in the second inning, but starter Josie Felix got a groundout to escape the jam.
Felix found herself in trouble again in the third, with CofC putting together a pair of infield singles and a walk with two outs to load the bases. Cory Mattson then came on in relief of Felix and struck out Katie Nutaitis to end the threat.
The Cougars left the bases loaded again in the sixth, taking advantage of Katie Forbes' leadoff single, a UNCG error and a walk. Mattson was again up to the task, however, getting a grounder to second to keep the Cougars scoreless.
CofC had one last attempt at a rally, as pinch-hitter Blakeney Sitton drew a walk and Lizzy Vaughn singled to left to put runners on first and second with one out in the seventh. Mattson struck out Forbes and coaxed another grounder to second to end the game.
Mattson (5-8) picked up the win with 4 1/3 innings of two-hit relief, striking out five. Felix allowed five hits in 2 2/3 innings.
The Spartans handed CofC freshman Jen Rosene (4-1) her first loss, as she allowed four runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Alexa Datko worked an inning and a third of scoreless relief.
Merkt was 2-for-2 with a walk, a double and a homer to lead UNCG at the dish. Carly Corthell and Vaughn had two hits each for the Cougars.
Coupled with Saturday's doubleheader split, UNCG won the series with CofC for the second straight season.
The Spartans return to action Wednesday for a doubleheader at NC State. First pitch for game one is set for 3 p.m.
Georgia Southern 12, Western Carolina 3
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Georgia Southern Softball (13-17, 5-1 SoCon) posted its best day at the plate of the season en route to a 12-3 rout win over Western Carolina (13-15, 0-6 SoCon) on Sunday (March 20th) to take the series sweep over the Catamounts. The Eagles bashed a season-high 16 hits including four home runs.
The Eagles pounced on the Catamounts in the opening frame, by touching Western Carolina for three runs off four hits. Marie Fogle laced a single up the middle to start the inning and extend her hit streak to three-straight games. Andrea Tarashuk plated two runs with a single through the right side and gave the Eagles an early 3-0 lead.
Western Carolina clawed a run back in the bottom of the first when a line drive with two runners on reached the fence in centerfield. The throw to the plate was cutoff just feet from third base allowing the Eagles to tag the WCU runner who overran third base for the final out of the first and preserve the 3-1 lead after an inning of play.
Georgia Southern threatened again in the second but stranded a runner at third base. All three outs in the inning were recorded on sky-high fly outs to the warning track.
The Catamounts, however, tied the game, 3-3, in the bottom of the second inning by taking advantage of a pair of Georgia Southern fielding errors in the frame.
The score didn't remain tied for long because senior Megen Smith parked a ball over the right-centerfield fence to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead. Consecutive base hits for the Eagles forced a pitching change for Western Carolina. A single by Tabby Douberley put the Eagles up 5-3.
Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Fogle ripped her third home run of the weekend over the centerfield fence for Georgia Southern's first grand slam of the season. It was also the first grand slam for the Eagles since Robyne Siliga's slam against Oakland on February 23rd, 2008. The six-run frame gave the Eagles a commanding 9-3 lead.
After a quiet fourth inning for both sides, Fogle went yard again in the top of the fifth with a two-run long-ball to centerfield. The home run was her tenth of the season as she went deep in back-to-back at bats for the first time this season. Junior Hanna Ennis got in on the action with a solo home run down the left field line. The back-to-back home runs gave the Eagles a 12-3 lead. She went 3-for-4 in the game and is now batting .348.
Starting pitcher Brianna Streetmon worked the first three innings to pick up her second win of the series and seventh of the year. She allowed just two hits and was charged with two earned runs. Freshman Allie Miles tossed the final two innings, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts.
Georgia Southern will play a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at North Florida starting at 4 p.m. in Jacksonville. GSU returns to SoCon play next weekend on the road against College of Charleston.
Appalachian State 9, Elon 1
BOONE, N.C. - Seniors Katie Boyd and Hannah Dow and junior Megan Rembielak all hit home runs to propel Appalachian State University softball (10-13, 4-2 SoCon) to its third regular-season sweep of Elon (13-10, 2-4 SoCon) in program history on Sunday afternoon at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium in Boone.
After a groundout by Elon's Tomeka Watson to leadoff the game, Pam DelPizzo launched her second home run of the season over the left field wall to give the Phoenix a 1-0 lead. Emerald Graham struck out looking in the next at-bat, but Carleigh Nester walked to give Elon their first base runner. Nester then tried to steal second, but was thrown out by junior Michelle Lighton to end the inning.
To begin Appalachian's half of the first inning, Boyd recorded her second leadoff home run of the series and third of the season to knot up the game at 1-1. Rembielak hit a shot to right field, but Emerald Graham was able to track it down for the first out of the inning. Sophomore Meghan Smith walked and sophomore Allie Cashion, who had an impressive series, singled to right field, advancing Smith to second. But Dow grounded into a double play to end the frame.
The Mountaineers tacked on three more runs in the third inning to give ASU's its first lead of the game. As with yesterday's games after Boyd recorded her home run, she was intentionally walked for the rest of the game start the inning. Rembielak used her speed to lay down a bunt single, putting runs on first and second. Smith doubled back up the middle, plating Boyd and moving Rembielak to third. The action prompted Elon head coach Patti Raduenz to bring in Erin O'Shea in place of Lauren Taylor in the circle. Cashion singled through the left side in the next at-bat, bringing home Rembielak for the second run of the inning. The Apps gave up back-to-back strikeouts for the first outs of the inning, but senior McKenzie Phillips singled up the middle. Smith managed to score the third run as Cashion was caught in a rundown and was tagged out to end the inning.
Sophomore Louise Gibson gave up two hits to two of the first three batters to lead off the fourth, but a couple of groundouts and a strikeout quieted down the Phoenix rally.
Sophomore Hayley Grabner singled through the right side to lead off the fourth and senior Sarah Rappe laid down a nice sacrifice bunt to move Grabner over to second. Boyd drew another intentional walk, but Rembielak got ahold of an O'Shea pitch and sent it over the left field fence for her first Black and Gold home run of her career to give Appalachian a 7-1 hold on the Phoenix.
Elon went down in order in the fifth, requiring ASU to only need two more runs to run-rule the Phoenix.
Dow answered with one of those runs to lead off what would be the final stanza by crushing a pitch that just barely missed the roof of the Sofield Family Indoor Practice Facility, giving Appalachian a 8-1 advantage
Lighton popped up to third base in the next at-bat and M. Phillips walked. Grabner singled for the second time to allow M. Phillips to grab second. Rappe popped up to second base for the second out, setting up another intentional walk for Boyd. But as O'Shea was walking Boyd, she lost control of a pitch advancing Grabner and Phillips up a base. With bases now loaded with Mountaineers, the watchful eye of Rembielak allowed her to let O'Shea walk in the game-running run.
Rembielak, Cashion and Grabner all recorded two hits each, while Boyd notched three runs. Rembielak also added a game-high four RBIs to her stat line.
Gibson (3-3) picked up the complete-game victory, allowing one run on six hits, while only walking one. She also added two strikeouts. Taylor (8-5) was charged with her second loss of the series.
The three Mountaineer home runs ties for second in single-games in ASU history.
The Apps are back in action on Wednesday, March 23, in a doubleheader against Charlotte at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at Sywassink/Lloyd. Due to inclement weather that is expected in the High Country this week, check www.GoASU.com for latest ASU Softball news.
Samford 7, Furman 6
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- A walk-off double by Robyn Harmon lifted Samford softball over Furman Sunday to give the Bulldogs their first Southern Conference series win of the season. It was a battle of the bats on Sunday as Samford took the rubber-game win from Furman, 7-6. The Bulldogs improve to 5-22 overall and 2-4 in league play while Furman falls to 10-14 overall and 2-4 in the SoCon.
The Bulldogs scored their first run in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Harmon to bring in Kayla Shaffer from third. Then, two home runs in the bottom of the second gave the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead with a lead-off bomb over the center field wall by Amanda Jordan and a two-run homer by Allison Reynolds down the left field line.
The Paladins cut the Samford lead to one in the top of the third inning. With one out and two runners on, Morgan Hughey hit a deep single to left field. The throw from the outfield to third base would have been on time to tag Jessie Homesley rounding third, but it sailed over the third baseman's head and into the dugout. Therefore, Homesley and Lauren Collier scored while Hughey advanced to second base. Stephanie Spain followed with a single to advanced Hughey to third and a sacrifice fly by Alex Bimonte drove in the run to make it a 4-3 ballgame.
Samford was not ready to give up the lead though, as Jordan ripped another lead-off home run to left center to start the bottom of the fourth inning. Furman tied the game in the top of the sixth with a sacrifice fly by Homesley and an RBI single by Hughey, but a two-run double by Harmon in the bottom of the seventh scored Shaffer and Brianna Chambers and sealed the win for the Bulldogs.
"It was great to get our first series win," Samford head coach Stephanie VanBrakle said. "I thought that we showed a lot of fight today and came back when we needed to. I thought AJ had a big day and I thought KB pitched well enough for us to win, and we found a way to win."
Jordan led the Bulldogs at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. The home runs were her third and fourth of the season and the seventh and eighth of her career. Regan Bates was also 3-for-3 with a run while Harmon went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Shaffer posted a 1-for-4 performance at the plate, scoring two runs, while Reynolds was 1-for-3 with a run and two RBI. Reynolds' home run was her first of the season.
Kayla Burris started the game for the Bulldogs and pitched five innings, giving up two earned runs on 13 hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Emily Waters came on in relief for 1.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits with a strikeout and a walk. Nicole Bobrowski (2-4) earned the win, recording one strikeout in one-third of an inning of work.
Field led the Paladins at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI while Spain followed with a 3-for-4 performance. Collier and Hughey each went 2-for-4, scoring a run each while Hughey also had an RBI. Katie Michaels was 1-for-4 with a run and Emily Boyer was 1-for-3. Nikki Legg also went 2-for-3 with a run while Bimonte recorded an RBI.
Kayla Suskauer started in the circle for Furman, giving up four earned runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings of play. Collier (5-10) took the loss, giving up two runs on five hits in 1.2 innings of play.
The Bulldogs are back in action next weekend as they continue their 11-game homestand. Samford will play host to Western Carolina and Saturday will be "Whitney Terry Day."
North Florida 4, Chattanooga 0
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team concluded the USF "The Game" Tournament at the Eddie C. Moore Complex with a 4-0 loss to North Florida (14-11) on Sunday. The Lady Mocs offense was unable to get going during the contest as they scattered three hits.
In the circle, a pitching duel ensued between junior Michelle Fuzzard and UNF pitcher Courtney Radke before the Ospreys jumped on the Chattanooga (19-7) hurler. Fuzzard threw 4.1 innings and struck out five, while Radke fanned eight in the complete game shutout.
The three Lady Mocs that notched singles were sophomore second baseman Sara Poteat, freshman center fielder Kaiti Dutton and Fuzzard.
Following two quick outs in the first, Fuzzard singled through the left side and Baker drew a walk to put a runner in scoring position, but a ground out ended the threat.
Another two-out rally in the third was started by Poteat, who beat out an infield single to short. Then, the Thomaston, Ga., native stole her seventh base of the season, but would be stranded on a fly out to center.
In the bottom of the frame, Brittany Hendrix led off with a double to center as no one was covering the base at second as the middle infielders and center fielder converged on the bloop. After a walk to Kaley Brosky, Jackie Reese executed her second sacrifice bunt of the game to move the runners into scoring position without an out.
Fuzzard was able to retire the next batter on a fly out to second baseman Poteat, but the Ospreys took the lead as a wild throw down to third from freshman Natalie Powers allowed for Hendrix to score. The next pitch was a fly out to right as senior Della Harrison made the catch at the base of the temporary fence.
The Lady Mocs pitcher Fuzzard continued to roll striking out the side in the fourth and increasing her total for the game to five.
In the fifth, North Florida struck for three more as Chie Someya led off with a double to right and reached third on a groundout to short. Brosky put UNF up 2-0 with a single to center. Jackie Reese connected on a two-run shot to provide the Ospreys with a 4-0 lead.
After a Fuzzard hit a batter, Irwin came on in relief with one out in the fifth and was able to get the Lady Mocs out of the inning.
To lead off the sixth, Dutton, who came on to replace Stiles in the third, beat out an infield single to the shortstop, but the Lady Mocs would be retired in order after that.
Chattanooga returns to Southern Conference action on Saturday when it hosts Appalachian State at Frost Stadium. First pitch for the double header is set for 1 p.m., while the series finale on Sunday will begin at 2 p.m.