Elon 8, North Carolina Central 0
Elon 20, North Carolina Central 0
ELON, N.C. - Two no-hitters from pitchers Erin O'Shea and Lauren Taylor led the Elon University softball team to a pair of wins over North Carolina Central today, April 7, at East Field. Every Phoenix player that went to the plate in the two games earned a hit as Elon took an 8-0 win over the Lady Eagles in game one and a dominating 20-0 victory in game two. Elon improves to 17-14 on the season, while NCCU falls to 4-26.
O'Shea and Taylor combined for 11 innings of no-hit softball in the two games while also striking out 22 NCCU batters. Emerald Graham went 4-for-6 on the day at the plate, hitting two home runs and recording six RBI.
Game 1
In the bottom of the first, Graham sent the first offering from NCCU pitcher Kayla McPeek to left field for a two-run homer, her seventh on the year, to give Elon an early 2-0 lead.
Caitlin McGowan and Kaitlyn Piazolla each reached base on singles in the second to put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt by Danielle Lafferty moved them both into scoring position, while a single by Lauren Oldham and a groundout by Carleigh Nester pushed across the two runs, increasing the Elon lead to 4-0.
Tomeka Watson started the third inning with a leadoff double and came around to score, making it 5-0, following a pair of sacrifices by Graham and Pam DelPizzo to add another run to the board.
Elon added two more runs in the fourth to make it 7-0. An RBI single by Morgan Wright and a sacrifice fly by Watson brought home Piazzolla and Oldham who both reached base on singles earlier in the inning.
The Phoenix got its final run in the sixth, which ended the game at 8-0. Elon loaded the bases with one out before DelPizzo sent a fly ball to center to bring home the final run.
O'Shea (7-6) hurled a no-hitter for the Phoenix striking out 15 of the 19 hitters she faced, including a streak of eight straight. The junior was one over the minimum batters faced for the game. Her only blemish was a walk that she surrendered in the fourth inning.
Game 2
Graham got the Phoenix on the board early again in the second game hammering a three-run homer on the first-pitch over the fence in left, her second round tripper of the day and eighth on the season. Following the home run, Elon strung together four hits to bring home three more runs in the first inning making it a 6-0 lead.
Elon batted through the lineup for the second consecutive inning sending 13 batters to the plate in the second with nine runs on nine hits making it a 15-0 Phoenix lead.
The Phoenix kept things going in the third and added four more runs to its lead on four hits. The inning was highlighted by a two-run homer off the bat of Johanna Spencer, her first of the year, making it 19-0.
Elon added one more run in the fourth to extend the lead to 20-0. The last time Elon scored 20 runs in a game was February 9, 2008, against Savannah State when the Phoenix won 26-0.
Taylor (9-6) went five innings of no-hit softball while striking out seven. The senior faced two over the minimum batters faced for the game.
Graham (3-for-3, four RBI), DePizzo (3-for-3), Lafferty (3-for-4), Oldham (2-for-2, four RBI) highlighted the offensive attack for the Phoenix.
The Phoenix continues Southern Conference action at East Field on Saturday, April 9, with a three game series against Georgia Southern. The series begins with a 1 p.m. double header on Saturday with the finale scheduled for 1 p.m. start on Sunday, April 10.
Chattanooga 11, UAB 3
UAB 1, Chattanooga 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team swung a hot bat in the first game picking up an 11-3 run-rule victory in six innings against UAB, but the Blazers responded with a 1-0 victory in the nightcap. Senior Tiffany Baker was clutch in the first contest going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a home run as the Lady Mocs notched 15 hits.
Chattanooga improved its record to 26-9 on the season, while the split sets UAB at 28-10 overall record. It was a match up of the top teams from the Southern Conference and Conference USA as the squads combined for just one conference loss.
Also, notching multi-hit games were senior center fielder Lyndsey Stiles, senior left fielder Lauren Flores, sophomore first baseman Kasey Tydingco and Fuzzard. Tydingco connected on a two-run home run in the first game for Chattanooga.
In the circle, junior Michelle Fuzzard picked up the victory to improve to 12-5 on the season. Continuing her dominance in relief was senior Kandice Irwin, who tossed 3.1 innings and struck out seven opposing hitters.
The Lady Mocs welcome UNCG this weekend to Frost Stadium with a doubleheader on Saturday set for 1 p.m. It will serve a Breast Cancer Awareness Day with pink T-shirts, rally towels and wristbands being given away. The finale of the series is set for Sunday at 2 p.m. and it will be Youth Day as the Lady Mocs conduct an autograph session following the contest. Kids in eight grade or below will be admitted free.
Game One: Chattanooga 11, UAB 3 (6 inn.)
The Chattanooga softball team banged out 15 hits and jumped on UAB early in an 11-3 win in six innings at the UAB softball field. Baker was 3-for-4 driving in three runs and connecting on a two-run shot, her 10th of the season.
Fuzzard earned the win in the circle for the Lady Mocs to improve to 12-5 on the season. She yielded three runs on nine hits scattered by the Blazers. Irwin entered in the sixth and kept the run-rule in effect by striking out the side.
Leading off the second, Baker doubled into right center and Tydingco singled through the right side.
Following a walk drawn by junior shortstop Jessica Traxler with two outs to load the base, Flores came through with a key two-RBI single to left and advanced to second on the throw to the plate. A double into left center off the bat of Stiles add two more runs as the Lady Mocs took a 4-0 lead.
In the third, Fuzzard started it off with a single to right, then Baker blaster her 10th home run of the season. It was the 42nd career round tripper that put the Lady Mocs on top, 6-0.
The Blazers responded in the bottom half as a leadoff single by Hailey Glynn and a sacrifice by Sallie Van Kirk moved her to second. A single by Caley Walden put runners on the corners with one out.
After Waldon stole second, Catherine Douglass singled to center to cut into the Lady Mocs lead, 6-2. Fuzzard would get a ground out for the second out and after two walks retired the side on a fly ball to deep center.
Chattanooga continued to flex its offensive muscle as back-to-back singles by Flores and Stiles put two runners on. A double by sophomore second baseman Sara Poteat to left center added one run for the Lady Mocs as Stiles was held at third.
Following an intentional walk to Fuzzard, Baker single to left plating Stiles from third and keeping the bases loaded. Chattanooga extended its lead to 9-3 as Tydingco singled up the middle to score Poteat.
In the bottom of four, UAB added another run on a single through the right side with runners on the corners. Fuzzard was able to end the threat and retire the side on a foul out to the catcher.
After lefty Lannah Campbell entered in the circle and kept Chattanooga off balance in the fifth, Fuzzard just missed a home run down the left field line in the sixth. Tydingco made up for it one batter later connecting on a two-run shot to right. It was the fourth home run of the year for the Fairfield, Calif., native and extended the Chattanooga lead to 11-3.
The Lady Mocs shutdown pitcher Irwin entered in the sixth to close the door and did just that in striking out the side preserving the run-rule win.
It was the 11th run-rule of the season for the Lady Mocs and second time in six innings.
Alisa Smith, Lauren Webster and Campbell combined to pitch in the circle for UAB. Douglass led the Blazers with two hits and three RBI, while Walden also had a two base knocks.
Game Two: UAB 1, Chattanooga 0
The Lady Mocs were unable to take their offensive momentum into game two and fell 1-0 to UAB's Leigh Streetman threw a one hitter in the win. Fuzzard notched the only hit for Chattanooga, which hit halfway up the fence in left.
In the circle, junior pitcher Nikki Waters was credited with the loss falling to 6-2 on the year, but she pitched a four hitter through 3.2 innings giving up one unearned run. Irwin came on in relief and fanned four to finish the contest.
The first batter for the Blazers Caley Walden reached on a throwing error by the second baseman. She advanced to second on a sac bunt and took third on a ground out. The only run of the contest scored, unearned, on a passed ball.
Following a one-out single, UAB was poised to add to its lead, but Waters induced a ground out to second and Baker stretched out to catch a liner at third base.
With one out in the fourth, Fuzzard hit a hard liner halfway up the fence in left for a double. She would be stranded at second, but not before Tydingco came within inches of hitting the chalk down the right field line, which could have been a game-tying double or triple.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Blazers threatened with two outs loading the bases on a walk and hit batter from Waters. Head coach Frank Reed brought in his closer Irwin to shut the door and provide the Lady Mocs with a chance. Irwin was up to the challenge and retired the first batter with a strikeout to end the frame.
To end the fifth, Baker made a diving stab to her left at third base with two outs to keep the Chattanooga lead at seven, 9-3.
Even though Chattanooga continued to work the count in the later innings, it was unable to take advantage of those extra pitches thrown by Streetman.