Western Carolina 4, Winthrop 3
Winthrop 6, Western Carolina 5
WINTHROP, S.C. – Western Carolina softball (14-26) split with Winthrop (14-28), winning the first game 4-3 and dropping the night-cap 6-5, Wednesday at Terry Field.
The Catamounts came from behind, in the first game of the doubleheader, to take win, 4-3, over Winthrop. After picking up an early 2-0 lead, the Catamounts gave up three runs in the top of the fifth, to find themselves down 3-2, but some top of the seventh heroics secured the 4-3 win for WCU.
Amber Steinhardt was a catalyst, both offensively and defensively, for Western Carolina in the win. After starting pitcher Jordan Garrett got into a jam, giving up a lead-off single to Winthrop in the bottom of the sixth, Steinhardt came into the game in relief. She faced three batters, forcing two strikeouts and a fly out to end the Eagle threat.
Steinhardt wasn’t finished she also produced offensively in the top of the seventh. Amelia Griffin, who went 3-for-4 in the game, started the inning with a single. Jordan Fulton ground into a fielder’s choice, and Griffin was out at second. Winthrop walked Erin Foster and Morgan Wyatt singled up the middle to load the bases. Steinhardt, who had failed to get a hit all game, singled to right field with an RBI to tie the game when Fulton scored. Foster scored the winning run when the Winthrop right fielder booted the ball affording Foster the chance to score on the Eagle error.
Steinhardt capped off the game by getting two quick outs in the bottom of the seventh and striking out Winthrop’s Kristy Noble to end the game. She improved to 5-5 on the season and had three strikeouts in the game.
After two scoreless innings, Western Carolina struck first with a run in the third. With two outs, the Catamounts had four straight singles to load the bases and score. Griffin, Fulton and Foster each singled and Wyatt hit an RBI single past third base to score Griffin.
The Catamounts added a second run in the fourth inning after Kelly Braman led off the inning with a double. Megan Crowe hit an RBI single, her first hit since March 13, to score Braman.
Starting pitcher Garrett got into a bit of a pickle in the bottom of the fifth. She gave up three runs, with two outs, as Winthrop took the lead 3-2. Garrett ended the game having pitched five innings, striking out six and walking three.
GAME 2
Western Carolina scored a run in the first three innings of the game to take an early 3-0 lead, but couldn’t score the rest of the game.
With two outs, Foster doubled to left field and Wyatt walked to set up a scoring chance for Steinhardt, who didn’t disappoint. Steinhardt singled down the right field line scoring Foster.
Haley Pace scored the second run of the game after drawing a lead-off walk. She got to second on sacrifice bunt by Heather Chastain and scored on two straight wild pitches by Winthrop pitcher Natalie Becker.
Foster hit a lead-off homerun in the top of the third for Western Carolina’s third run of the game Foster’s 12th homerun of the season.
Starting pitcher Katie King had an uneventful two innings before the third inning struck. It started when King hit Teja Durante and she earned a free pass to first and Megan Chapman doubled. It snowballed into five runs for the Eagles and knocked King out of the game. Steinhardt came into the game with runners at second and third and eventually faced based loaded with no outs. Steinhardt gave up three runs in the inning and became the pitcher of record.
Winthrop added a run in the fourth inning which proved to be the run that would ice the game.
Western Carolina attempted a rally in the top of the seventh, just as it did in the first game, but came up a run short. Foster opened the rally with a single, her third hit of the game, and after Foster advanced to second on a wild pitch, pinch hitter Ashley Jones drew a walk. With one out, Braman singled to right field to load the bases. Foster scored her second run of the game on a wild pitch by Becker. The Catamounts would get their second run of the inning when Heather Chastain hit into a fielder’s choice RBI. With two outs, Crowe struck out looking to end the game and the Catamount scoring threat.
Steinhardt falls to 5-6 on the season. She went four innings, allowing four runs on seven hits in her relief appearance.
Western Carolina will be at home Thursday as the team hosts Alabama State in its final non-conference game of the season in a doubleheader set to begin at 4 p.m. The game is also the Catamounts Strikeout Cancer game, and the team encourages all fans to wear pink to the game in support of breast cancer awareness.
Appalachian State 13, ETSU 9
BOONE, N.C. – A pair of home runs by freshman Caroline Rogers led Appalachian State University softball in the 13-9 slugfest over ETSU on Wednesday at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.
The Mountaineers improve to 16-17 after the non-conference contest while the Buccaneers fall to 10-23.
With temperatures dropping, both offenses were not affected by the cold weather with eight runs scored in the first inning. The Bucs scored the first run of the game on a Casey Horner’s RBI-single which scored Haley Thompson and Jackie Baird advanced to third and Horner to second on the throw. Alex Everett sacrificed flied to score Baird and Horner scored on a single by Marlina Delisa to give ETSU a 3-0 lead.
When the Apps received their chance to respond they wasted no time and tallied five runs in the first. Freshman Sarah Warnock started ASU’s inning with one-out double to left center and scored on screaming double down the left field line by Meghan Smith. Smith advanced to third on a fielding error by the left fielder and score on Allie Cashion’s single to right field. With one swing of the bat Rogers put the Mountaineers up 4-3 on a two-run homer of the left center scoreboard. Freshman Dani Heichenextended her hitting streak to four games on RBI-double and give ASU 5-4 advantage.
Just like Appalachian, the Buccaneers regained the lead with one swing of the bat by Baird. Baird launched a three-run bomb to give ETSU a 6-5 lead in the top of the second.
In the bottom half of the second, Rogers tallied her second homer of the day on bomb to dead center to score Warnock and Heichen and give the Apps a 8-6 lead.
The Black and Gold offense kept it rolling in the third with four more runs on two outs. Warnock recorded her third hit of the game on a RBI-single to score Heichen. ETSU kept the Apps inning alive with a fielding error by the second baseman and the Mountaineers capitalized on the opportunity when Riley Carter screamed one to center field to clear the bases to give ASU a 12-6 lead.
The Bucs answered back in the fourth inning with three runs of their own. Everett tallied her second RBI of the game to cut the deficit to 12-7 and two more runs scored on a Mountaineer miscue to bring ETSU with in striking distance, 9-12.
The Mountaineers tagged on insurance run in the sixth (13-9) before Caroline Williams put the game away in the seventh.
Carter earned the start but Caroline Wainwright earned the win with her four innings of relief. Wainright only allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits and struck out one, while Williams threw a perfect four batter seventh inning.
Warnock, Smith and Rogers all lead the Apps with multi-hit game but Rogers tallied career-high five RBIs.
Game two of the doubleheader was cancelled due to frigid weather in Boone as temperatures were slated to hit below 30 degrees in the nightcap.
The Mountaineers return to conference play on Saturday and Sunday where they travel to Elon for a three-game Southern Conference series. Saturday’s doubleheader is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. and first pitch for Sunday’s game at 1 p.m.
James Madison 10, Elon 1
James Madison 7, Elon 0
HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Elon softball team was not able to get much going offensively as the maroon and gold fell to James Madison in both games of its doubleheader, 10-1 and 7-0, today at Veterans Memorial Park. The Phoenix falls to 17-13 on the season, while the Dukes improve to 22-20.
Game 1
The Dukes took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first off a two-out home run to left field by Rachel Burnham. JMU added seven runs the next inning off five hits for an 8-0 advantage. Two runs scored when a sacrifice bunt by Caitlen Manning left her safe at safe after a throwing error by the Elon second baseman. Manning advanced to third after the error and then scored the fourth run of the game on a single down the left field line by Anna Klumpp. After Kari Pervell replaced Karen Berna in the circle, Haley Johnson scored two runs with a single to right center. The Dukes scored another run before the inning ended with JMU up by eight.
The Phoenix got on the board in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to seven. With one out, Carleigh Nester singled down the right field line and then advanced to second off a ground out by Erin O’Shea. A single up the middle by Grace Eng moved Nester to third as a fielding error by JMU’s centerfielder allowed her to score from third to make it an 8-1 game.
With one out and one on in the bottom of the inning, Burnham hit another long ball to left field for a two-run homer and a 10-1 Dukes’ lead. Chelsea White then replaced Pervell in the circle and recorded the final two outs of the inning.
JMU’s Heather Kiefer (9-3) earned the win in four innings of work with one run off two hits. The loss sent to Berna (2-2) who pitched 1.1 innings and gave up five earned runs.
Game 2
Nester started the game with a leadoff triple down the right field line, putting the Phoenix in good position early. However, the maroon and gold were not able to push Nester across the plate and moved into the bottom of the inning.
The first run of the game came off a double to center field by Burnham that scored Jasmine Butler from third. Burnham scored two batters later on a single through the left side by Sarah Mooney. With two outs, Manning singled to right field to score two more runs and put JMU up 4-0.
After three scoreless innings, James Madison added another run in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Butler singled to the shortstop to score Manning from third for a 5-0 advantage. Manning led the bottom of the inning off with a double to right field and moved to third on a ground out by Cassidy Clayton. White took over pitching duties for Caitlin O’Shea and recorded the necessary two outs to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Mooney and Catherine Clavin each hit solo home runs to add two runs for the Dukes and extended its lead to 7-0.
Sarah Mooney (7-8) picked up the win for the Dukes after pitching four shutout innings and giving up four hits. Cara Stecher claimed her second save of the year after relieving Mooney in the fifth inning and preserving the shutout. C. O’Shea (2-3) took the loss, giving up five runs off seven hits in 3.1 innings in the circle.
Nester went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Tomeka Watson also recorded two hits in her four at-bats. However, none of Elon’s seven hits in the game were able to push any runners past home plate as the Phoenix left nine runners on base.
Elon returns home to the friendly confines of East Field on Saturday, April 14, for a SoCon series against Appalachian State. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
No.24 North Carolina 11, UNCG 0
No. 24 North Carolina 10, UNCG 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. – No. 24 North Carolina swept a doubleheader from UNCG on Wednesday, taking wins of 11-0 and 10-0 at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
The Tar Heels (29-10) scored twice in the first inning of game one on Haleigh Dickey’s two-run double. UNCG right fielder kept the damage from being worse by throwing out a runner at the plate to end the inning.
UNCG (16-27) hung with North Carolina for the first few innings, stranding three runners in the first two frames. Alex Emeterio’s two-out single went for naught in the first inning, and the Spartans left runners at second and third in the second after Heather Robb walked and Toni MacReynolds singled.
North Carolina blew the game open in the fourth inning, batting around to score six runs. Dickey led off with a solo homer, and Ally Blake had a two-run shot later in the frame. Lauren Walker and Kelli Wheeler had RBI singles as the Tar Heels rapped out four hits and took advantage of two UNCG errors.
UNC added three runs in the top of the fifth when Kelsey Green hit a two-run double and Amber Parrish followed with another double to knock in Green.
The Spartans were unable to score in the bottom of the inning, ending the game via the mercy rule after five.
Katelyn Bedwell had UNCG’s only other hit of the game, a one-out double in the fourth inning.
Lori Spangola improved to 21-8 on the year, allowing just three hits and a walk in five innings. She struck out 10.
Erica Navarette (5-10) took the loss, allowing eight runs on nine hits and four walks in four innings, striking out two. Josie Felix allowed three runs on three hits and a walk in one inning of work.
Dickey and Logan Foulks had two hits each for the Tar Heels.
UNCG threatened to score first in game two but stranded a pair of runners in the first inning. Emeterio got things going with a two-out single, and Eileen Horsmon followed with a single through the left side. North Carolina starter Ashley Bone induced a fielder’s choice to end the inning with no damage.
Robb got to third in the second inning on a walk, a groundout and a passed ball, but she was stranded there.
The Tar Heels broke through in the top of the third inning on Parrish’s RBI single and Foulks’ bases-loaded walk, but starter Cory Mattson got a bases-loaded strikeout to end the inning and limit the damage.
North Carolina scored two more the following inning on an RBI single and a fielder’s choice, then made it a 6-0 game on a UNCG error and Dickey’s RBI single in the sixth.
The Tar Heels added four more runs in the top of the seventh Elisha Elliot’s two-run double and Wheeler’s two-run homer.
UNCG had one last chance to score in the bottom half. Bedwell reached on a two-base error to lead off the inning, and Robb singled to right center to put runners on the corners. Bone recovered to keep the Spartans off the board, getting a lineout and a pair of groundouts to end the game.
Bone (4-1) allowed just four hits and two walks in seven innings of work. Emeterio, Horsmon, Robb and Aisha Figueroa had singles for the Spartans.
Mattson (10-14) allowed 10 runs (eight earned) on 15 hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings of work. Felix got the final two outs.
Wheeler and Elliot had three hits each to pace North Carolina.
UNCG returns to action next Tuesday for a doubleheader at Radford at 4 p.m.