Appalachian State 1, UNCG 0
UNCG 4, Appalachian State 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Kaitlin Merkt hit her team-best ninth home run of the season and Cory Mattson matched her career high with her 10th win of the year as UNCG split a doubleheader with Appalachian State on Sunday. The Apps took game one 1-0 and the Spartans picked up a 4-0 win in game two.
Mattson (10-11) threw all 14 innings and allowed just one run for the Spartans (19-24, 7-8 Southern Conference) on the day, coming out on the wrong end of a pitchers' duel in game one and tossing a two-hitter in game two.
The Mountaineers (17-19, 10-6 SoCon) scored their only run against Mattson in the third inning of game one. After Sarah Rappe slid in under the tag to steal second with two outs, Katie Boyd doubled off the wall in right center to bring in Rappe with the only run of the game for either team.
UNCG never could get its offense in gear in the contest, with its best chance to score coming in the bottom half of the third. A hit by Katelyn Bedwell and a walk by Eileen Horsmon to lead off the inning seemed to have the Spartans in business, but Horsmon was picked off straying too far off first on a pitch in the dirt and App starter Caitlin Wainright got a strikeout for out No. 2.
Aisha Figueroa drew a walk to again put two on, but Wainright coaxed a popup on the infield to escape unharmed.
The teams would combine for just five more hits the rest of the way as Wainright and Mattson matched each other zero-for-zero.
The Apps had a chance to add an insurance run in the sixth when a walk to Boyd and a Meghan Smith single put a pair of runners on, but Mattson struck out the next two batters to keep the game tight.
Mattson took the loss, scattering six hits and allowing just the one run, striking out five. Wainright (3-4) matched her career high with nine strikeouts, allowing just three hits in her third shutout of the season.
The Spartans avoided the series sweep in game two, getting the only runs they would need in the second inning. Alex Emeterio led off the frame with a single to left, and after Merkt fouled off a pair of bunt attempts trying to move her over, the redshirt senior took the third pitch she saw out to the deepest part of the park for her 32nd career jack.
UNCG made it a 3-0 game the following inning, with Emeterio knocking in Gabel, who singled to lead off the inning. Gabel would score again in the fifth, drawing a leadoff walk, moving to third on a pair of sacrifices and coming in on a wild pitch.
Mattson was masterful in the contest, carrying a one-hitter into the seventh. The only damage to that point was Boyd's single up the middle in the third inning, while McKenzie Phillips' single up the middle with one out in the seventh inning was ASU's only other safety in the contest.
The Apps threatened to break up the shutout in the seventh, as a UNCG error with two outs put runners on the corners, but Mattson struck out Megan Rembielak to end the game.
Emeterio finished the game 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, while Merkt was 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run.
Louise Gibson (5-6) took the loss for the Apps, allowing three runs on six hits in 4 innings. Wainright worked the remainder of the game, allowing a run on one hit.
Mattson struck out six and walked three in matching the career high in wins she set last season. The shutout was her second of the season and first since no-hitting then-No. 23 Florida State 1-0 on Feb. 11.
The Spartans return to action Friday and Saturday for a SoCon series at Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga.
College of Charleston 1, Chattanooga 0
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The College of Charleston softball team completed a three-game sweep of Southern Conference-leading Chattanooga on Sunday afternoon with a 1-0 victory at Patriots Point.
The Cougars win their fourth straight game and second consecutive SoCon series and improve to 28-16 (8-9 SoCon) as Chattanooga falls to 29-12 (11-3 SoCon).
The Cougars got another strong outing from Alexa Datko who threw her seventh complete-game shutout of the season. Datko limited Chattanooga to four hits and struck out two.
Katie Pesature was 1-for-3 on the day and scored the game's only run when she singled in the second inning and made a brilliant tag-avoiding slide to score on Kristy Giragosian's RBI groundout.
The most dangerous situation for CofC came in the top of the fifth when Chattanooga put runners on first and second with two outs and a sharply hit line drive was snagged by a fully-extended Hillary Stringer at second base. Had Stringer not been able to make the dazzling catch, the ball would have likely gone all the way to the fence and scored both runners.
The Lady Mocs came into the series averaging 6.6 runs per game but were able to muster just one over the three games against the Cougars.
The Cougars return to action on Wednesday, April 20 as they travel across town to face Charleston Southern in a rivalry doubleheader. The first pitch for the twin bill is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Georgia Southern 1, Furman 0 (8 innings)
STATESBORO, Ga. - For the second consecutive game, Georgia Southern Softball (25-23, 13-5 SoCon) cashed in an eighth-inning run for a 1-0 victory over Furman (13-24, 6-9 SoCon) on Sunday (April 17th) afternoon at Eagle Field. Hanna Ennis plated Jorie Walker with two outs in the eighth for the victory. The win earns Georgia Southern its second series sweep of the season and seventh all-time over the Paladins.
Georgia Southern's victory in the eighth-inning came after consecutive two-out hits by Walker and Marie Fogle kept the Eagles alive in the frame. Walker ripped a ball through the right side and stole second while Fogle batted. Fogle hit a slow roller to second and beat the throw with a head-first slide at first. With runners on the corners, Ennis lined a curveball into centerfield for the game-winning hit. Walker scampered home to score the game-winning run.
The Eagle pitching staff was locked in its second-straight pitchers' duel with the Paladins' Kayla Suskauer. Brianna Streetmon got the start in the circle and went the first four innings. She kept the Paladins at bay with two ground balls back to the circle to put an end to a first-inning threat.
She allowed three-straight hits in the first inning that loaded the bases with one out. Streetmon induced two ground balls back to the circle to get out of the jam with no runs scored.
Allie Miles worked the final four innings and held the Paladins to just three hits while striking out four. She earned the victory, her 12th of the season, and has not allowed an earned run in her last 15 innings of work. Miles now leads the Southern Conference with 130 strikeouts this season.
Furman's Suskauer pitched her second complete game of the weekend and threw 20 of the 20.2 total innings of the three-game series. She dropped to 8-9 on the season. Georgia Southern recorded six hits in the game, including the first career hit by freshman pinch hitter Gabrielle Story.
The Eagles return to action this Wednesday, April 20th, for a single game against No. 3 Georgia. The game begins at 6:30 p.m. from UGA's Jack Turner Stadium.
Samford 10, Elon
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford softball team used a five-run rally in the fourth inning of Sunday's Southern Conference series finale with Elon to break up a tie ballgame and head towards a 10-2 win at Bulldog Field. The Bulldogs scored nine runs in the last three innings to win their third league series and their seventh game in the all-time series with the Phoenix.
After giving up a lead-off home run in the first inning, Samford pitcher Kayla Burris (8-12) settled into a rhythm and pitched her 14th complete game of the season, giving up just one earned run on six hits while fanning three batters. She earned her eighth win of the season and the 21st of her career.
Samford matched the Phoenix's run in the bottom of the first, as Elon pitcher Taylor hit Lakan Smith with the bases loaded to bring in Kayla Shaffer.
The next two innings were quiet as Elon got only one hit in the second and retired the Bulldogs in order while the Bulldogs allowed a walk in the third and Amanda Jordan walked in the bottom of the inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, Elon got a runner in scoring position after Kaitlyn Piazzolla doubled with one out and advanced to third on a wild pitch. However, Burris struck out Danielle Lafferty swinging and got Jackie Gonzalez to ground out to end the inning.
Smith walked to lead off the bottom of the inning and was replaced by Madeline Baker as a pinch runner. Next, Fisher reached first base when the third baseman bobbled the bunted ball, and Arica Dykes drove in Baker from second with a deep single up the middle to take a 2-1 lead. Shaffer followed with an almost identical hit to drive in Fisher for the third run, and Brianna Chambers grounded out to third base to move the runners to second and third.
Harmon then stepped up with a single, advanced to second on the throw and moved to third on an error by the catcher. Meanwhile, Shaffer and Dykes scored to extend the Bulldog lead to 5-1. After the second pitching change of the inning, Jordan reached on an error by Elon's third baseman and drove in Harmon to make it a 6-1 ballgame. Alex Adams flied out to center field to end the inning.
The Bulldogs added another run in the fifth inning when Dykes singled with the bases loaded to drive in Fisher. Elon scored their second run of the game in the top of the sixth when Morgan Wright scored as Piazzolla tried to steal second base and reached on an error by the second basemen.
Samford scored three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when Nicole Bobrowski came into pinch hit for Fisher, and she singled with runners on the corners to drive in Julianne Surane to take an 8-2 lead. Two at-bats later, Tessa Frates pinch hit for Dykes and knocked a single down the left field line to move Fisher to third and drive in Smith for the ninth run of the game. Fisher scored the game's final run on a throwing error by the second baseman when Shaffer reached on a fielder's choice. The game was over after six innings with the Bulldogs taking the 10-2 victory.
Shaffer and Dykes led the Bulldogs at the plate in the series finale. Shaffer went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI while Dykes was 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI. Harmon was 1-for-3 with a run and two RBI while Smith went 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI. Chambers, Bobrowski, Allison Reynolds and Frates also each accounted for a hit.
Piazzolla led the Phoenix, going 3-for-3 at the plate. Carleigh Nester was 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI while Caitlin McGowan and Tomeka Watson also went 1-for-3.
Taylor (11-8) took the loss for the Phoenix, giving up two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and four walks. Erin O'Shea also spent time in the circle, giving up two earned runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Pam DelPizzo pitched one-third of an inning and gave up two unearned runs on three hits.
The Bulldogs are back on the road next weekend as they travel to Appalachian State, April 22-23. The Bulldogs will play a doubleheader on Friday and a single game on Saturday.