College of Charleston 1, Furman 0
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. – Stephanie Saylors hurled a three-hit shutout to lead College of Charleston to a 1-0 victory and three-game series sweep of Furman in Southern Conference softball action on Saturday afternoon at Patriots Point.
With her second shutout of the weekend, Saylors improved to 15-6 in the circle and gave the Cougars their third consecutive shutout of the Paladins. The righthander fanned six batters and worked around a pair of fourth-inning walks to help CofC move to 26-13 overall and 11-4 in league play.
Saylors worked out of trouble in the first inning. Nikki Legg opened the frame with a single to left and the Paladins placed runners at first and third when Jessie Homesley reached on a fielder’s choice as Kelsey Hodgson’s attempt to force out Legg at second base sailed into right field. Saylors recovered by striking out Natalie Clemmons and Emily Boyer before Sarah Eidt flew out to left field.
CofC grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Kristy Giragosian reached on a leadoff single and moved to second on Allison Pedigo’s sacrifice bunt before scoring on Hope Klicker’s single to right-center field with one out.
Freshman Lakyn Shull (5-9) suffered the loss for the Paladins allowing one run on five hits in six innings of work. She walked two batters and fanned four.
Furman returns to action on Tuesday with a 2 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at Presbyterian College.
Georgia Southern 10, UNCG 2 (6 innings)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Georgia Southern Softball scored four runs in the sixth inning to secure a 10-2 run-rule victory over UNCG on Saturday afternoon at the UNCG Softball Stadium. The Eagles smashed two home runs in the contest improving to 11-1 in league play and 25-12 overall this season.
In the second inning, Tabby Douberley crushed a home run to right center which hit the top of the scoreboard. The four-bagger plated three runs and gave the Eagles an early 3-0 lead in the contest.
An inning later, Georgia Southern boosted its lead to 4-0 when Andrea Tarashuk’s double to the wall plated Mackenzie Williams from first base.
In the fourth, the Eagles tacked on two more runs. The first run, Lexi Allen scored off a double by Hanna Ennis, while Alexa Lewis came home later in the frame off an RBI ground out by Marie Fogle, giving the Eagles a 6-0 advantage. A pair of walks with two outs loaded the bases full of Eagles, but GSU was unable to add any more runs in the inning.
UNCG got on the board in the bottom of the frame, scoring two runs off a two-run homer by Heather Robb. The long-ball made the score 6-2 after four innings of play.
In the sixth inning, GSU scored four runs with three coming off a three-run homer by Shelby Morrill. It was her first home run of the season home run of her career. The run gave GSU a 10-2 lead in the sixth frame.
Freshman pitcher Brooke Red pitched a gem, allowing two runs off three hits in her five innings of work. She improved to 9-0 on the year with the victory. Marla Thompson pitched the final inning as the Eagles took the 10-2 run-rule victory. Thompson allowed just one hit in the sixth inning as the Eagles closed out the victory.
The Eagles are back in action on Tuesday afternoon against Georgia Tech in midtown Atlanta. The doubleheader starts at 4 p.m.
Appalachian State 7, Western Carolina 3
Appalachian State 9, Western Carolina 3
BOONE, N.C. - Clutch hitting by Appalachian State University softball helped the Mountaineers earn a three-game sweep over Western Carolina, 7-3, 9-3, on Saturday at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.
A walk-off grand slam by junior Allie Cashion in the bottom of the eighth gave the Mountaineers the 7-3 victory in game-one.
Freshman Dani Heichen led off the eighth frame with a single to left and used her tremendous speed to steal second and third on consecutive pitches. Senior Megan Rembielak earned a walk and the Catamounts allowed her to take second without an attempt to second. Freshman Sarah Warnock took four balls to load up the bases. With one-out, Cashion launched the game-winning hit over the center field wall to record her fifth RBI of the day. The Waxhaw, N.C. native's five RBIs put her on top of ASU all-time runs batted in list with 127 career RBIs.
The Mountaineers (15-17, 6-7 SoCon) didn't waste any time in the first taking a 2-0 lead. Meghan Smith homered to left field to score Warnock, who singled to center a batter earlier.
The Catamounts (13-25, 3-9 SoCon) tied the game at two in the top of the third. With one out, Erin Foster doubled to left center field. After Foster moved to third on a passed ball, Morgan Wyatt walked to put runners at the corners. Amber Steinhardt laid down a beauty of sacrifice squeeze bunt, scoring Foster and earning her a spot at first base. Heather Chastain's single RBI, through the left side, scored Steinhardt to tie the game at two.
Steinhardt homered to left center in the top of the fifth to give WCU a 3-2 lead, but the Mountaineers responded in the bottom half of the inning. Warnock led off the bottom of the fifth for with a single and moved all the way to third. Cashion's single RBI tied the game at three.
Caroline Wainwright came in relief in the fourth and earned the win without giving up a run and only allowing three hits. Riley Carter earned her third consecutive start and pitched four innings with allowing six hits and three runs (two earned).
Heichen recorded a career high three hits while Warnock tallied her third three hit game.
In the bottom of the third, Smith struck again for Appalachian with her second home run of the day to give ASU a 3-0 lead.
Carter held the Catamounts scoreless till the fourth inning. Steinhardt led off the inning with a single past the short stop. Braman attempted a sacrifice bunt, and error on the throw to first by ASU allowed Seinhardt to motor home and score, 3-1.
Western Carolina put the game within one run on a solo home run by Foster in the fifth inning.
Appalachian State tacked on six runs in the bottom of the sixth for insurance to put the game out of reach. The Mountaineers batted around in the inning and was highlighted by Carter's first career RBI to start the six-run inning.
Carter earned her first career win by only allowing two runs (one earned) and five hits in four and a third innings of work, while Wainright came in relief to put the game away.
Smith led the Apps in the nightcap with a 2-for-4 day and three RBIs and two runs.
The Mountaineers host ETSU on Wednesday for a doubleheader at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium with first pitch scheduled at 4 p.m.
Chattanooga 9, Elon 2
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Chattanooga Lady Mocs softball team completed the series sweep against Elon with a decisive 9-2 victory on Saturday afternoon at Frost Stadium. Senior catcher Vivian Morimoto went 3-for-3, driving in three runs, while the powe, a three-run shot, was provided by junior first baseman Kasey Tydingco.
Moving up to the second spot in the order was sophomore outfielder Stephanie Rieck and she responded with a two-hit performance and scoring a career-best three runs. Freshman outfielder Cheyenne Willis was inserted into the lead off position and drew three walks in filling in for junior second baseman Sara Poteat, who was injured in game one of the series.
The Phoenix decided to take their chances with senior pitcher and designated player Michelle Fuzzard, who went 2-for-2 with two RBI and increased her walk total to 10 on the weekend.
Chattanooga improved to 23-13 overall and 8-2 in the Southern Conference, while Elon fell to 17-11 and an even 6-6 in league play.
Earning the win in the circle was Fuzzard, tossing four innings with four strikeouts. Freshman pitcher Taylor Deason notched her second three-inning save of the season only giving up one hit and talling a strikeout.
Elon was paced offensively by Tomeka Watson with two hits including a double, while Carleigh Nester registered a two-RBI triple in the first. Erin O'Shea took the loss, falling to 10-7, as Karen Berna, Kari Pervell and Chelsea White, all combined to strikeout two.
The Lady Mocs offense was stagnant until the third when head coach Frank Reed challenged the team to be more aggressive at the plate.
The response was a five spot on the scoreboard with Willis drawing a walk and Rieck registering the first hit of the game for the Lady Mocs with a single to right. An intentional walk to Fuzzard loaded the bases.
After just missing a towering home run foul, Morimoto doubled down the right field line to tie the contest at two. Connecting on her eighth home run of the season was Tydingco to put the Lady Mocs firmly in the lead, 5-2.
Making a play was Rieck to begin the fifth as she laid down a bunt and took second on the throw that went up the right field line. After a wild pitch, Fuzzard came through with a single up the middle as the Phoenix defense was playing in to keep the margin at three.
Freshman Haylee Blalock came into pinch run for Fuzzard and later scored on a single to left center by freshman third baseman Sarah Beth Roberts, 7-2.
Adding two more in the sixth was Chattanooga as Willis and Rieck reached base on a walk and error, respectively. Coming through again was Fuzzard with a hot-shot that bounced over the head of the shortstop into the right centerfield gap to score one. Morimoto plated the second run with a single up the middle, 9-2.
The next game for Chattanooga is on Tuesday with a 6 p.m., first pitch at Frost Stadium against Tennessee Tech. Fans can follow all the action via links on the softball schedule page of GoMocs.com to live stats and subscription video through MocsVision. The Voice of Lady Mocs softball, Tyler Brown, has the play-by-play commentary for all the contests this season.