North Carolina 4, UNCG 1
UNCG 5, North Carolina 2
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Cory Mattson pitched her way past her second Atlantic Coast Conference opponent of the season and UNCG knocked off North Carolina for the first time since 2002 as the Spartans split a doubleheader with the Tar Heels on Wednesday. UNC won the first game 4-1 before UNCG earned a 5-2 win in game two.
After failing to hold on to a 1-0 lead in game one, the Spartans (18-22) came roaring back with a vengeance in game two, pounding out five hits with two outs to score all five runs in the first inning.
After a pair of quick outs to lead off the game, UNCG's offense kicked into gear. Junior Jordan Jewett got things started with a single to left center and Kaitlin Merkt followed with a single to right. After a fielder's choice by Alex Emeterio in which all three runners were safe, Heather Robb singled up the middle to knock in Jewett with the first run.
Eileen Horsmon singled through the right side to bring in two more runs, and freshman Katelyn Bedwell drilled a double to left center to make it 5-0 before the Tar Heels (27-16) had even come to the plate.
Mattson, meanwhile, cruised for most of the day. North Carolina did its only damage in the third inning, when Kelli Wheeler drew a one-out walk and Elisha Elliott followed with a single. A UNCG error on the play allowed the runners to advance a base each, and one out later, Haleigh Dickey doubled to knock in North Carolina's lone runs of the contest.
That was all Mattson would surrender, as she held the Tar Heels at bay the rest of the way. After another walk following Dickey's double, Mattson retired the next seven batters before Dickey's leadoff single in the sixth.
The Tar Heels had one last chance in the seventh, but with a runner on first and no one out, Mattson started a 1-6-3 double play to end the game.
Mattson improved to 9-10 on the season, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and four walks.
The win was Mattson's second this season over an ACC squad, as she started the season with a 1-0 no-hitter over then-No. 23 Florida State in 9 innings on Feb. 11.
Sara Buchholz (6-5) took the loss for North Carolina, allowing five runs on six hits and a walk. She allowed just one hit after the first inning, an Aisha Figueroa single to lead off the fifth.
The win was UNCG's first over the Tar Heels since April 30, 2002, and snapped a 16-game losing streak to North Carolina.
UNCG held a 1-0 lead in game one before the Tar Heels rallied late for the win. The game was scoreless through the first 4 innings, but senior Katie Stripling hit her first home run of the year in the fifth, a solo shot off UNC ace Lori Spingola.
The Tar Heels found the answer in the bottom half of the inning, however, as Brittany Robinson hit a one-out double and pinch-hitter Logan Foulks followed with a two-run homer to put North Carolina ahead for the good.
Foulks gave North Carolina some insurance in the sixth, hitting a two-run single with two outs to make it 4-1.
Emeterio, dropped to fifth in the batting order for the first time since her freshman season, responded with a 2-for-3 effort in game one, banging out two of UNCG's four hits.
Foulks, who didn't enter the game until the fifth inning, was 2-for-2 with four RBI for the Tar Heels.
Josie Felix (5-10) took the loss, allowing two runs on three hits in 5 innings. Raeanne Hanks allowed two runs on one hit in an inning of work.
Spingola (21-11) allowed just one run on four hits, striking out 11.
UNCG returns to action this weekend when it hosts Appalachian State for a three-game series. Saturday's doubleheader, set for a 1 p.m. start, will serve as UNCG's Pack the Park Pink event to raise cancer awareness.
Furman 4, Presbyterian 0
Presbyterian 7, Furman 1
Greenville, S.C. -- Sophomore Kayla Suskauer tossed a shutout in game one to lead Furman to a 4-0 victory over Presbyterian College and doubleheader split with the Blue Hose in non-conference softball action on Wednesday at Pepsi Stadium. PC downed the Paladins 7-1 in game two.
Suskauer, 8-6 in the circle, scattered five hits and stranded five Blue Hose runners to record her second shutout of the 2011 season. She walked three batters and did not record a strikeout in the complete-game effort.
Furman (13-21) got all the offense it would need with a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth inning. Stephanie Field started the rally with a two-out walk, stole second and moved to third on Katie Michaels' single to left field off the glove of shortstop Amanda Miller. Stephanie Spain hit a sharp grounder into the hole on the right side that Morgan Durham knocked down, but the Paladin first baseman beat the throw to first to pick up the hit and score Field. Jessie Homesley followed with an RBI double to right-center before Morgan Hughey laced a single through the left side to plate two more runs.
Suskauer worked around a leadoff single in the seventh and snagged a line drive back to the circle to turn a double play to end the contest.
Homesley collected two of Furman's five hits in the victory while Tera Powell led PC going 2-for-2 with four stolen bases.
Leslie Hensley (13-7) took the loss for the Blue Hose after allowing four runs on five hits in six innings of work. The righthander struck out four and walked one.
In game two, Morgan Durham belted a three-run homer to highlight a four-run first inning as the Blue Hose rolled to a 7-1 triumph over Furman.
Starter Brittany Howell tossed a complete game allowing only an unearned run on three Paladin hits to pick up the victory and improve to 8-5. She fanned seven Furman batters while issuing just two walks.
A single, walk and throwing error put the Blue Hose ahead 1-0 and set the table for Durham's three-run blast to center field off Furman starter Lauren Collier. Presbyterian used a sacrifice fly, throwing error and two-out, RBI single from Codee Yeskie to plate three more runs in the top of the fourth before Furman scored its lone run on Hannah Pace's sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Durham went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Powell scored a pair of runs to lead PC. Homesley went 2-for-3 for the Paladins.
Collier (5-15) suffered the loss for Furman surrendering six runs on four hits in 3.1 innings of work. She allowed three walks and fanned three.
Furman returns to Southern Conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Georgia Southern. The series starts with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and concludes with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Charlotte 1, Elon 0
Charlotte 6, Elon 1
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Elon University softball team could not overcome a near no-hitter in game one and a five-run third inning in game two on Wednesday afternoon, April 13, as the Phoenix fell 1-0 and 6-1 to the Charlotte 49ers in a mid-week doubleheader at the D.L. Phillips Complex.
Elon falls to 19-17 on the year, while Charlotte improves to 22-17.
Charlotte game-one starter Katy Hackett carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, until rookie Carleigh Nester broke it up with a single to right center field. The Phoenix put a runner in scoring position for the first time following a Pam DelPizzo single later in the inning, but Hackett managed to stay in the zone to record the two-hit shutout win.
The Phoenix struck first in game two, putting a run on the board in the top of the first, but the Niners answered with a one-run first and a huge five-run third to put Elon behind by a handful of runs.
Game One
The 49ers put the first run on the board in the bottom of the third after Whitney Williams roped a one-out double down the right field line off Erin O'Shea to put the first runner in scoring position of the game. Williams advanced to third on the next at bat after a fly out to right and scored on a Tenaya Tucker single up the middle to put Elon behind, 1-0. Tucker finished with a game-high two hits.
Elon put its first runner on base in the top of the fourth after a two-out walk to Tomeka Watson gave the Phoenix momentum. But it would be short-lived, as Watson was caught stealing during the next at bat to end the inning and the threat.
The Niners threatened to extend the lead in the bottom of the sixth after putting runners on first and second with two outs. But DelPizzo, who moved from first to pitcher in the fifth inning, managed to escape without any damage.
Nester broke up Hackett's no-hitter in the top of the seventh after belting a leadoff single to right center to begin the inning and give Elon a chance. After back-to-back fielder's choice outs, the Phoenix put its first runner in scoring position of the game after DelPizzo singled up the middle to put two runners on with Watson at second. But Hackett managed to get out of the seventh to preserve the game-one win and the shutout.
Hackett gave up two hits and one walk over seven innings, striking out eight batters to earn the win and improve to 15-9. O'Shea (7-8) went four innings for the Phoenix, giving up one run on three hits and two walks.
Nester and DelPizzo both finished 1-for-3 for the Phoenix in game one.
Game Two
The Elon offense produced early in game two, as Watson drove home the first run of the day after belting a one-out single to right field to plate Nester, who led off the game with an infield single and stole second in the next at bat.
But Charlotte answered in the bottom half of the inning after a Texas league single to left field by Kalie Lang with two outs scored one to make it a 1-1 game.
Williams helped the 49ers break the game open in the bottom of the third after leading off the inning with a triple over the head of Nester in center. Williams scored on the next at bat after a single through the right side by Kendra McCall past a diving Jackie Gonzalez made it a 2-1 game. Lang extended Charlotte's lead later in the inning after a three-run homer to left put the Phoenix down, 5-1. The Niners tacked on one more run in the inning following an Elon pitching change that saw Kari Pervell take the circle for starter Lauren Taylor, making it a 6-1 game.
Watson managed to get into scoring position in the top of the sixth after reaching on an error and advancing to second later in the inning on a wild pitch with one out. But the Elon offense could not convert, as a Caitlin McGowan pop up and a deep fly out to center by O'Shea kept the Phoenix down five runs.
The Phoenix could not string together a late rally in the seventh, as Lang managed to hold Elon scoreless in the seventh to record the win.
Gonzalez led the Phoenix with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate in game two, while Nester went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
Elon resumes its current six-game road swing with a three-game set this weekend, April 16-17, in Birmingham, Ala. against the Samford Bulldogs.
Tennessee 7, Appalachian State 0
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Appalachian State University softball (15-18, 8-5 SoCon) fell to #6 Tennessee (35-6, 12-4 SEC) in non-conference action, 7-0, at Lee Softball Stadium on Wednesday.
Through three innings of action, the only run surrendered by junior Caitlin Wainright was a leadoff home run in the second inning to Shelby Burchell to left center, giving the Lady Vols a 1-0 advantage.
The Mountaineers were unable to score in the top half of the fourth, but UT scored four runs largely to three Appalachian errors.
Burchell led off the fourth reaching base on a fielding error by senior McKenzie Phillips. Tory Lewis came in to pinch run for Burchell and stole second during Melissa Davin's at bat. Davin singled to shortstop, giving Tennessee runners on first and third as Lewis moved over on the hit. Davin stole second and took one more base on a throwing error by junior Michelle Lighton, allowing Lewis to score. After Melissa Brown grounded out to senior Hannah Dow at first base, Davin scored on another Mountaineer miscue by Lighton. Whitney Hammond was issued a one-out walk and Raven Chavanne popped up trying to bunt for the second out of the inning. Kelly Grieve came through with a double to left center and advanced to third on a throw that attempted to get Hammond out at the plate. Kat Dotson kept the Lady Vol hits going as she doubled down the right field line, scoring Grieve. After the hit, sophomore Louise Gibson came in to relieve Wainright in the circle. Jessica Spigner tried to burn up the left field line, but senior Katie Boyd was there to make an amazing catch on the lineout to save the inning.
The last two UT runs came in the bottom of the sixth. Ashley Andrews, who came in for Brown at shortstop, reached on an additional ASU error by Gibson. Hammond singled to M. Phillips, advancing one more base on the hurried throw by M. Phillips that Dow was not able to corral at first. Andrews made the move to third. Back-to-back outs were recorded by Tennessee, but a triple down the right field line by Kat Dotson plated both Andrews and Hammond. Spigner flew out to sophomore Allie Cashion to end the stanza.
The Mountaineers received hits by sophomore Meghan Smith in the first inning, Lighton in the second and junior Megan Rembielak in the third.
While on the base path, Rembielak tallied her eighth stolen base of the season.
Wainright (2-4) was credited with the loss, while UT's Ivy Renfroe (12-3) recorded the win powered by 11 strikeouts.
Appalachian is back in action this weekend against UNCG in Greensboro at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday and on Sunday at 1 p.m.