Georgia Southern 4, UNCG 2
Georgia Southern 9, UNCG 3
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Georgia Southern opened its Easter Weekend series at UNCG with a pair of victories by 4-2 and 9-3 margins. The Eagles trailed early in both contests, but responded with enough offense to go 10-1 in Southern Conference play. The Eagles close the series on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
-GAME ONE-
UNCG got off to a good start, hitting a home run to dead centerfield in the bottom of the first inning. The Eagles, however, answered by opening the second frame with a pair of hits, followed by two walks to score the first run of the game. The Spartans, however, would work out of the bases loaded jam to allow no further runs in the second as the Eagles tied the contest, 1-1.
After allowing the home run, Georgia Southern starting pitcher Sarah Purvis struck out the next four batters, dismissing the UNCG side in the second. She finished the afternoon contest with 10.
The Eagles took their first lead of the afternoon in the fourth inning as Alexa Lewis lit a single through the left side, plating Kourtny Thomas from second base.
UNCG leveled the scores in the bottom of the inning when Alex Emeterio hit her second home run in as many at bats to right field, tying the game 2-2.
The Eagles roared back in the top of the fifth, posting a pair of runs. Thomas lofted a bases loaded sacrifice fly to right which scored pinch runner Breanna McLendon from third. The other two runners advanced with another run coming home off a wild pitch on the first pitch to Tabby Douberley. A walk to Douberley, followed by a walk to Lexi Allen (Metter, Ga.) loaded the bases for the top of the Eagle lineup. Lewis hit what looked to be a three-run smash to the gap, but the UNCG left fielder made a miraculous play to strand three Eagles as the Eagles took a 4-2 lead.
Purvis closed out the win to improve the Eagles to 23-12 on the season and 9-1 in league play. She allowed just the two runs off three hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks to pick up her 13th win of the season in the circle.
-GAME TWO-
After a scoreless opening inning and a half, UNCG drew first blood in the second inning of game two, scoring two runs in the inning. The Spartans played small ball and took advantage of two Eagle wild pitches to score the breakthrough runs.
The UNCG runs woke up the Eagle offense as Georgia Southern matched its biggest single-inning haul of the season with six runs off three hits. The Eagles benefited from three Spartan errors. Lewis and Thomas carded doubles in the inning as the Eagles took a 6-2 lead into the middle of the third.
Douberley extended the Eagle lead to 7-2 in the fifth frame with a solo home run with two outs in the inning. In the seventh, Georgia Southern tacked on a pair of insurance runs on a two-out single by Allen up the middle to make the score 9-2. In the bottom of the seventh, UNCG scored a run to make the final score 9-3.
Allie Miles went the distance for the Eagles, continuing her strong play against the Spartans. She allowed just the three runs off six hits to pick up her second win of the season.
Georgia Southern and UNCG close out their three-game series on Saturday afternoon with a 1 p.m. series finale from the UNCG Softball Stadium.
College of Charleston 4, Furman 0
College of Charleston 4, Furman 0
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – The College of Charleston softball team extended its winning streak to eight games after a pair of 4-0 victories over Furman in a Southern Conference doubleheader at Patriots Point on Friday afternoon.
The teams conclude the series with a single game on Saturday, April 7 in which the Cougars will raise money to “Beat Cancer with a Bat” with the National Foundation for Cancer Research. The Cougars will wear pink jerseys and auction off their game-worn jerseys.
The Cougars were able to produce timely hitting and were opportunistic with their base runners as they plated eight runs on nine hits on the day.
Stephanie Saylors and Hope Klicker both threw complete game shutouts in the circle. Saylors struck out nine and now has 14 complete-game wins which leads the SoCon. Klicker put seven Paladins down on strikes.
Lizzy Vaughn had three hits and two RBIs between the two games. Amanda Lonergan hit her first home run of the season in the second game.
GAME ONE: CofC: 4, Furman: 0
The Cougars got started in the first inning of the first game when Vaughn doubled to left center and then Lonergan did the same to trade places with her and bring Vaughn to the plate.
Saylors had already struck out five hitters and had not allowed a base runner until a walk in the third inning. Furman did not produce a hit until the fifth inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, Kristy Giragosian smoked a ball to third base for an infield single and scored on a triple to the fence by Allison Pedigo. Klicker and Ashton Jarrett also reach base in the inning and Vaughn tagged one back up the middle to score them both making the score 4-0, the eventual final.
GAME TWO: CofC: 4, Furman: 0
Lonergan homered to her opposite field with a slicing shot to left field which cleared the fence with ease despite an imposing wind blowing in the direction of first base.
Klicker would not require any additional run support but in the bottom of the third, the Cougars loaded up the bases and Mackenzie Maples picked up an RBI hit by pitch and a Paladin fielding error allowed two more runs to cross.
Appalachian State 6, Western Carolina 5
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University softball snaps its seven-game skid with a big victory over Western Carolina, 6-5, on Friday at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.
The Mountaineers improved to 13-17 and 4-7 in conference with the help of junior Meghan Smith’s 3-for-3 day and freshman Sarah Warnock’s two hits. The Catamounts fell to 13-23 and 3-7 in league play but had Erin Foster and Morgan Wyatt tally multiple hits and RBI's.
Appalachian State wasted no time by pushing a run across in the bottom of the first inning. Megan Rembielak beat out a single to first and moved to third when Warnock hit a single to right field and then both players moved to second and third on an error by Western Carolina. Rembielak scored on a sacrifice fly by Smith.
Western Carolina used the long ball to take a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning. Heather Chastain led off the inning with a double to left center field. Amelia Griffin followed with a walk to place runners at first and second. Foster shot one over the left centerfield wall, to score three runs.
Crucial miscues by Western Carolina and key hits by the Apps allowed the Mountaineers to regain the lead in the bottom of the fifth. ASU loaded up the bases and used two errors on two attempts to throw home to take a 6-3 lead.
The Catamounts pulled within one run, in the top of the sixth inning. With two outs, Wyatt pelted one off the left centerfield fence to score Griffin and Foster.
Caroline Wainwright held WCU scoreless in the seventh to close out the game and earned her sixth win of the season. Freshman Riley Carter started for the second straight game but allowed three runs on five hits in four and a third innings.
The Mountaineers will play a doubleheader with Western Carolina, beginning at noon on Saturday, to wrap up the three game Southern Conference series.
Chattanooga 14, Elon 11
Chattanooga 4, Elon 3
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Chattanooga Lady Mocs softball team swept the Friday doubleheader against Elon, 14-11 and 4-3, at Frost Stadium. The two contests that lasted over a combined six-and-a-half hours took their toll mentally and physically, fatiguing both teams.
The Lady Mocs needed one run to stay alive in the bottom of the seventh in game two as the first came across on a groundout by junior first baseman Kasey Tydingco to tie it at four. Senior catcher Vivian Morimoto then sent a soft grounder to the first baseman, who scooped it up, but lost the ball as she lunged towards the runner, Morimoto. Willis came across to plate the game-winning run.
Game one appeared to be an offensive affair as five pitchers combined to toss 351 pitches in the contest. Both starters, freshman Taylor Deason and Erin O'Shea, were relieved after 13 walks in the first two innings, which lasted more than two hours.
Pacing the Lady Mocs offensively in that contest was freshman outfielder Cheyenne Willis with a four-for-five performance and four RBI. Morimoto was 3-for-3, while driving in five runs.
Junior Sara Poteat and Tydingco also notched multi-hit games.
The Phoenix pitched around senior pitcher and designated player Michelle Fuzzard as she drew four balls on eight occasions during the twinbill.
During the second game, senior shortstop Jessica Traxler had two hits, while sophomore outfielder Stephanie Rieck had a clutch two-out single that drove in two runs in the fourth.
Notching the win in the first contest was Fuzzard throwing 5.1 innings and striking out three to improve to 8-6. Deason (14-7) came back strong in the second game going the distance and registering six strikeouts.
Elon was led at the plate in game one by Carleigh Nester with three hits and three RBI, while Lauren Oldham added two hits and two RBI. Danielle Lafferty and Tomeka Watson recorded two hits in game two.
The teams return to the diamond on Saturday with the finale of the series beginning at 1 p.m.
GAME ONE: CHATTANOOGA 14, ELON 11
In the first, Watson connected on a one-out triple to right field and E. O'Shea drove her home with two outs on a throwing mistake by the Lady Mocs. Following back-to-back walks to load the bases, Deason notched a strikeout to end the frame.
Reaching with one out was Willis on a passed ball following a strikeout before Fuzzard and Morimoto walked to load the bases. A bases loaded walk to Traxler tied the contest at one before the side was retired.
Two ground outs and a walk started off the second for the Phoenix, but two more walks filled the bases before an error as the ball popped out of the mitt of the right fielder would score three off the bat of E. O'Shea. A single by Lauren Oldham drove home the runner, who took second on a passed ball, before Fuzzard entered to retire the side with Elon holding a 5-1 lead.
Starting off the second for the Lady Mocs was Rieck with a single to center and a fielding mistake put on sophomore outfielder Layne Rainey without an out. A walk to Poteat loaded the bases before Willis singled in two runs with a liner to center.
The bases became loaded again as Fuzzard and Tydingco drew walks before E. O'Shea was relieved by sister, Caitlin O'Shea. Morimoto tallied a RBI with a walk before Traxler sent a pitch through the right side to tie it at five. The go-ahead run scored on a fielder's choice without an out being recorded. C. O'Shea used her glove to get the Phoenix out of the inning with two groundouts and snatching a liner.
Fuzzard made quick work in the top of the third. Leading off the bottom-half was Willis with a single through the left side and immediately swiped second. A groundout moved her to third before Morimoto drove in the runner with a single up the middle, 8-5.
The contest progressed at a steady rate until the bottom of the fifth, where Chattanooga added four runs, increasing the score to 12-5. Poteat and Willis each beat-out infield singles before Fuzzard was walked. A drop by the first baseman on throw from second plated a run off the bat of Tydingco.
Morimoto added a run on a single through the left side before Traxler drove in one on a groundout. Converting on a bunt single was freshman third baseman Sarah Beth Roberts (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) plating the final run of the frame, but the Lady Mocs were unable to score one more run, which would have implemented the eight-run rule.
Elon was given a second life and Nester singled to center before Kaitlyn Pazzolla hit a base knock to left. A fielder's choice put runners on the corners with two outs before a walk loaded the bases.
Johanna Spencer was the next to the plate and hit a high pop fly that second baseman Poteat was unable to handle in front of the bag at first. A collision between Poteat and Spencer had both players on the ground as three runs came around to score, 12-8. Both players were evaluated by the medical staff and removed from the game.
Bouncing right back was Chattanooga as Willis connected on a one-out triple down the right field line. Following a walk to Fuzzard, Morimoto drove them both home with a double into the gap in right center.
In the seventh, a one-out rally started for Elon on a single through the right side by Nester. E. O'Shea drove her home with a double down the left field line. Back-to-back singles by Oldham and Lafferty plated another run. A throwing error that landed in the Elon dugout moved runners to second and third as the score became 14-11 before third baseman Roberts picked up a grounder to record the final out.
GAME TWO: CHATTANOOGA 4, ELON 3
Starting off the Phoenix in the first was Watson with a double down the left field line. Once again, E. O'Shea put her team on top with a single to left.
Chattanooga registered its first hit in the second as Traxler sent a shot to left and Roberts singled to the pitcher.
Leading off the fourth for the Lady Mocs was Morimoto and Traxler with consecutive singles to right field. Both runners advanced a base on a passed ball before Rieck singled down the right field line to put the Lady Mocs up, 2-1.
A one-out walk was drawn by Aly Quinatana to begin the fifth before a second runner reached base on a fielding miscue. Another error allowed a run to score and put two runners in scoring position. Singling to left was Watson to put the Phoenix on top, 3-2.
Elon would hold the lead until the seventh when Rainey lead off the frame by reaching first on a wild pitch following a strikeout. Junior second baseman Ninjja Suetsugu laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to move the runner into scoring position.
Reaching on an error was Willis to place runners at the corners before Fuzzard drew a walk to load the bases. A groundout by Tydingco tied the contest at three for the second out. Morimoto sent a roller up the first base line that the fielder picked up and dropped when making the tag, allowing the game-winning run to score, 4-3.