Western Carolina 5, Marist 4
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Senior outfielder Erin Foster’s pair of homeruns helped lift Western Carolina softball (4-6) to a 5-4 win over Marist College Friday, in the first day of action at the North Carolina A&T Tournament.
The Catamounts’ game against Utah Valley was halted in the second inning, with the game scoreless, and will resume at 9 a.m. Saturday.
It was the long ball that pushed Western Carolina to the victory over Marist College, and helped WCU weather a big inning by the Foxes. Marist scored four runs in the fifth inning, but just as Western Carolina has shown this youthful season, it may be down but never out.
Junior Shemekia Scotton started off the slugfest for Western Carolina with a solo shot to right center in the second inning. Her four-bagger halted a scoreless game between Western Carolina and Marist.
Foster’s first of two homeruns, in the fourth inning, put Western Carolina up 2-0.
Freshman hurler Jordan Garrett got the starting nod in the game. She cruised through the first four innings, allowing just three Foxes’ hits before getting in a jam.Garrett gave up four runs, on five hits, to allow Marist to take the lead, 4-2, in the fifth inning.
Junior Amber Steinhardt replaced Garrett in the fifth inning. Steinhardt earned the win, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings, not allowing a hit, and striking out two. She took the win in the game and improves to 1-1.
More details regarding the game and Saturday’s updated schedule will be posted as soon information is received from the North Carolina A&T media relations staff.
Down 4-2, Western Carolina answered with a big inning of its own in the top of the sixth inning. Foster got it started with a one out solo homerun to centerfield, cutting the Marist lead to 4-3. Haley Pace got the only other hit of the sixth inning, a single to centerfield. After Kelly Braman reached on a Marist fielding error, Western Carolina benefitted from the Foxes’ second error of the inning, which allowed Heather Chastain to reach first, and Pace and Braman to score.
The three runs by Western Carolina allowed the Catamounts to retake the lead, 5-4, and eventually win the game.
Western Carolina had just five hits in the game, but three of the hits were homeruns, which benefitted the Catamounts. Foster ended the game 2-for-3 with two homeruns and two RBI.
After the game with Utah Valley, which was halted on Friday due to inclement weather, Western Carolina will turn around and face host North Carolina A&T. The game with the Bulldogs will approximately begin around 11 a.m.
Georgia Southern 7, Jacksonville State 4
Georgia Southern 6, Albany 0
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern Softball logged a pair of wins in the opening day of the 2012 Eagle Classic presented by SpringHill Suites. GSU opened the evening with a win over Jacksonville State, 7-4 before downing Albany 6-0 in the night cap.
Friday's pair of games got underway after a two hour delay due to heavy thunderstorms that saturated the grounds. The Eagles didn't waste any time, loading the bases with one out, helped by a double by Marie Fogle. The senior centerfielder scored, Fogle, scored on a walk by Hanna Ennis. Sophomore Kourtny Thomas plated two more runs with a frozen rope liner to centerfield, giving the Eagles a 3-0 lead after a half inning of play.
Jacksonville State answered in the bottom of the frame with a home run by Shelby Holley, her second of the day to right center to cut the GSU advantage to 3-1.
In the second the Eagles logged back-to-back-to-back doubles from Alexa Lewis, Jorie Walker and Fogle. The trio scored a run of their own and set the table for another run to score as the Eagles went up 5-2 through two innings.
In the fourth, Fogle launched a towering drive to left center for her 19th career home run and first of the season. The two-run job gave the Eagles a 7-1 lead through four and a half.
Starting pitcher Sarah Purvis went into cruise control, not allowing another hit until the bottom of the fourth when a Gamecock triple plated their second run of the game. Purvis, however, would record one of her five strikeouts in the game to strand the runner at third and keep a 7-2 Georgia Southern advantage.
After four innings of work, Allie Miles came in to relieve Purvis for the final three frames. The SoCon Preseason Pitcher of the Year fanned the first two batters faced on consecutive strikes. Miles would allow two runs in the sixth en route to her second save of the year as GSU won 7-4 over Jacksonville State.
The Eagles got off the mark in game two in the second inning off a sacrifice fly by Thomas. Her skied shot to center reached the wall, allowing Williams to score easily from third base and give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Three more runs scored in the fourth as the Eagles extended the lead to 4-0.
In the top of the fifth, Thomas lifted another sacrifice fly to score Georgia Southern's second run of the frame as the Eagles extended the lead to six runs through the middle of the fifth inning.
Freshman Brooke Red extended her streak of innings without allowing an earned run to 22.1 consecutive innings. She allowed four hits over her five innings with five strikeouts for her third victory over the year against no losses. Marla Thompson saw her first action at Eagle field, closing out the game with two innings of work to close out the 6-0 Georgia Southern win over the Great Danes.
Play continues at the 2012 Eagle Classic on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. with North Florida facing Albany. Georgia Southern returns to action at 3:30 p.m. against Kentucky, followed by a 5:30 p.m. contest against Radford at Eagle Field.
Chattanooga 7, Valparaiso 0
Chattanooga 5, Niagara 3
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Chattanooga Lady Mocs softball team claimed their first two home wins of the season with a 7-0 victory against Valparaiso followed by a 5-3 win against Niagara to open up the annual Frost Classic Inspired by Memorial on Friday afternoon at Frost Stadium. Sophomore seceond baseman Sara Poteat registered two more multi-hit games, bringing her season total to eight, while extending her hitting streak to 10 games.
Senior designated player and pitcher Michelle Fuzzard pitched a four-hit complete game shutout, notching four strike outs without a walk against the Cursaders in game one. The Lady Mocs took an early 6-0 lead with home runs by senior catcher Vivian Morimoto and freshman outfielder Cheyenne Willis, who clocked her first collegiate round tripper, a two-run shot.
Another impressive performance in the circle was put up by freshman pitcher Taylor Deason against Niagara, who registered a season-best nine strike outs in her third complete-game of the year, while yielding just three runs.
Junior first baseman Kasey Tydingco drove in a team-high three RBI on her third homerun of the season against the Purple Eagles. Fuzzard made her presence felt at the plate as well registering multi-hit games in each contest.
Chattanooga returns to action on Saturday with a doubleheader on Saturday against East Tennessee State and Purdue beginning at 1:15 p.m. at Frost Stadium. Follow the action with live stats and subscription-based video through MocsVision with links on the 12-team Frost Classic Inspired by
The Lady Mocs' offense jumped on Valpo's Alex Lagesse early in the first inning, tacking three earned runs in one-third of an inning. Poteat led off the game with a single back to the pitcher and Willis teed off on Lagesse for a two-run home run to right field.
Fuzzard then roped a single to left field and scored on a double to the fence off the bat of freshman right fielder Nicole Osterman, knocking Lagesse out of the game early, 3-0.
After Alex Jansen came on in relief, Poteat reached on a single in the second and Fuzzard drew a walk before Morimoto crushed a long-ball to the bleachers in right field boosting the Lady Mocs' lead to six runs.
The bats quieted down after the two big innings, but Chattanooga was able to tack on another run in the sixth inning. Sophomore outfielder Kaiti Dutton singled to center field to begin the sixth inning and advanced to second base on a passed ball. Following a groundout that moved Dutton to third, Willis hit a hard groundball to second to score Dutton, 7-0.
Fuzzard got the start in the circle, making her seventh appearance of the season. The shutout, her second on the campaign, improved the fifth-year senior's record to 2-2, padding her career total to thirty-four.
The Crusaders were led by Sara Strickland, who notched a multi-hit game, while Lageese and Jansen combined for six strikeouts in the circle.
Chattanooga continued their winning attitude against Niagara in their second game of the evening, topping the Purple Eagles, 5-3, with a strong pitching performance from Deason.
Chattanooga drew first blood in the first inning with a little help from Niagara. Poteat walked to begin the home half of the first, and then swiped second base. After sliding in safely, the throw from the catcher skipped into center field, allowing Poteat to advance to third base. Once corralled by center fielder, another overthrow gave Poteat the opportunity to trot home.
Niagara scored in the top of the fourth on an Alexis Wayne triple, but the Lady Mocs answered right back in the bottom of the inning with a run of their own. After Osterman reached base on a fielder's choice following a walk by Tydingco to leadoff the frame, a single to right field from junior infielder Ninja Suetsugu drove in Osterman, the go-ahead run, 2-1.
Chattanooga struck in the fifth inning for three runs, all courtesy of Tydingco. A three-run shot from the junior extended the lead to four runs. The insurance runs allowed Deason the opportunity to toss a complete game. Niagara scored two runs in the seventh, but Deason slammed the door on the Purple Eagles with two strikeouts in the frame to notch the Lady Mocs' sixth win of the season.
Deason allowed only three earned runs over the span of seven innings.
Becky Zill and Jen Hare notched multi-hit games for Niagara, while Kim Bryson went the dsitance, striking out eight.