Appalachian State 9, Samford 0
Appalachian State 8, Samford 4
BOONE, N.C.- Appalachian State University softball (21-19, 12-6 SoCon) used a solid one-hit, complete-game stand by junior Caitlin Wainright and a four home run-performance by the whole squad to defeat Samford (11-33, 7-10 SoCon), 9-0 and 8-4 on Friday afternoon at a foggy Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium in Boone.
With the two wins on Friday, the 12 Southern Conference wins is the most an ASU team has posted since the 2009 season when Appalachian went 14-9.
During the first game, the Mountaineers started off the bottom of the second with junior Michelle Lighton singling down the left field line. Senior Hannah Dow then reached on an error by Samford's Lakan Smith at first. Following a strikeout by sophomore Sheridan Phillips for the first out of the inning, senior McKenzie Phillips singled through the right side to load the bases. Senior Sarah Rappe came up with another single through the right side, allowing Lighton to plate the game's first run. Back-to-back pop ups ended the frame for the ASU.
In the bottom of the third, Appalachian carried over their momentum from the previous inning by leading off with sophomore Allie Cashion doubling to left center following a long pop up by sophomore Meghan Smith. Lighton notched her second hit of the game with a double down the left field line, bringing around Cashion to give ASU a 2-0 lead. Dow flew out for the second out, but S. Phillips took the first pitch of her at bat over the left center fence for the first home run of her Appalachian career and gave the Black and Gold a 5-0 cushion.
Cashion continued her hot hitting in the bottom of the fifth, starting the inning off with a single to left field. Lighton reached on the second Bulldog miscue of the game and Dow laid down a well-executed bunt to load the bases for the second time in the contest. Two Mountaineers flew out in the next at bats, but Rappe doubled to left center to collect two RBIs. With ASU up 7-0, senior Katie Boyd blasted her 42nd home run of her storied career, allowing Appalachian to run rule Samford, 9-0.
In addition to only allowing one hit, Wainright (5-4) struck out four batters for her fifth complete game of the season.
The Mountaineers recorded 12 hits during the contest. Rappe led ASU with three, while Cashion and Lighton added two. Boyd and Rappe raked up three RBI a piece in the effort.
The Apps did not let up heading into the second game. Boyd started off the bottom of the first by lining out to the pitcher, but junior Megan Rembielak singled back up the middle to become the first base runner for ASU. With a 1-1 count, Smith homered deep over the left center fence to give Appalachian an early 2-0 advantage. Cashion doubled to left center and Lighton sacrificed her over to third. But senior Morgan Price lined out to right field to end the inning.
Samford broke through with its first run of either game in the top of the second, but the Mountaineers added three in the bottom of the third to go ahead, 5-1.
Following a pop up that looked like it would get lost in the fog by Boyd, Rembielak laid down a bunt to get on. Smith grounded out, but a double to left field by Cashion brought Rembielak in for a run. Lighton then teed off on a ball to right center and gave Appalachian its second homer of the game. Price followed up with a shot through the left side, but S. Phillips grounded out sharply to second base to end the stanza.
In the fifth, Smith hit a deep fly ball in foul territory that was recorded for the first out, but Cashion and Lighton hit back-to-back solo home runs to center field and left field to extend ASU's lead to 7-1.
The Mountaineers added one more in the sixth after Boyd tripled for the fourth time in her career to right field and would later score on a wild pitch during Rembielak's at bat, giving ASU a 8-1 lead.
But the Bulldogs did not go down quietly. With two outs in the top of the seventh, Brianna Chambers reached on an error by Rembielak at second base. With a 2-2 count, Robyn Harmon homered over the right field fence. Amanda Jordan followed her teammate's lead and homered over right field fence, as well during her 3-1 hitter's count. Alex Adams drew a walk and ASU went to the bullpen, bringing in Wainright to close out the game. She got L. Smith to ground out to M. Phillips at shortstop to end the rally and the game, preserving the Mountaineers' 8-4 victory.
The four bombs collected for Appalachian is the second-most hit in a single game in ASU history, with the record being five against Elon in 2007. With her two homers in the game, Lighton becomes the only active Mountaineer to hit two in a single game since Boyd did so during the 2008 and 2009 campaigns. And she also joins Boyd, Keri Blackwelder and Kasey Motsinger as the only Apps that have hit two in a single game.
With the 13 hits in the second game, it is the 11th time this season that the Black and Gold offense has tallied double-digit hits in a game and the second time they have done it in back-to-back games. Appalachian previously recorded double-digit hits in a row in the series finale against Elon and in both games with Charlotte.
Cashion and Rembielak paced ASU with three hits and Price and Lighton chipped in two. Lighton was the Mountaineers' top RBI producer with three.
Dow (10-4) collected every out with the exception of one to get her career-high 10th win. Dow walked two and struck out two in the outing.
The Mountaineers will go for the sweep tomorrow, as well as celebrate Senior Day at 1 p.m. at Sywassink/Lloyd. Check GoASU.com for live stats and live video from tomorrow's game.
Georgia Southern 3, UNCG 1
Georgia Southern 8, UNCG 0
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern got a pair of solid pitching performances and took advantage of some shaky UNCG defense as it swept a Southern Conference doubleheader from the Spartans on Friday, 3-1 and 8-0.
The Spartans (19-26, 7-10 SoCon) managed just five hits and committed six errors in the two games.
GSU (27-24, 15-5 SoCon) never trailed on the day, getting on the board first in game one with two runs in the bottom of the third. After Alexa Lewis led off the inning with a single, Jorie Walker drew a walk. Marie Fogle doubled down the right field line to score Lewis, but UNCG right fielder Jordan Jewett nailed Walker at the plate to limit the damage. Hanna Ennis followed with a sacrifice fly to score Fogle, making it 2-0 after three innings.
The Spartans cut the deficit in half the following inning, with April Langley singling to start the inning and then stealing second. One out later, Kaitlin Merkt reached on an error, which allowed Langley to score all the way from second.
Brianna Streetmon, the two-time defending SoCon Pitcher of the Year, got a strikeout and a groundout to escape further damage.
GSU tacked on an unearned insurance run in the fifth, with Ennis hitting an RBI double to score Lewis, who reached on an error to lead off the inning.
Streetmon (11-10) picked up the win, allowing just an unearned run on four hits and a walk. UNCG starter Josie Felix (5-12) took the loss, as she allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Kayla Brooks was 2-for-3 for the Eagles, while Katie Stripling was 2-for-3 to lead the Spartans.
Game two didn't go any better for the Spartans, who were one-hit and committed five errors in the nightcap. GSU starter Allie Miles was simply brilliant, striking out 15 batters in just six innings of work.
The Eagles got the only runs they would need in the bottom of the first inning, when three Spartan errors allowed both runs to score.
GSU added three runs in the fourth, with Fogle belting a two-run triple and coming in on another UNCG error. The Eagles pushed across two more in the fifth on Kelly Burnett's RBI double and Tabby Douberley's RBI double, then put the mercy rule into effect on Megen Smith's RBI double in the sixth.
UNCG's only hit in the contest was Heather Robb's leadoff double in the third. Miles got a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to escape the inning unharmed.
Fogle and Smith had two hits each to lead the Eagles at the plate.
Cory Mattson (10-12) took the loss, allowing eight runs (six earned) on nine hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings.
UNCG will try to avoid the series sweep Saturday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Eagle Field.
NOTE: The start of the doubleheader was delayed more than three hours due to rain in the Statesboro area.
Chattanooga 11, Furman 7
GREENVILLE, S.C. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team's offense came through at Furman in notching a 12-7 victory at Pepsi Stadium on Firday. The Lady Mocs tallied 13 hits and were led by junior catcher Vivian Morimoto with three hits and senior third baseman Tiffany Baker registered five RBI including a three-run homer.
The Lady Mocs wore baby blue armbands during the game and the remainder of the season in remembrance of Amanda Swarthout, who lost her battle with cancer on Tuesday and was an honorary teammate through the Friends of Jaclyn Program.
Chattanooga improved to 30-12 overall and 11-3 in the Southern Conference, while Furman fell to 14-26 and 6-10 in the league.
Notching multi-hit games were junior first baseman Kasey Tydingco, senior left fielder Lauren Flores and Baker. Seven different Lady Mocs registered an RBI during the contest.
Starting the game in the circle was junior Michelle Fuzzard, who tossed three innings and struck out three. Senior Kandice Irwin picked up the victory to improve to 9-3 on the season by finishing the contest and fanning two opposing hitters.
Following a walk to Stiles in the first, the Hixson, Tenn., native stole second and third base to extend her SoCon leading total to 28. Sophomore second baseman Sara Poteat then drew a walk and Fuzzard reached on an error by the shortstop to load the bases. A double off the top of the fence in straight-away center put Chattanooga up, 2-0.
Senior right fielder Della Harrison'ssacrifice fly extended the Lady Mocs lead to 3-0 as Fuzzard scored from third.
Furman took advantage of two Chattanooga mistakes to cut the lead to two, 3-1, but Fuzzard notched two-straight strikeouts to end the frame.
Following walks to Fuzzard and Morimoto in the third, Tydingco doubled to right center as the Lady Mocs increased their lead to 4-1.
With Jessie Homesley on base after a single, Morgan Huey connected on her 19th career home run and third of the season to come within a run of tying the contest, 4-3, in the third.
In the fourth, Flores led off with a single to left and took second on a wild pitch. After Poteat drew her second walk of the game, Baker delivered a two-out, two-RBI single through the left side and Chattanooga added to its advantage, 6-3.
A two run fifth for Furman cut the Lady Mocs lead to 6-5 as Huey and Hannah Pace record a RBI. Second baseman Poteat ensured that the Paladins left a runner stranded at third as she made a backhand stab on a ball hit into the hole and the throw beat the runner to first by half a step.
With one out in the sixth, Stiles singled down the left field line and Poteat reached first on a sacrifice bunt that was not fielded cleanly by the third baseman. A double by Fuzzard down the left field line that one hopped the fence plated the first run of the inning.
The next batter Baker put Chattanooga up for good, 10-5 with a three-run shot over the fence in left center. It was the 44th of her career and 12th this season.
The Lady Mocs were not done as Morimoto singled to center and Tydingco advanced to first on an error. Freshman right fielder Kaiti Dutton singled to third loading the bases. Delivering an RBI single up the middle was junior shortstop Jessica Traxler, who increased the Chattanooga lead to 11-5. A Flores single to center plated the six run of the inning for the Lady Mocs.
During the sixth, the Paladins responded with a walk and bunt single as Nikki Legg singled to left center cutting the Lady Mocs lead to 12-7.
Tossing the complete game for the Paladins was Kayla Suskauer, who struck out two during the contest. Huey, on senior day, paced the team with a 3-for-4 performance and three RBI, while Stephanie Field and Jessie Homesley each picked up two hits. Nikki Legg had two RBI for Furman.
The Lady Mocs return to action in Greenville, S.C., on Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled for 11 a.m.
Elon 9, Western Carolina 1
ELON, N.C. - The Elon offense exploded for nine runs on 12 hits and senior Lauren Taylor held the Catamounts to one run to help the Phoenix softball team earn a 9-1 victory on Friday night, April 22, at a rain-soaked East Field in the first game of a three-game Southern Conference series against Western Carolina.
Elon improves to 21-20 overall and 6-10 in the Southern Conference with the win, while WCU drops to 18-26 (3-13 SoCon) with the setback. Elon has outscored Western Carolina 55-4 over the last four meetings dating back to last season's series sweep in Cullowhee.
Elon head coach Patti Raduenz is now two victories shy of becoming the program's all-time wins leader.
Taylor (12-8) earned the win in the circle for Elon going six innings, allowing one run (none earned) on three hits, while punching out 10 Catamounts. Over her last 10.2 innings of work, Taylor has struck out 17 batters and has yielded five runs, none of which have been earned.
Carleigh Nester, Kaitlyn Piazzolla and Danielle Lafferty led the Phoenix offensively with two hits apiece, while Lafferty drove in four runs in the win.
Western Carolina got on the board first in the second inning with one run following an Elon error. The Catamounts put a runner on second with two down before a throwing miscue down the first base line in the next at-bat, which allowed the run to come around to score.
But Elon immediately struck back in the bottom half of the inning when it pushed two runs across the plate to take a 2-1 lead. The Phoenix loaded the bases with one out after a single from Piazzolla and pair of walks to Pam DelPizzo and Camille Hill. Elon capitalized with a run on sacrifice fly to right off the bat of Lafferty and another run on a single through the right side from Jackie Gonzalez to take a one-run lead.
Elon tacked on another run in the fourth to increase its lead to 3-1 after Lafferty drove home DelPizzo, who reached base following a dropped fly ball by WCU shortstop Shemekia Scotton.
The maroon and gold offense broke the game open with five more runs in the fifth to take a commanding seven-run lead. Emerald Graham sent the first pitch she saw deep over the left field fence for a two-run homer, her 10th of the year, to make it a 5-1 game. The Phoenix kept the momentum going and followed with a pair of hits to put runners on the corners, as Hill came up with a single through the right side to bring home the third run of the inning. With two outs and runners on second and third later in the inning, Lafferty added a two-run single to give Elon an 8-1 advantage.
Elon scored the game-winning run in the sixth after Gonzalez singled and Nester doubled down the left field line to put runners at second and third. McGowan then came up with a sacrifice fly that ended the game at 9-1.
Elon is back in action tomorrow afternoon at East Field with a doubleheader against Western Carolina starting at 1 p.m.