Chattanooga 12, Bethune Cookman 1 (5 innings)
Chattanooga 5, Florida A&M 3
CLERMONT, Fla. - The 2012 season started Friday morning and there were a lot of questions for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team that lost five senior starters including two pitchers heading into Dot Richardson's National Collegiate Invitational in Clermont, Fla. The Lady Mocs and head coach Frank Reed, who picked up his 400th win at Chattanooga (2-0), made a statement in the first game flexing their offensive power with a 12-1 win over Bethune-Cookman (0-1) after five innings before freshman pitcher Taylor Deason converted a complete-game three-hitter, striking out six in a 5-3 victory against Florida A&M (0-1).
Five newcomers in freshmen outfielder Cheyenne Willis, outfielder Nicole Osterman, third baseman Sarah Beth Roberts and Deason along with junior third baseman Ninjja Suetsugu made their first collegiate starts, while sophomore Kaiti Dutton, who had four hits, was the third starter in the outfield that graduated three standouts.
Roberts and Willis led the newcomers on the day totaling four hits, while Willis also drove in two runs and scored four times. Osterman and Suetsugu each tallied a hit and RBI in the first game.
Senior pitcher and designated player Michelle Fuzzard had a productive day, tallying three hits, including a two-run home run and six RBI. The Huntington Beach, Calif., native was just as impressive in the circle against the Wildcats posting two strikeouts on just five hits in the five inning contest.
Notching four hits in the doubleheader was lead-off hitter sophomore second baseman Sara Poteat, who added three RBI and two runs scored.
Chattanooga returns to action tomorrow with two games on the docket starting off at 11 a.m. against North Carolina and then facing UCF at 5 p.m. Be sure to follow all the action from Clermont, Fla., with audio, commentary by the Voice of the Lady Mocs, Tyler Brown, and Nate Blythe and live stats with links available on the softball schedule page.
Game One: Chattanooga 12, Bethune-Cookman 1 (5 innings)
Each team started the season with a hit in the opening inning as Cesley Tafoya and Willis singled. The Wildcats threatened first after a walk and single by Simon Ceasar put two runners on. Fuzzard was unable to make an out on a sacrifice bunt attempt, which loaded the bases with no outs. The Huntington Beach, Calif., native worked her way through it as Suetsugu gunned down a runner at the plate on a fielder's choice, Fuzzard fanned a batter and Suetsugu caught a foul out to end the frame.
After the momentum of gaining another life, the Lady Mocs responded quickly as Tydingco singled up the middle and Osterman was hit by a pitch. Traxler doubled to left center plating the first run. A single thru the right side by Suetsugu stretched the lead to 2-1.
Following a walk to Dutton to load the bases, Poteat singled to the shortstop, who held the ball and had no play to score Traxler. Singling to left field was Willis driving in two and took second as the ball trickled away from the outfielder. Adding two more runs was Fuzzard, who drove a double down the left field line.
Entering into the game was freshman pinch runner Haylee Blalock for Fuzzard, who advanced to second on a ground out and eventually scored the eighth-run of the frame on a double by Osterman. The inning look rather similar to the Lady Mocs last season that led the nation in batting average.
Yielding a lead-off hit in the top of the third was Fuzzard to Aurelia Gamch, but three fly outs ended the threat.
Starting the bottom-half was Willis drawing a walk before Fuzzard blasted her first home run of the season to right field. Morimoto followed with a double, but was stranded.
The Wildcats left Sabrina Ferguson, who doubled and took third on a groundout, on base.
Chattanooga's fourth began as Traxler beat out a single to short and pinch-hitter Roberts went with the pitch and deposited her first hit as a Lady Moc down the right field line. Another player in sophomore pinch hitter Stephanie Rieck was given an opportunity off the bench and drew a walk. She moved to third on Poteat's two-RBI single through the right side as the Lady Mocs padded their lead to 12-0.
Fuzzard's shutout was broken up in the fifth as a hit-by-pitch and walk put two runners on before Tagoya singled to third to load the bases. Michelle Banuelos-Smith drove in the lone run on a sacrifice fly before a fly out to center ended the game.
Bethune-Cookman was led by Tafoya with two hits, while Shanel Tolbert tossed the complete game and struckout one.
Game Two: Chattanooga 5, Florida A&M 3
The Lady Mocs started the first with Willis advancing to first on a ball that the shortstop dropped in shallow left, where she was able to take second. Willis moved up to third on a deep fly out by Fuzzard and scored on a wild pitch before Morimoto walked.
Deason, the freshman, had a rough start to the first as an error on the first batter allowed for a runner at second, then Ash Shpherd beat out a bunt single to Morimoto, placing runners on the corners. A failed pickoff attempt enabled for Jasmine Donaldson to tie the game at one.
Following a walk and Whitney Roninson single though the right side, the Rattlers had the bases loaded as Aria Stewert singled up the middle to put take a 2-1 lead. FAMU would add another on a bases-loaded walk, but Chattanooga got out of the threat down just 3-1 following a fielder's choice to third with a putout recorded at home and ground out to short.
Chattanooga looked to get back into the game as Traxler tagged a pitch to straight-away center, but the centerfielder Donaldson robbed a home run with a leaping catch at the fence. Roberts followed it up with a two-out double to center, but would be stranded.
Settling down after a long first inning was Deason, who struck out the final two batters of the frame looking.
A new style of offense showed itself in the third as Chattanooga manufactured a run. Poteat led off the inning by beating out a single to the second baseman up the middle and Fuzzard singled through the left side for the RBI as Poteat slide around the catcher to cut the deficit to 3-2. Sophomore Layne Rainey came into pinch run for Fuzzard and advanced to third on a ground out and passed ball before the Rattlers retired the side.
With one out in the fourth, Roberts singled up the middle and stole her first-career base. A single thru the right side followed it up by Dutton, who advanced to third, but Roberts was thrown out at home by the right fielder. Chattanooga's threat to tie it ended on a ground out as it left a runner at third for the second-consecutive inning.
The lone blemish for Deason following the first inning was in the fourth as a fielding error allowed for a runner to reach base and took second on a sacrifice bunt.
Leading off the fifth for the Lady Mocs, Willis with a single to center and alertly took second as the center fielder hesitated in picking up a grounder. She took third on a passed ball enabling for Fuzzard to drive her in with a sacrifice fly that was dropped by the right fielder.
With Fuzzard on second after the play, Morimoto moved her up a base with a fly out to right field. She later scored on a sacrifice fly by Tyidingco to right center. Chattanooga took the lead, 4-3, by manufacturing runs and capitalizing on mistakes by FAMU.
Both teams were quite till the seventh when Tydingco connected on a solo shot to center, which was a big run for the team, extending the lead to two, 5-3.
Georgia Southern 11, George Washington 1 (6 innings)
Marshall 4, Georgia Southern 1
CONWAY, S.C. - The 2012 Georgia Southern Softball season got underway on Friday afternoon with the Eagles splitting their first two games at the Coastal Carolina Kickin' Chicken Classic. Georgia Southern opened the day with a 11-1 victory over George Washington to give Head Coach Annie Smith a win in her first game in charge of the Eagles. The runs, however, dried up in the finale with Marshall taking a 4-1 victory to close the day.
Andrea Tarashuk led the Eagles on the season's opening day with a 4-for-6 effort including three RBI and two doubles. Senior Mackenzie Williams was 5-for-8 with two doubles and four runs scored. SoCon Preseason Player of the Year Marie Fogle did not disappoint, going 4-for-7 to open the season with a double. Fogle was also the only Eagle to steal a base in the first two games of the season.
Junior Tabby Douberley and sophomore transfer Kourtny Thomas each stroked a home run in the opening game of the day as the Eagles opened the season with a victory for the third-straight year.
-- GAME ONE -
The Eagles opened the 2012 season with a 11-1 rout of George Washington in six innings. Fogle and Douberley went 3-for-4 in the game as the Eagles pounded out 16 hits in the contest. GSU drew first blood in the second inning as Williams scored off a double by Tarashuk to give the Eagles an early 1-0 lead.
Four more runs would cross in the third as Williams pushed two in with a two RBI double to left field. Another run scored on Shelby Morrill’s sacrifice fly. Tarashuk tallied her second RBI of the game to close the inning with a shot up the middle to score Thomas.
After an open fourth frame, the Eagles got back in the scoring mood with three more runs in the fifth. Tarashuk added her third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to right. Douberley, however, cleared the bases with her second career home run to put the Eagles up 8-0.
Georgia Southern starting pitcher Sarah Purvis carried a two hitter into the fifth inning when the Colonials finally got to the sophomore pitcher. GW strung together two hits and a walk in the frame before scoring their lone run of the game to delay the run rule and force a sixth inning.
The Eagles tacked on three more runs off four hits in the sixth to go up 11-1. Thomas smacked her first home run at Georgia Southern, a solo job, with one out in the inning. Douberley scored two runners with two outs with a single through the right side of the infield to cap the season opener.
Purvis got the win in the circle to go 1-0, while freshman Brooke Red got the final three outs of the game without allowing a hit. Purvis struck out five while walking six GW batters.
-- GAME TWO -
The day's finale saw the Eagles fall 4-1 to former SoCon rival Marshall. Williams and Jorie Walker recorded half of the Eagles' seven hits in the game with two each. Georgia Southern, the home team in the second game of the day scored first again with one in the second. Alexa Lewis reached on a fielding error which allowed Williams to score with two out in the inning for a 1-0 Georgia Southern lead.
A two-run home run by Jasmine Valle off starting pitcher Allie Miles gave the Thundering Herd its first lead of the afternoon in the fourth inning. Miles would get one out in the fifth inning before being replaced by Red with the bases loaded. A wild pitch followed by a sacrifice fly would plate two more runs as the Thundering Herd rolled to a 4-1 lead.
Two singles to open the seventh inning from Fogle and Hanna Ennis gave the Eagles life in the final frame, but runners would be unable to successfully advance past second as the Eagles were retired to close the game.
Georgia Southern takes on Marshall again on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m., followed by a game against George Mason at 6:30 p.m. as the Coastal Carolina Kickin' Chickin Classic enters its second day. The tournament closes for the Eagles on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. against Coastal Carolina.
Virginia Tech 10, UNCG 1 (5 innings)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – UNCG's softball team dropped its season-opener Friday at the Wingate by Wyndham Opening Weekend Tournament, falling 10-1 to Virginia Tech in five innings.
UNCG (0-1) got off to phenomenal start to the game, with junior Eileen Horsmon smacking the first pitch she saw out to left center for a solo home run with two outs in the top of the first to stake the Spartans to the early 1-0 lead.
That would prove to be UNCG's last hit until the fifth, inning, however, and the Hokies took control of the contest in the bottom half of the first.
Virginia Tech (2-0) scored its first two runs with the benefit of only one hit. After Lauren Gaskill led off the frame with a single, Kylie McGoldrick reached on a fielder's choice and Dani Anderson drew a walk to load the bases. UNCG starter Cory Mattson then hit Courtney Liddle to force in the Hokies' first run, and a bases-loaded walk to Betty Rose made it 2-0.
Kelsey Mericka followed with a bases-clearing double to left center to make it 5-1 before the Hokies had even made an out.
After Mattson induced a pair of groundouts, Bkaye Smith reached on a Mattson error to bring in Mericka and make it 6-1.
The Hokies added two more in the second inning. Virginia Tech strung together three straight one-out singles to make it 7-1, and Liddle scored on Kristen Froelich's sacrifice fly to center. Spartan center fielder Ashley Reetz kept the damage from being worse by firing to third to get Rose for an inning-ending double play on the sac fly.
Erica Nayarette relieved Mattson to start the bottom of the inning, and the freshman from San Marcos, Calif., retired the side in order in her first career appearance. She struck out her fist batter, Marra Hvozdovic, looking.
Virginia Tech got to Navarette the following inning, however, getting a pair of singles to lead off the inning before Liddle's RBI double put the game into mercy-rule territory. Rose followed with a sac fly to make it 10-1.
Hokies starter Jasmin Harrell (1-0) was cruising, meanwhile, as she retired 12 straight after Horsmon's homer. Her only other blemish came in the top of the fifth inning when UNCG freshman Dominique Madruga singled to right field with two outs. Harrell got a groundout to end the game.
Harrell picked up her first win of the season by allowing just one run on two hits in five innings.
Mattson (0-1) took the loss, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on five hits and two walks in two innings. Navarette was charged with two runs on four hits and no walks, striking out one.
Elon 4, Liberty 1
ELON, N.C. – Strong defense and a four-run fourth inning started the 2012 season off with a 4-1 win for the Elon softball team (1-0) against Liberty (0-1) today, Feb. 10, at East Field. The win in the opening game of the Elon Invitational is the first for interim head coach Kathy Bocock at Elon, as she took control of the Phoenix program in August.
Senior Erin O’Shea (1-0) earned the win for the maroon and gold after pitching a complete game and giving up one run off four hits, while striking out six. Alyssa Dimartino (0-1) also went the full game for the Flames, allowing four runs, all unearned, off five hits with three strikeouts.
Outfielders Tomeka Watson and Carleigh Nester, who both made big plays in the outfield for the Phoenix, each recorded one hit and two RBI.
The Flames loaded the bases with one out in the first inning after Sammi Shivock and Kelly Strickland pushed Grace Nordan, who reached on a single, over to third off walks. However, Elon veteran O’Shea battled back in the circle, striking out Jenny Law and getting Kaylee West to line out to move the game to the bottom of the inning.
After a few scoreless innings, Liberty struck first in the fourth taking a 1-0 lead after Law scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield from Amber Donovan. Law reached base on a single to right field and advanced off a single by West and a sacrifice bunt by Bridgett Woods.
Cyra Cottrell and Johanna Spencer both drew walks and put runners in scoring position for the Phoenix to start the bottom of the fifth. Spencer and Cottrell moved to second and third after McKenzie Harrelson reached on a bunt that was misfielded by Liberty third baseman Woods. A sacrifice bunt by designated player Camille Hill placed her on first with Harrelson and Charyssa Parent, a pinch runner for Spencer, on second and third, while the fielder’s choice took Cottrell out at the plate. With one out, Watson scored Parent and Harrelson, moving Hill to third, with a ground-rule double to centerfield to give the Phoenix a 2-1 edge. Nester took Dimartino’s next pitch and hit a single through the right side to score both Hill and Watson and put the maroon and gold up by three, 4-1.
Liberty left three runners on base in the final two innings, but strong defense by the Phoenix and two strikeouts by O’Shea sealed the season-opening win for Elon.
The Phoenix resume play in the Elon Invitational tomorrow, Feb. 11, with games against North Carolina Central and Georgetown. The game against the Eagles is scheduled for 11:45 a.m., while the match-up with the Hoyas is set for 2 p.m.
Samford 4, South Dakota 0
Samford at Stetson--Postponed
DELAND, Fla. ---- Samford opened its 2012 softball campaign Friday at the Stetson Invitational in DeLand, Fla., where the Bulldogs (1-0) earned a 4-0 victory over South Dakota (0-2). Samford was set to play a second game against host team Stetson (1-0), but the game was called due to inclement weather after only three pitches. A potential makeup date and time is still to be announced.
Samford served as the home team in the matchup versus the Coyotes and junior transfer Misha Aldridge made her first Samford start on the mound. The Madison, Ala., native pitched exceptionally well in her debut, throwing a four-hit complete game shutout, including three strikeouts and no walks. She was equally as effective at the plate, batting in the cleanup spot and going 1-2, including a two-run homer in the fifth.
Along with Aldridge, it was the top half of Samford’s order that provided the offensive spark, earning seven of the team’s nine hits. Kayla Shaffer went 3-4 out of the two-hole with one run scored. Madison Dickey and Robyn Harmon went a combined 3-5 batting first and third, respectively, with Dickey hitting Samford's only other extra-base hit in the form of a third-inning double.
The Bulldogs put a number in the hit column first as Shaffer, batting second, followed a first-inning leadoff walk to Dickey with a single to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Harmon moved them over with a sacrifice bunt, but a pop up and a ground out left them stranded at the end of the first.
In the bottom of the third, Dickey hit a one-out double which Shaffer followed with a single into center field. Dickey tried to score and was tagged out at home, but the throw allowed Shaffer to advance all the way to third base with Harmon coming up to bat. Harmon put the Bulldogs on the board first with an RBI single down the right side on a 2-2 count to bring Shaffer home.
South Dakota looked to threaten the shutout in the top of the fourth, as consecutive singles put runners on first and second to extend the inning with two outs. Aldridge pitched the Bulldogs out of trouble however, forcing the following batter to pop up to first base.
In the fifth, Shaffer got her third hit of the day with a one-out single to center field. Harmon reached on a fielder’s choice to bring Aldridge up with two outs and on the first pitch, Aldridge put the ball past the fence with a two-run homer, putting the Bulldogs up 3-0.
In the top of the sixth, South Dakota looked to benefit off of Samford's only error of the game, as a throwing error on a force-out at second base put runners at the corners with one out. The next batter grounded out to third, preventing the runner from scoring, but it allowed the runner at first to advance and put two Coyotes in scoring position with two out.
For the second time, Aldridge left two runners stranded with two out, as the following batter grounded out to second to preserve the shutout.
Samford advanced their lead again in the sixth inning off a Rachel Bickert RBI single.
Arica Dykes came in as a pinch runner following a leadoff walk by Nicole Bobrowski, and Dykes promptly stole second and then later stole third following an Alex Adams lineout.
With one out, Bickert hit one to right field to bring Dykes home and put the Bulldogs up 4-0. That ended the day for South Dakota starting pitcher Paige Policky, who came off the mound with four earned runs and eight hits in 5.1 innings pitched.
Samford continues action tomorrow, playing back-to-back games. First, they face off against South Dakota at 10 a.m. CT followed by Iona at 12:30 p.m. CT.
Virginia Tech 10, UNCG 1
Jacksonville 10, UNCG 3
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – UNCG's softball team dropped a pair of games Friday at the Wingate by Wyndham Opening Weekend Tournament, falling 10-1 to Virginia Tech in five innings and 10-3 to tournament host Jacksonville.
UNCG (0-2) got off to phenomenal start to the season against Virginia Tech, with junior Eileen Horsmon smacking the first pitch she saw out to left center for a solo home run with two outs in the top of the first to stake the Spartans to the early 1-0 lead.
That would prove to be UNCG's last hit until the fifth inning, however, and the Hokies took control of the contest in the bottom half of the first.
Virginia Tech (2-0) scored its first two runs with the benefit of only one hit. After Lauren Gaskill led off the frame with a single, Kylie McGoldrick reached on a fielder's choice and Dani Anderson drew a walk to load the bases. UNCG starter Cory Mattson then hit Courtney Liddle to force in the Hokies' first run, and a bases-loaded walk to Betty Rose made it 2-0.
Kelsey Mericka followed with a bases-clearing double to left center to make it 5-1 before the Hokies had even made an out.
After Mattson induced a pair of groundouts, Bkaye Smith reached on a Mattson error to bring in Mericka and make it 6-1.
The Hokies added two more in the second inning. Virginia Tech strung together three straight one-out singles to make it 7-1, and Liddle scored on Kristen Froelich's sacrifice fly to center. Spartan center fielder Ashley Reetz kept the damage from being worse by firing to third to get Rose for an inning-ending double play on the sac fly.
Erica Navarette relieved Mattson to start the bottom of the third inning, and the freshman from San Marcos, Calif., retired the side in order in her first career appearance. She struck out her fist batter, Marra Hvozdovic, looking.
Virginia Tech got to Navarette the following inning, however, getting a pair of singles to lead off the inning before Liddle's RBI double put the game into mercy-rule territory. Rose followed with a sac fly to make it 10-1.
Hokies starter Jasmin Harrell (1-0) was cruising, meanwhile, as she retired 12 straight after Horsmon's homer. Her only other blemish came in the top of the fifth inning when UNCG freshman Dominique Madruga singled to right field with two outs. Harrell got a groundout to end the game.
Harrell picked up her first win of the season by allowing just one run on two hits in five innings.
Mattson (0-1) took the loss, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on five hits and two walks in two innings. Navarette was charged with two runs on four hits and no walks, striking out one.
In the nightcap, the defending Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season and tournament champion Dolphins (2-0) jumped on UNCG starter Josie Felix for seven runs in the second inning, rapping out six hits and taking advantage of two Spartan errors. Meagan Balding, Karson Tuck, Amanda Schmidt and A-Sun Preseason Player of the Year Sarah Simon all had RBI hits in the frame.
UNCG got three runs back in the bottom of the third inning thanks to some timely hitting and some shaky defense by the Dolphins. Freshman Tatiana Alcala reached on an error with two outs to get things going, and Horsmon followed with a single up the middle to put runners at first and second. Katelyn Bedwell knocked in Alcala with a single and Horsmon came around on an error in the outfield. Heather Robb followed with an RBI single to bring in Bedwell before another error allowed Toni MacReynolds to reach. Robb was thrown out at home trying to score on the play, ending the inning.
JU got one of the runs back in the top of the fourth on Schmidt's infield RBI single then added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings on RBI singles from Tuck and Brittany Eppley, respectively.
Felix (0-1) was tagged for seven runs (six earned) on seven hits in two innings, walking two. Navarette worked five innings of relief, allowing three runs on seven hits, striking out four.
Eppley (1-0) picked up the win for JU, allowing three unearned runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. Reigning A-Sun Pitcher of the Year Sarah Sigrest worked the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out seven of the nine batters she faced.
Aisha Figueroa had three hits for the Spartans, leading off the game with a single and hitting two-out singles in the fifth and seventh innings.
Kayla Ouellet was 3-for-4 with three runs to lead JU at the plate. Tuck, Schmidt, Eppley, Balding and Codi Kelly had two hits each.
UNCG faces Buffalo at 9:30 a.m. and Saint Louis at 2 p.m. Saturday in day two of the tournament.
IPFW 8, Appalachian State 4
AUBURN, Ala. - After an hour rain delay, Appalachian State softball dropped its season-opener, 8-4, to IPFW in Auburn, Ala. on Friday night at the Tiger Invitational.
In the bottom of the third frame the IPFW loaded up the bases and were able to drive in seven-runs with one out. Dani Pugh singled to center drive in the games first two runs. Miranda Kramer earned an RBI walk, and Kayti Hanson singled to the shortstop to increase IPFW's lead to 4-0. A RBI single from Larissa Franklin and a sacrifice fly from Ashleigh Bousquet increased the Mastodon's lead to 8-0.
In the top of the fourth-inning, the Mountaineers' bats came alive when senior Megan Rembielak recorded the Apps first hit of the contest with a bunt single. Rembielak would score on a throwing error from centerfielder Franklin after a single from junior Allie Cashion. Senior Michelle Lighton earned a walk and would score along with Cashion on a fielding error by first baseman Mackenzie Ritsema to bring ASU within five-runs, (8-3).
Freshman Caroline Wainwright was able to get out of a fourth-inning jam two runners left on base, and would throw a one-two-three fifth-inning.
Appalachian cut its deficit in the sixth-inning, 8-4, when Lighton reached on a throwing error by shortstop, Alex Bousquet to score Meghan Smith, who reached on base by a hit by pitch.
Wainright finished her career debut with two strikeouts and an earned run in 3.2 innings pitched in relief.
IPFW's Courtney Cronin helped the Mastodons improve to 2-0 in a complete-game two-hitter with four strikeouts.
The Mountaineers look to bounce back quickly when the take on Alabama State at 3:00 p.m. (CT) and Wright State at 5:30 p.m. (CT) on Saturday.