Elon 6, Tennessee State 2
DELAND, Fla. - After dropping a pair of tight games yesterday, the Elon University softball team got back in the win column in a big way with a 6-2 victory over Tennessee State in the consolation game of the Stetson Invitational. The Phoenix improves to 11-4 with the win, while the Tigers fall to 6-15.
Second basemen Jackie Gonzalez went 2-for-3 at the plate, scoring one run and recording one RBI in the game. Five different Phoenix players combined for the team's six-hit performance.
Elon wasted no time getting things going in the bottom of the first with a lead off single from Tomeka Watson, who then advanced to second on a throwing error. With a full count, Gonzalez ripped a triple down the right field line to drive in Watson and get the maroon and gold on the board. McGowan reached on a sacrifice bunt that brought home Gonzalez and gave the Phoenix a 2-0 edge over the Tigers.
After Emerald Graham walked to open the fourth inning, Carleigh Nester reached base on a fielding error by TSU's Jasmine Dunston to put two runners in scoring position for O'Shea. O'Shea's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third. Pam DelPizzo stepped up to the plate and sent the ball over the fence for a three-run blast to increase the Elon lead to 5-0.
DelPizzo relieved O'Shea in the top of the fifth and sent the Tigers back to the dugout in order to bring Elon back to the plate.
The Phoenix wasn't finished, adding another run in the sixth off an infield single by Camille Hill that brought Nester across the plate and moved the Phoenix advantage to 6-0. Nester walked to start the inning and advanced to third off a single to right field by Morgan Wright.
The Tigers scored two runs in the top of the seventh to avoid the shutout, but the comeback attempt was too little too late, as Elon had already built a sizeable lead. The game ended in favor of the Phoenix, 6-2, and gave Elon its second win over TSU in three days.
O'Shea (4-1) earned the win for the Phoenix, giving up only two hits and no runs in four innings of work. The junior struck out four of the 14 batters she faced. DelPizzo earned the save, her first of the year, after pitching three innings in relief.
Elon will open up Southern Conference play next weekend with a series at College of Charleston in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. The Phoenix and the Cougars will play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 11, and another game on Sunday, March 12. Both games are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
College of Charleston 4, Western Michigan 1
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The College of Charleston softball team concluded play in the University of South Florida Under Armour Invitational with a 5-3 win over Western Michigan at the Eddie C. Moore Complex on Sunday afternoon.
CofC (14-6 overall) finished the weekend with a 4-1 mark and has won eight of its last 10.
Alexa Datko earned the win for the Cougars and improved her pitching record to 6-2.
Katie Nutaitis drove in two runs and scored a run while going 2-for-3 on the day. Katie Pesature homered in the second inning for the Cougars.
In the bottom of the second, Pesature broke the scoreless draw when she drove a ball over the fence in centerfield. The Broncos' centerfielder, Courtney Rousseau, made a fine effort to keep the ball in play and actually dove over the fence to catch it but couldn't come up with the play. Pesature's strike was the first hit of the game for either team.
The Broncos reached their first base runners of the game in the top half of the third with a pair of hits to get runners to second and third but starting pitcher Stephanie Saylors pitched her way out of the jam to preserve the Cougars' 1-0 lead.
The Broncos knotted the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth when Michelle Bendewald homered over the left-field fence. Almost identically to Rosseau, CofC left fielder Carly Corthell also dove through the fence after the ball but narrowly missed the dazzling, home-run-robbing catch.
The Cougars immediately responded in the bottom half of the fourth with a leadoff single up the middle from Katie Forbes and a sacrifice execution by Amanda Lonergan. Nutaitis later singled to left center to plate the go-ahead run and Hillary Stringer doubled to left to bring two more runs home.
In the bottom of the fifth, Corthell reached on a perfect bunt single along the third base line and stole second to start the inning. Lizzy Vaughn moved Corthell to third with a sacrifice bunt and Lonergan plated her with an RBI groundout.
Trailing 5-1, the Broncos loaded the bases in the top of the sixth for Lexi Jager who singled over first base and Meredith Whitney walked to cut the score to 5-3. With one out, Jen Rosene was called into the pitching circle and dealt back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the inning.
Rosene pitched the seventh inning perfectly as well to preserve the 5-3 win and earn the save.
The Cougars return home to host Georgetown in a twilight doubleheader on Tuesday, March 8 starting at 4 p.m. at Patriots Point before opening Southern Conference play with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 12 at home against Elon.
Appalachian State 3, Eastern Illinois 0
Lipscomb 3, Appalachian State 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Appalachian State University softball (6-11) defeated Eastern Illinois, 3-0, in its morning game, but fell to host-Lipscomb by a score of 3-0 in the afternoon game on Sunday in the rainy Lady Bison Classic at Draper Diamond.
After allowing a leadoff hit and two hits in the first inning for the Mountaineers, junior Caitlin Wainright settled in to pitch a four-hit complete game shutout against Eastern Illinois. The complete game was Wainright's (2-2) third of the season and 13th of her ASU career, while the shutout was the sixth of her career.
Appalachian saved the majority of its offense for the fifth frame, where they scored all three runs off of four hits. Senior Sarah Rappe struck out swinging to begin the inning, but senior Katie Boyd doubled to right center in the next at bat. Junior Megan Rembielak grounded out to third base next, but the groundout allowed Boyd to move over to third base. Sophomore Meghan Smith then doubled for the fourth time this season, bringing around Boyd to plate the first run of the game. Sophomore Allie Cashion continued the hits by lacing a ball through the right side of the field, scoring Smith to make it 2-0, ASU. Senior Hannah Dow made it three straight hits for the Mountaineers as she doubled for the first time this season to right center, allowing Cashion to motor around to score the third run of the inning and forcing EIU to make a pitching change. Junior Michelle Lighton struck out swinging to end the stanza for the Apps, but the three runs was all ASU needed to get the victory.
Boyd, Cashion and Dow all tallied two hits apiece, combining for six of Appalachian's seven hits.
In the afternoon game, the Mountaineers were held to four hits and were not able to get an offensive rhythm going. The Lady Bison were able to notch three runs on seven hits and two errors in its revenge routing of ASU as ASU had defeated Lipscomb, 4-0, at the Georgia State Panther Invitational two weeks ago.
Boyd collected a season-high three hits in the effort, while Dow recorded the other hit.
Dow (2-3) took the complete-game loss, while allowed two earned runs, one unearned and a season-high five strikeouts in the effort. The performance was Dow's third complete game of the season and eighth of her Appalachian career.
The Mountaineers are back on the diamond on Mar. 9 at Tennessee Tech, where they will participate in a round robin with Bowling Green and Tennessee Tech at noon and 4 p.m., respectively.
Chattanooga 9, Campbell 7 (9 innings)
Georgia 4, Chattanooga 3
ATHENS, Ga. - After the rain finally passed at the Bulldog Invitational on Sunday, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team's upset bid of No. 1 Georgia (17-1) fell just short as the Bulldogs came back to win in walkoff fashion, 4-3, by scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Senior third baseman Tiffany Baker connected on two home runs on the day with the first, a three-run shot, lifting the Lady Mocs, 9-7, in the top of the ninth against Campbell (8-10).
"Michelle Fuzzard came out and pitched an awesome game for us against Georgia," said head coach Frank Reed." I think that this gives you an indication of how far these girls have come and bought into a total team effort. We can spin it to a positive, but the bottom line is this that I think this program ready to do something special."
Senior pitcher Michelle Fuzzard registered the win as a reliever against Campbell and threw a complete game against the Bulldogs to move to 7-3 on the season. Fuzzard combined to strikeout five in her two appearances.
Baker went 4-for-8 on the day with five RBI, while senior outfielder Lyndsey Stiles also notched four hits including her third triple of the season and an RBI. Stiles was key against Campbell going 3-for-3 and drawing two walks, while crossing the plate four times.
The Lady Mocs are back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Tennessee Tech for a single game at 5 p.m. for their first of three mid-week dates of the season. Chattanooga enters Southern Conference play this weekend by hosting Samford in the Southern Rail Rivalry Series. First pitch of the Saturday doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m., while the finale will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Game One: Chattanooga 9, Campbell 7 (9 inn.)
Chattanooga needed extra innings to down Campbell, 9-7, in nine. Senior third baseman Tiffany Baker hit a three-run home run in the top of the ninth with two outs to propel the Lady Mocs. Baker drove in a team-leading four runs.
"It has been a long weekend here in Athens," said Reed. "We laid around in a hotel room all day yesterday waiting on the rain. It really makes it tough and I have to give the kids credit that they came out today ready to play. We scored some runs early, but got a little complacent and let them get back into the game. Fortunately, we came back with a big hit in the second inning of the international tie breaker and won the game. It was alright, but I think that we might have been looking a little ahead towards Georgia.
In the circle, senior pitcher Nikki Waters threw five innings and struck out six, while only allowing three runs. Senior Kandice Irwin blew her first save situation of the season with two outs in the seventh as she fanned four in 2.2 innings, while Fuzzard went 1.1 innings to improve to 7-2 on the year.
"Nikki is starting to find a little bit of consistency and threw an awesome game," stated Reed. "She gave up a couple of hits there in the sixth and Kandice has been our closer all year. Nikki deserved the win and pitched well enough. She is the type of player that it doesn't matter if the win goes in her column or not. She is a team player all the way anyway, and it is good to see her starting to pick it up going into conference play."
Offensively, the Lady Mocs registered 11 hits, senior centerfielder Lyndsey Stiles was the catalyst going 3-for-3, drew two walks and drove in one, while scoring four times. Junior shortstop Lauren Flores and Baker registered two hits during the contest.
To start off the top of the first, Stiles and sophomore second baseman Sara Poteat beat out infield singles. A fielding miscue allowed Fuzzard to load the bases.
Chattanooga took a 1-0 lead on Baker's single to third base scoring Stiles. The Lady Mocs were unable to push across another run as the shortstop turned a double play and a ground out ended the frame.
After notching three hits in the first, junior shortstop Jessica Traxler singled up the middle to continue the hit barrage for the Lady Mocs. Following a fielder's choice by Powers, Flores singled to left.
With a runner in scoring position, Stiles registered a single up the middle to put the Lady Mocs up, 2-0. Poteat loaded the bases by reaching on a sac bunt via a throwing error by the pitcher.
The bases were loaded for Fuzzard, who hit a ball that the shortstop misplayed to score Flores. A wild pitch scored Stiles, but Poteat got caught in a rundown between third and home for the second out of the inning. Chattanooga ended the inning with three runs on three hits and forced two Campbell miscues to take a 4-0 advantage.
Defensively, the Lady Mocs retired the first five Camels in order before an error at short allowed a runner to reach base, but Waters notched her second strikeout of the game to end the second.
Campbell notched its first run of the game on a Keeli Michael single up the middle that scored Taylor McGee, who started the inning with a double. Following a successful sacrifice bunt by Katie Hinton, Lizzie Goldbach manufactured a run with a groundout to second. Waters got out of the jam with a fly out to right.
With two outs in the fourth, Stiles tripled into the right center field gap for her second hit of the contest. Another fielding mistake for Campbell, the fifth of the day, this time by the second baseman allowed Stiles to score, 5-2, and Poteat to reach.
Waters notched strikeout number three and four in retiring the side in order during the fourth and added two more in the sixth.
A leadoff double to left center and a single to the same location brought Campbell within two, 5-3, to chase Waters in the bottom-half of the frame. Head Coach Frank Reed called the bullpen and sent in Irwin, who recorded a ground out and fanned two hitters to end the inning.
After a walk to Stiles and single by Fuzzard, the Lady Mocs were poised to add to their lead with runners on the corners. Freshman pinch runner Layne Rainey entered for Fuzzard and swiped her first career bag to put two runners in scoring position.
With two outs, Chattanooga was unable to extend the lead and it proved to be costly in the seventh as McGee started a rally with a single to right. After back-to-back strikeouts by Irwin, Hinton singled to left and two runs scored to knot the score at five on a two RBI double by Goldback to right center.
Tydingco started the eighth on second and moved to third on a successful sacrifice bunt from senior right fielder Della Harrison. Tydingco scored on a single through the right side from Traxler.
The Camels began their half with a sacrifice bunt as well and a groundout to short brought the tying run across. Two-straight singles chased Irwin and Fuzzard came on in relief to strikeout the final batter.
In the ninth, Flores was placed on second and Stiles was intentionally walked. Baker stepped up the the plate with two outs and drove a 2-0 pitch over the fence in right to give the Lady Mocs a 9-6 lead. Fuzzard allowed the runner placed on second to score, but was able to retire the Camels in order.
Game Two: No. 1 Georgia 4, Chattanooga 3
The upset bid for Chattanooga came up short against No. 1 Georgia, who scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh for the walk off 4-3 victory. Baker put the Lady Mocs on top 3-0 in the second with a solo blast to left that silenced the crowd at Jack Turner Stadium.
The Bulldogs responded to cut the lead to one, 3-2, with single runs in the third and fourth. The Lady Mocs held that advantage until the bottom of the seventh when Megan Wiggins doubled in the game-winning run after the Bulldogs tied it up with a Taylor Schlopy tied it up with a double.
Fuzzard threw a brilliant game for the Lady Mocs, a complete game, and struck out four. She provided Chattanooga the opportunity to knock off Georgia by keeping a powerful lineup off balance the entire afternoon.
Each team notched a hit during the first with Baker singling to center.
Leading off the second, Harrison singled to the shortstop and junior catcher Vivian Morimoto drew a walk. Following a sacrifice by Flores that moved both runners into scoring position, the speed by Stiles caused the pitcher to rush the throw as the ball went into right field scoring Morimoto and Harrison, who were running on the play with two outs, 2-0.
"Obviously, it was big to take the early lead," said Reed. "They obviously made a throwing error, but one thing that we did was put it in play and tested them in a tough situation as the pitcher hurried the throw."
With one out in the third, Baker connected on a towering home run to left to put the Lady Mocs on top, 3-0. Following a pitching change that brought in Alison Owen, the next batter, Tydingco just missed a home run as the right fielder made the catch at the wall.
"We did a good job hitting the first pitcher from Georgia," said Reed. "Our kids did a good job of putting the ball in play even against the second pitcher. We put the ball in play against two good pitchers and that is a good sign for our offense going forward."
After a great play by Traxler at short in the bottom-half, Wiggins doubles off the left field wall. A walk and fielder's choice at second put runners on the corners and the Bulldogs scored on an illegal pitch as Ashley Razey swung at strike three with two outs, 3-1. An illegal pitch allows for base runners to advance a base and a ball is awarded to the batter. Fuzzard was able to fan Ashley Razey on the next pitch ending the frame.
The Lady Mocs went down in order in the fifth, but Georgia cut the lead to one on a pinch-hit home run by Julie Echols with two outs, 3-2.
To start the fifth, Stiles singled to center and then stole second for the 14th time this season. She would be stranded though as the Lady Mocs were unable to tack on an additional run.
Georgia's Owens retired Chattanooga in order during the final two frames to keep Georgia within striking distance. Owens fanned six in 4.2 innings, while just giving up a single hit. The Lady Mocs were on top of starter Morgan Mentemayor scoring all three runs on three hits in 2.1 innings pitched.
UAB 8, UNCG 7
WOODSTOCK, Ga. - UAB used a bases-loaded infield single in the bottom of the seventh inning to take an 8-7 walk-off win over UNCG in a weather-delayed game at the Buzz Classic.
The Spartans (8-10) took a 7-6 lead into the seventh, but the Blazers (13-6) pushed across a pair of runs to rally for the win. After a leadoff single, a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases, pinch-hitter Kristen McGrath drew a walk to tie the game at 7. One out later, Sallie Van Kirk singled to shortstop to knock in Lauren Webster with the winning run.
UNCG took the loss despite outhitting UAB 12-10 and rallying from a 5-0 deficit. The Blazers also committed five errors on the game, leading to five of UNCG's seven runs being unearned.
Down 5-0 after a five-second inning for the Blazers, UNCG got on the scoreboard with some timely two-out hitting in the third. Alex Emeterio and Kaitlin Merkt hit consecutive singles to left field, and Jordan Jewett followed with a two-run double to make it 5-2.
A pair of UAB errors led to three more runs for the Spartans in the fourth. Singles by Toni MacReynolds and Kristen Gabel put runners at first and second with one out and knocked starter Amber Torres from the game. An illegal pitch from reliever Alisha Smith advanced Gabel and pinch-runner Cory Mattson, and both runners came in on an error on the next batter. Another error allowed April Langley to reach, and Emeterio followed with an RBI groundout to tie the game.
The Spartans took their first lead of the day the following inning, plating two more unearned runs. With the bases loaded and two out, Aisha Figueroa reached on an error, allowing MacReynolds to score from third. Langley followed with an infield single that allowed Eileen Horsmon to score, making it a 7-5 contest.
The Blazers got back within a run in the bottom of the sixth, with Catherine Douglass' RBI double bringing in Caley Walden.
UAB got the scoring started by banging out five hits in the second inning, with the big blow coming in the form of Donna Plath's three-run home run.
Mattson (3-7) took the loss for the Spartans, allowing four runs in 5 innings of relief for starter Josie Felix. Felix allowed four runs in an inning and a third.
Smith improved to 3-1 for the Blazers with 3 2/3 innings of relief, allowing three runs, none of them earned. Torres was tagged for four runs (two earned) on seven hits in 3 1/3.
Jewett went 3-for-4 for the Spartans with two RBI, while MacReynolds went 3-for-4 for her second multi-hit game in as many tries. Emeterio and Gabel had two hits each.
For the Blazers, Walden and Van Kirk had two hits apiece. Plath had three RBI.
The contest finally got under way at 3 p.m. after being delayed twice by weather. Originally slated to start at 11 a.m., the game was moved to 1:30 when all of Saturday's action at the Buzz Classic was washed out. With rain still in the area Sunday morning, UNCG's scheduled 9 a.m. game against Massachusetts was canceled and the UAB contest pushed back again.
UNCG returns to action Wednesday when it hosts Charlotte for a doubleheader at the UNCG Softball Stadium. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Tennessee 10, Georgia Southern 2
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Georgia Southern Softball came up victorious against a morning wintry mix and the Dutch National Softball Team, 5-2, on Sunday (March 6th) in an exhibition game at the Tennessee Classic. The Eagles dropped the second game to seventh-ranked Tennessee, 10-2. The bottom of the Eagle lineup thrived in the day's first game, accounting for five of the Eagles seven hits and all five RBI against the Dutch National Team. Against the Lady Vols, Marie Fogle slugged a leadoff home run in a two-run first inning and went two-for-two in the game.
In Georgia Southern's (7-12) exhibition game with the Dutch National Team, the Dutch jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when Solange Starrenburg singled to right field with two outs. The single plated Fabienne van Uden and Nathalie Timmermans.
The Eagles responded in the top of the second with a two-run double off the bat of senior Kelly Burnett. The two-out hit brought senior Hanna Ennis and junior Mackenzie Williams in to score and tie the game at 2-2.
In the top of the fifth, Georgia Southern took its first lead of the game, 4-2, on a Dutch fielding error. Tabby Douberley hit a ball through the Dutch second baseman's wickets and into rightfield. That error allowed Jorie Walker and Fogle to score for the Eagles.
Georgia Southern extended its lead to 5-2 in the sixth when Alexa Lewis singled up the middle to score Ennis. Ennis had reached base when Dutch third baseman Virginie Anneveld was unable to cleanly field a ground ball. Burnett singled up the middle with two outs to move Ennis into scoring position, before Lewis' single brought Ennis home for the final run of the game.
Megen Smith earned the victory against the Dutch National Team. She posted her best outing of the season, tossing a complete game and allowing two runs off seven hits while striking out five.
In Georgia Southern's finale at the Tennessee Classic, Fogle got the Eagles off to a fast start by belting a leadoff home run over the left field wall to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. The long-ball is Fogle's third leadoff home run and the Eagles' sixth first inning home run this season. Andrea Tarashuk doubled to left field with one out in the inning before being lifted for pinch hitter Nicole Benton. Benton advanced to third on a wild pitch and a walk to Burnett put runners on the corners. The Eagles brought Benton home on a perfectly executed double-steal play where Burnett drew a throw to second allowing Benton to come home and give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
The Lady Vols scored one in the bottom of the first to cut the Eagle lead to 2-1. Tennessee then grabbed the lead in the bottom of the third with three runs off two hits and two Eagle errors.
Georgia Southern had two hits beyond the first inning with a single from Fogle and a double by freshman pinch hitter Shelby Morrill. Tennessee, however, posted three runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to nail down the 10-2 victory.
Georgia Southern returns home from its 16-game road trip on Wednesday March 9th, for a doubleheader with Mercer at Eagle Field. Game times are scheduled for 3 and 5 p.m.
Western Carolina's Sunday's Softball Game at Coastal Carolina Tourney Cancelled
CONWAY, S.C. Western Carolina softball's (12-6) game Sunday, against Towson, at the Coastal Carolina Softball Tournament has been cancelled due to inclement weather.
The Catamounts depart the tournament as Coastal Carolina Tournament Champions after going 4-0. It is the second time this season Western Carolina has gone undefeated in tournament. Western Carolina opened 2011 sweeping a tournament hosted by North Carolina Central.
Western Carolina begins Southern Conference play Saturday March 12 traveling to Furman for a three-game series. The Catamounts will square off against the Paladins for a double header beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday and a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Furman Softball Doubleheader Versus Charlotte Postponed
Greenville, S.C. - Furman softball's Sunday afternoon doubleheader against Charlotte, scheduled for 2 p.m. at Pepsi Stadium, has been postponed due to inclement weather in the Greenville area. A make-up date for the twinbill has yet to be announced.
The Paladins (2-10) will host North Carolina Central University in a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Tuesday at Pepsi Stadium before travelling to Charleston Southern on Wednesday afternoon.
UNCG's Game vs. UMass Rained Out at Buzz Classic, UAB Still On
WOODSTOCK, Ga. - UNCG's game against Massachusetts on Sunday at the Buzz Classic has been rained out and will not be rescheduled. The Spartans' contest against UAB at 1:30 is still scheduled to be played, weather permitting.
Sunday's cancellation marks the second straight day that the Buzz Classic was affected by rain after Saturday's entire slate was wiped out. UNCG had been scheduled to face UMass on Saturday at 11 before that contest was moved to 9 a.m. Sunday and subsequently rained out again.
Be sure to check back with UNCGSpartans.com for updates on the remainder of the schedule.