Radford 6, Appalachian State 5 (8 innings)
RADFORD, Va. - Appalachian State University softball fell in extra innings to Radford, 6-5, on Thursday at Radford University Softball Field.
The Mountaineers fell to 12-3 on the season and 0-2 in extra-inning contests as the Highlanders improve to 14-8 and 11-6 all-time against the Apps.
The Highlanders struck first in the bottom half of the first frame on a double steal. Jessie Hutchens stole second as Michelle Beall stole home to score the first run of the game. Radford added another run in the second as Hannah Ojeda flared an RBI-single to score Warr and give RU a 2-0 advantage.
The Mountaineers used three consecutive hits to take a 3-2 lead in the third-inning. Freshman Sarah Warnock poked a two-out single to left field, followed by a single up the middle from Meghan Smith. Allie Cashion blasted a three-run home run to give the Apps a one run advantage.
The Highlanders' Micalah Sacre led off the bottom of the third with double of the centerfield wall and would scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Ryndee Ruch. Beall scored her second run of the game on a sacrifice fly from Warr to give RU a 4-3 lead.
Radford tagged on another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Madden to score Beall and give the Highlanders a 5-3 lead.
The Mountaineers tied the game up, 5-5, with one swing of the bat. Smith started the sixth inning for ASU with a lead-off walk and was brought home on Cashion's second home run of the game. Cashion's two-run bomb gave her a career high five RBIs in a game and was first time the Waxhaw, N.C. native tallied two home runs in a game.
The Highlanders took advantage of the international tie breaker to score the game winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Vicki Madden flared one to center field and Cashion throw a dart home but was a split second late as Jackie Warr beat out the throw to score the game-winning run.
Appalachian pitched by committee as freshman Caroline Wainwright suffered the loss. The rookie struck out a pair in her three innings in the circle and gave up two runs (one earned). Caroline Williams started the contest hurling two innings and allowed two runs. Senior Caitlin Wainwright was the middle reliever and gave up two runs on two hits with three walks.
Cashion tallied two of the Apps six hits and drove in all five runs. Smith went 1-for-2 on the day with a pair of runs and a walk.
The Mountaineers return to the High Country on Saturday to start a Southern Conference three-game series with Chattanooga. The three-game series will open with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and will end on Sunday with first pitch scheduled at 1 p.m.
Kennesaw State 10, Samford 2 (6 innings)
KENNESAW, Ga. ---- Samford softball was defeated by Kennesaw State Thursday as the Bulldogs fell, 10-2, in six innings.
Samford (6-22) struggled offensively, as Kennesaw State (16-12) starting pitcher Amanda Henderson threw a two-hit game. As the first two in the batting order, Julianne Surane and Madison Dickey accounted for Samford’s two hits. Nicole Bobrowski takes the loss in the circle, falling to 0-3 this season while Henderson moves to 7-4.
The Bulldogs only run came in the top of the first inning. Surane led the game off hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a Dickey groundout to second. Alex Adams hit a hard ground ball to the left side and Surane slid under the putout attempt at home as Adams reached on a fielder’s choice. The Owls’ pitcher Henderson struck out the next two batters, limiting the damage to one run.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, Kennesaw State’s Carly Van Auken hit a deep double to center field, bringing home all three runners and giving them the 3-1 lead. Natalie Rhodes followed that with an RBI double that just stayed fair down the right-field line, pushing their lead to 4-1.
Henderson pitched four innings of lights-out softball in the circle for the Owls, retiring 12 straight as no Bulldog got on base from the second through the fifth inning.
The Owls added another run in the bottom of the fifth, as Sharon Swanson knocked a solo home run to center field, pushing their lead to 5-1. That ended the day for Samford starter Bobrowski, who had five earned runs and five hits through 4.1 innings pitched. Shelby Scott, pitching in relief, walked two batters and they both advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Lindsay Vollmer brought them home with a hard single to center field, giving them the 7-1 lead. With the bases loaded, Kennesaw State drew a walk to add one more run to move to 8-1, but a groundout to Rachel Bickert at third would give the Bulldogs another chance, as the Owls couldn’t secure the run-rule victory.
With one out in the sixth, Surane chopped an infield single to third base, breaking up Henderson’s no-hitter. Dickey followed that up with a double to left-center, bringing the speedy Surane all the way home from first, as they cut the deficit to 8-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center field would bring in the runner from third, extending the Owls’ lead to 9-2. A wild pitch would move the two runners into scoring position and a walk would load the bases with one out. Another walk would bring home the game-winning run, as the Owls earned the six-inning run rule victory by a score of 10-2.
Next up, Samford continues conference play with a three-game series at Elon, beginning with a noon CT double-header on Saturday, March 24.
UNCG 11, Gardner-Webb 1
Gardner-Webb 10, UNCG 5
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – UNCG split a nonconference doubleheader at Gardner-Webb on Thursday, pounding out a season-high 16 hits in an 11-1 win in game one but falling 10-5 in game two.
Game one was tied at 1 heading into the fourth inning, but UNCG’s offense was about to come roaring to life. The Spartans (11-19) batted around in the inning, with Eileen Horsmon, Katelyn Bedwell, Heather Robb and Tatiana Alcala hitting consecutive one-out singles to put UNCG ahead to stay.
Toni MacReynolds was hit by a pitch the bases loaded and another run came in on Aubrey Baldwin’s fielder’s choice and a GWU error. The Spartans’ fourth run of the inning came in on Aisha Figueroa’s RBI groundout, putting UNCG up 5-1.
UNCG added three more runs in the fifth on a Horsmon home run and a two-run single by Alcala. The Spartans put the mercy rule into effect the following inning, getting RBI singles from Robb and Alex Emeterio and a sacrifice fly by Horsmon.
Alcala, Robb and Bedwell had three hits each for UNCG.
Gardner-Webb (13-15) scored its lone run in the first inning, when Samantha Meenaghan came in on a UNCG fielding error. Meenaghan had two of the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ four hits in the game.
UNCG starter Cory Mattson (9-10) picked up the win with five innings of three-hit ball, allowing just an unearned run. Josie Felix pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
GWU’s Cindy Boomhower (5-3) took the loss, surrendering six runs (four earned) on eight hits and a walk in 4 1/3 innings. Kellie Beres was tagged for five runs on eight hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Game two also got off to a phenomenal start for the Spartans, as UNCG scored five runs before a second out had been recorded. GWU rattled off 10 unanswered, however, to rally for the win.
UNCG’s first four batters in the game reached base, with Figueroa drawing a leadoff walk and Dominique Madruga, Emeterio and Horsmon following with singles. Emeterio stole home on a double steal to make it 3-0, and one out later, Robb hit a two-run homer to center to knock GWU starter Alyssa Gutierrez from the game.
Reliever Jessica Childers came in and stopped the bleeding, getting a strikeout and a popup to end the inning.
GWU got four of those runs back in the second inning, drawing four walks and getting an RBI single from Beres. Another run came in on Savannah Burns’ sac fly and the Runnin’ Bulldogs pulled within a run on a McKenzie Morenus groundout.
Gardner-Webb pulled ahead the following inning, with Amanda Gomes hitting a leadoff homer to tie the game and Meenaghan hitting an RBI triple to put the Runnin’ Bulldogs on top.
GWU put up four more runs in the fifth, with Meenaghan hitting a two-run single and Burns hitting an RBI single.
Robb had two hits for UNCG’s lone multi-hit performance in the contest.
Meenaghan was 3-for-4 with three RBI in game two, while Burns, Taylar Pridgen and Jordyn Arrowood had two hits each.
Felix (1-3) took the loss for UNCG, allowing two runs on two hits in an inning of relief. Starter Erica Navarette was charged with four runs (three earned) on two hits and five walks in two innings and Mattson worked the final three innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks.
Childers (2-4) picked up the win, allowing just two hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings of relief. Gutierrez allowed five runs on four hits and a walk in a third of an inning.
UNCG returns to action this weekend at Furman with a doubleheader starting Saturday at 1 p.m. and a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.