Appalachian State 7, College of Charleston 1
Appalachian State 6, College of Charleston 1
BOONE, N.C.- Appalachian State University softball (13-16, 6-4 SoCon) picked up their second Southern Conference sweep of the season by winning both games of its doubleheader against College of Charleston (21-15, 3-8 SoCon), 7-1 and 6-1, at Sywassink/Lloyd Stadium on Sunday (Apr. 3).
Junior Megan Rembielak got the Mountaineers’ first hit of the game in the bottom of the first on a bunt single and stole second during sophomore Meghan Smith’s at-bat. Smith grounded out for the second out of the inning, but sophomore Allie Cashion hit a long single to left field to plate Rembielak for the first run of the game. Senior Hannah Dow singled through the right side, moving Cashion to third, but Cashion would score on the overthrow by Katie Pesature. Senior McKenzie Phillips flew out to left field to end the frame.
With the Apps up 2-0, heading into the bottom of the fourth, M. Phillips picked up her second double of the season to left field to start the inning. Sophomore Sheridan Phillips flew out to right field, but M. Phillips advanced one base on the fly ball. Junior Michelle Lighton kept the two baggers coming as she tallied her third double of the season, allowing M. Phillips to score. Senior Sarah Rappe got on via a bunt single and stole second for the 10th time to become the first Mountaineer to tally double-digit stolen bases this season. Then Katie Boyd came up to the plate and crushed a Alexa Datko pitch to center field for the sixth time this season and 40th time of her career, giving ASU a 6-0 lead and forcing College of Charleston to make a pitching change, bringing in Jen Rosene for Datko. Rosene was able to get Rembielak to ground out to second base, but Smith singled through the left side in the next at-bat. Cashion would ground out to end the inning.
Katie Nutaitis started off the top of the fifth grounding out to shortstop, but Hillary Stringer put up the Cougars’ only run of the game as she homered to center field off sophomore starterLouise Gibson.
Appalachian got one more run in the bottom of the sixth to complete the final score of 7-1. Boyd singled to shortstop to start the inning and stole second. Rembielak tallied her second hit of the contest in the next at-bat, moving Boyd over to third, but Boyd would score off another Cougar miscue. Smith lined out to center field, but Rembielak stole second during the at-bat. Cashion and Dow went down in order to end the inning.
Junior Caitlin Wainright took over in the circle for Gibson for the final stanza, only allowing one hit, one walk and striking out one to finalize the 7-1 victory.
ASU was led by Boyd, Rembielak and Dow, who scattered two hits apiece. Boyd also contributed three RBIs.
Gibson (5-4) picked up the win en route to giving up five hits, one earned run, three walks and two strikeouts.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Mountaineers waited until the second inning to put up its first run of the contest. Cashion singled to right center to start the inning and following a Dow strikeout, M. Phillips followed up with a single to left field. Lighton hit a shot down the right field line, bringing home Cashion and advancing M. Phillips to third. Sophomore Hayley Grabner grounded out and Rappe went down swinging to end the frame.
Boyd lined out to begin the third, but Rembielak reached on a throwing error by Stephanie Saylors in the next at-bat. Smith then stepped up the plate and homered for the fifth time this season to give the Apps a 3-0 cushion.
In the top of the fourth, Pesature reached on an error by M. Phillips and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kelsey Hodgson singled back up the middle and moved around to second as she watched Pesature get thrown out at home on a perfect throw by Rappe from center field. Kristi Woodall doubled in the next Cougar at-bat to right center, allowing Hodgson to plate the only run of the game for CofC.
ASU added three more runs in its half of the fifth to seal the win. Rappe reached on an error by Stringer and stole second. Boyd grounded out to move Rappe over to third and she scored on the single to shortstop by Rembielak. Smith would single through the left side, giving Appalachian runners on first and second. Dow came through and singled through to right center following a hard lineout to shortstop by Cashion, to score Smith and Rembielak. This ended Saylors’ day in the circle as Kylie Day relieved her.
Dow (5-4) picked up the 6-1 win, giving up five hits and one run and striking out five.
Smith led Appalachian offensively with two hits and two RBI.
The Mountaineers return to play April 9-10, taking on Western Carolina in Cullowhee at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Samford 11, Georgia Southern 10 (9 innings)
STATESBORO, Ga. ---- The Samford softball team edged out the win Sunday in a nine-inning thriller at Georgia Southern. The Bulldogs broke a 10-10 tie in the top of the ninth inning to win their fifth league game, 11-10.
Samford (8-29, 5-7 SoCon) used a six-run third inning to jump on top, 6-0, early. Kayla Shaffer drove in the first run on a sacrifice bunt while reaching first base on a fielding error by the pitcher. Amanda Jordan then walked with the bases loaded to drive in Arica Dykes to put the Bulldogs up, 2-0, and Aaren Fisher followed with a bases-clearing triple to go ahead, 5-0. Nicole Bobrowski drove in the sixth run as she reached base on a fielding error by the second baseman.
Georgia Southern (19-21, 9-3 SoCon) cut the lead to one, plating five runs in the bottom of the inning. Marie Fogle drove the first run in on an RBI bunt single followed by Hanna Ennis with an RBI double to score Jorie Walker. Then Tabby Douberley drove in three runs on a double to deep center field before Samford pitcher Kayla Burris sat the last two batters down.
The Bulldogs took a 10-5 lead with a RBI single by Jordan in the fourth, a score by Madeline Baker on an error in the fifth, and a two-run single by Allison Reynolds in the sixth.
A five-run inning from the Eagles tied the ballgame in the bottom of the sixth. An RBI single by Alexa Lewis cut the lead to four and a two-out grand slam from Fogle tied the game at 10.
Both teams notched a hit in the seventh inning but could not produce any runs to eke out the win. Another scoreless eighth inning forced the game into a ninth inning, and the winning run was scored when Whitney Terry was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Dykes.
Dykes led the Bulldogs with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate and three runs. Shaffer followed, going 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI, and Brianna Chambers was 2-for-4 with a run. Jordan, Fisher, Bobrowski and Reynolds each had a hit for the Bulldogs. Jordan also notched two runs and two RBI while Bobrowski had a run and an RBI, Fisher had a run and three RBI, and Reynolds had two RBI.
Burris (5-12) turned in another incredible complete-game performance. Burris recorded nine strikeouts in nine innings of work, walked only one batter and gave up just four earned runs on 10 hits.
Fogle, Ennis and Walker led the Eagles with two hits each. Megen Smith, Douberley, Mackenzie Williams and Lewis each had a hit, while Fogle led in RBI with five followed by Douberley with three. Fogle, Lewis and Walker also scored two runs each.
Allie Miles started the game in the circle for the Eagles, giving up one earned run on two hits in 3.1 innings of work. She recorded six of GSU's 10 strikeouts and walked two batters. Brianna Streetmon pitched 3.1 innings of relief, giving up five earned runs on seven hits while striking out three batters and walking two. Smith (1-5) took the loss for GSU, giving up one earned run on four hits in 4.1 innings. She allowed two walks and recorded one strikeout.
Samford closes out its road swing Tuesday with a trip to Western Kentucky for a midweek doubleheader. The Bulldogs will then take a week off before returning home to play host to Elon, April 16-17.
Chattanooga 3, Elon 1
ELON, N.C. - A three-run home run by junior shortstop Jessica Traxler provided the offense for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team and stellar play defensively helped in a 3-1 victory Sunday over Elon at East Field to clinch the series sweep.
The Lady Mocs defense took at least four hits away from the Phoenix to improve to 25-8 overall and 8-0 in the Southern Conference, while Elon fell to 15-14 and 2-7 in the league. Senior outfielderLyndsey Stiles made the first play on a diving catch in right center, sophomore second baseman Sara Poteat made two brilliant plays and junior pitcher Michelle Fuzzard made an off-balance throw to first in helping the Chattanooga defense keep runners off the base paths and preserve the victory.
Improving to 11-5 on the season was Fuzzard, who went 4.0 innings and struck out two. Senior hurler Nikki Waters came in relief to shut down the Phoenix with two strikeouts and earning her first save as a Lady Moc. Waters notched two saves with Southern Illinois in her freshman year.
The Phoenix out-hit Chattanooga 4-to-6 in the contest, but were unable to produce runs. It was just the second time this year that the Lady Mocs were out hit in registering a victory with the first being against Samford.
In the bottom of the first, Stiles made a diving stab coming in on a ball in right center for the first out of the game setting the stage for Chattanooga defensively.
A two-out rally was started by Harrison in the second by singling through the hole on the left side. Following a walk to Morimoto, Traxler put the Lady Mocs on top with a home run to left. It was her third blast of the season.
With a 3-0 lead, the Lady Mocs defense continued to impress in the second as Poteat saved a hit by getting a glove on a grounder behind first and backhanded a throw to Tydingco covering first for the second out of the inning. Fuzzard notched her second strikeout of the game to end the frame.
After Poteat make a diving catch on a liner towards the first base line, Fuzzard took a hit off the shin, regrouped by picking up the ball behind her and fired an off-balance throw to get the speedy Tomeka Watson at first.
With one out in the third, Poteat doubled on a ball that one hopped the fence in center, but the Lady Mocs were unable to extend to their lead.
Chattanooga loaded the bases in the fourth on a hit batter and two walks, but Elon turned a triple play as a liner that appeared to be caught by third baseman Caitlin McGowan was ruled to have hit the field and two Lady Mocs were tagged out on the play.
Leading off the fourth for the Phoenix was Emerald Graham with a home run to left center. It was her sixth of the season.
After Elon seemed to gain some momentum following a single by Pam DelPizzo, Chattanooga erased it as Poteat turned a double play on a ball hit to Traxler at short.
In the fifth, a leadoff single by Kaitlin Piazzola chased Fuzzard from the circle and Waters was able to retire the side on the next three hitters.
The Phoenix threatened again as Watson led off the sixth with a single to left and stole her 15th base of the season. Following a one-out walk, Waters was able to get out of the jam with a strikeout and groundout.
In its last at bat, Elon looked poised to tie it up as Piazzolla and pinch hitter Hannah Shelton singled up the middle. The runners moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Jackie Gonzalez. Waters was able to induce back-to-back grounders to second baseman Poteat sealing the Lady Mocs 3-1 win.
Piazzolla paced the Phoenix offensively with two hits, while four other players registered one. Throwing the complete game was O'Shea, who fanned three and walked six.
Before welcoming UNCG to Frost Stadium for a conference series on Saturday, the Lady Mocs are off to Birmingham, Ala., for a doubleheader with UAB on Thursday. The first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m (E.D.T) and GoMocs.com, the official website of Chattanooga Athletics, will have live stats and an audio broadcast during the event.
UNCG 10, Western Carolina 1
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Kaitlin Merkt and Heather Robb hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the sixth inning and the Spartans scored five runs in the seventh to turn the contest into a romp as UNCG took a 10-1 win over Western Carolina on Sunday to win the weekend series.
A day after scoring the most runs in a Southern Conference game in school history in an 18-3 win, UNCG (15-18, 6-3 SoCon) hit double digits against the Catamounts (15-21, 2-10 SoCon) for the fourth time in the last six games between the teams.
UNCG bolted out to a 3-0 lead with single runs in each of the first three innings. After Kristen Gabel reached on an error to start the game, Aisha Figueroa sacrificed her to second and Merkt knocked her in with an RBI double.
A Kayla Hensley sacrifice fly made it 2-0 in the second, while Robb’s sac fly made it 3-0 in the third.
The Catamounts got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of two UNCG errors as Erin Foster came around to score.
Merkt and Robb – UNCG’s No. 1 and 2 home run hitters – went back-to-back to lead off the sixth, making it a 5-1 contest. Merkt’s homer was her third of the series, as she hit one in each game.
The Spartans blew it open in the top of the seventh, sending 10 batters to the plate. With the bases loaded, pinch-hitter Ashley Reetz hit into a fielder’s choice, but Gabel was safe at home on another of Western’s five errors on the day. Jordan Jewett and Katelyn Bedwell followed with back-to-back RBI singles, and Hensley’s two-run single capped the scoring.
Merkt, Figueroa and Jewett had two hits each to lead the Spartans. Figueroa and Jewett had two steals each on the day. Hensley had three RBI.
Cory Mattson (8-9) picked up the win, scattering four hits and allowing just an unearned run. Amber Steinhardt (7-7) took the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits in 5 innings. Katie King allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits in 2 innings.
The Spartans return to action when they step out of conference play to host Liberty on Wednesday for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.