Elon 6, East Carolina 3

ELON, N.C. – Kayla Caruso allowed only two earned runs in seven innings as the Elon softball team won its fifth straight on Wednesday, Feb. 27, with a 6-3 victory over East Carolina at Hunt Softball Park. Caruso (3-2) earned her third consecutive win to help Elon improve to 6-4 while the Pirates fall to 6-8.

Caruso started the game strong after retiring the first two batters, but gave up a solo home run to Alex Fieldhouse that gave ECU an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Caruso was able to recover by striking out the next batter to move to the bottom half of the inning.

Elon would get on the board after Johanna Spencer hit a two-out double with one on to tie the score at 1-1. After Emily Cameron and Aly Quintana each earned a free pass to load the bases, East Carolina made a pitching change as Sarah Christian relieved Mary Beth Smith. Grace Eng would single to left field to drive in Spencer and give Elon a 2-1 lead before Elon grounded out to end the inning.

East Carolina would plate two more runs at the top of the second to move back ahead 3-2. Casey Alcorn led-off with a solo shot over the center field wall to tie the game at 2-2. Jordan Lewis was singled on the next at-bat and advanced to second on an error. Caruso was able to set down the next two batters, but Meredith Mitchell’s single scored Lewis to give the Pirates a one-run advantage.

In the bottom of the second, Elon added three runs to take back the lead. Lauren Oldham and Carleigh Nester led-off with singles followed by Camille Hill reaching base on an error to load the bases for reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week, Tomeka Watson. Watson would reach on a fielder’s choice, scoring Oldham to tie the game at 3-3. Watson would steal her fifth base of the season to move into scoring position for Spencer, who grounded out to the shortstop, but the first basemen was unable to throw Nester out at home as the Phoenix moved ahead, 4-3. Cameron hit a two-out single up the middle on the next at-bat to score Watson and give Elon and Caruso a comfortable 5-3 cushion

The run support was more than enough for Caruso, who retired the next 11 batters she faced and allowed only one hit from the third through sixth innings. Elon would add one more run in the bottom of the sixth with Nester scoring after a Hill single up the middle to make the score 6-3.

ECU would not go away quietly in the top of the seventh. Alcorn led-off with a double to move into scoring position with Lewis at the plate and the tying run on deck. Lewis’ at-bat resulted in a groundout to second to advance Alcorn to third. Caruso then forced Kelsi Briggs to pop up before striking out Jasmine Robbins to end the game.

Caruso fanned five batters in her third complete game of the season. Smith (1-2) took the loss for ECU, its fifth straight.

Elon has a quick turnaround as the Phoenix face Virginia Tech tomorrow, Feb. 28, at 5 p.m. The Phoenix will hold a special dedication ceremony for the opening of Hunt Softball Park prior to the game at 4 p.m.

No.2 Alabama 11, Samford 0

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ---- Samford ran into a very Alabama team Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa, as the second-ranked Crimson Tide shut out the Bulldogs, 11-0, in five innings.

Samford (6-7) wouldn’t earn a hit until the final half-inning, while the defense didn’t help their cause by committing four fielding errors that led to five unearned runs.  Mollie Hanson (4-6) got the start in the circle and took the loss, throwing 2.1 innings and allowing seven runs, three earned, off six hits.

Alabama’s (17-0) potent offense was on display Wednesday as they tallied 10 hits, including three doubles and a home run.  Starting pitcher Leslie Jury (6-0) went the distance, giving up a no-hitter in the top of the fifth inning but ultimately earning the shutout victory to stay undefeated.

In the bottom of the first, Alabama leadoff hitter Kayla Braud reached on a high chopper to third base and advanced to second off a groundout to the pitcher.  Kaila Hunt roped a double down the left-field line that just stayed fair, scoring Braud for the first run of the game.  Jackie Traina followed that with an RBI single to shallow center, scoring Hunt.  After a walk, a groundout and a strikeout would end the inning with Alabama leading Samford, 2-0.

With two on base in the bottom of the second, an infield single by Haylie McCleney and a fielding error on the play brought both runners home and moved McCleney to third.  Hunt followed with an RBI single through the left side to score the Tide’s fifth run of the game.  Traina then blasted a hard-hit ball back at Hanson in the circle, who caught it and quickly threw it to first to catch Hunt off the bag for the double play to end the inning with Alabama now in front, 5-0.

With one away in the bottom of the third, Alabama had the bases loaded as a walk brought home their sixth run of the game, ending the outing for Hanson in the circle.  Misha Aldridge entered in relief, looking to limit the damage with the bases loaded and one out.  Another bases-loaded walk brought home a run, but Aldridge ended the inning with a fielder’s choice putout at home and a strikeout as the Tide now led 7-0.

Traina led off the bottom of the fourth with a double, and an error in the outfield on a fly ball brought her home to make the score 8-0 with a runner at second base.  Danielle Richard stretched the lead to double digits with a long home run to left field as the Tide now held a 10-0 lead.  After a strikeout, a double to the right-field gap brought home the runner from second to make it 11-0.  Back-to-back groundouts ended the inning as Samford headed into the top of the fifth needing to score four runs to avoid the early run-rule loss.

With one out in the top of the fifth, Caitlin Bice broke up Jury’s no hitter, beating out an infield single to the shortstop.  Back-to-back groundouts ended the half-inning however as Alabama held on for the 11-0 run-rule shutout.

This weekend, Samford and UAB will be co-hosting the Magic City Classic at UAB Softball Park.  Five teams will play 11 games over three days beginning on Friday, March 1.  Samford’s schedule includes three games: Nicholls State on Friday, March 1 at 5 p.m., UAB on Saturday, March 2 at 5 p.m. and South Alabama on Sunday, March 3 at 5 p.m.

USC Upstate 8, Furman 6

USC Upstate 5, Furman 0

Spartanburg, S.C. – Shellie Robinson belted a three-run homer in game one and freshman Jamie Ujvari tossed a two-hit shutout in the nightcap as USC Upstate swept a non-conference doubleheader from Furman 8-6, 5-0 on Wednesday afternoon at Cyrill Stadium.

GAME 1

In game one, Robinson went 2-for-4 with three RBI and scored three runs to help guide USC Upstate to an 8-6 victory.

After Meredith Barnes and Erika Harris opened the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles, Robinson belted a Lauren Collier pitch over the left field wall for a three-run homer to put the Spartans ahead 3-0.

Furman (6-4) answered with a pair of runs in the second.  Hannah Pace and Taylor Jenkins reached on errors before junior Stephanie Spain laced a two-out double into the left-center field gap to trim the margin to 3-2. 

Jessica Ujvari and Lindsay Kelly drove in runs in the bottom of the fifth to up the Spartan lead to 5-2 before Maddison Kieffer delivered a two-run triple as part of a three-run sixth inning to increase USC Upstate's lead to 8-2.

The Paladins mounted a late charge in the top of the seventh against Spartan righthander Hannah Alexander.  Natalie Clemmons line a leadoff single to center field, Spain reached on a one-out single and Stephanie Field drew a base on balls to load the bases.  Nikki Legg followed with a two-run single to right field to cut the lead to 8-4 and Collier laced a base hit to left-center to load the bases again with just one out.  Sieara Bishop, batting as the potential tying run, singled to right field to score another run, but USC Upstate escaped the rally when Bishop was tagged out to complete a 4-3-6 double play on a Taylor Collins groundout that scored Legg.

Alexander earned the victory for Upstate after allowing four earned runs on nine hits in seven innings.  She walked two Paladins and struck out four to improve to 6-1 on the season.

Kieffer went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI while Ujvari, Barnes and Harris added two hits apiece.

Collier (3-2) suffered the loss for Furman after giving up seven runs, five earned, on 11 hits in five and 1/3 innings in the circle.  She fanned four batters without issuing a walk.

Spain went 2-for-3 with a double to lead the Paladins nine-hit attack.

GAME 2

In game two, Jamie Uvjari carried a no-hitter into the seventh before settling for a two-hit shutout in the Spartans' 5-0 victory over the Paladins.

Ujvari fanned six hitters and issued just one walk while facing the minimum through the first six innings to improve to 3-0 in the circle.  Pinch hitter Alexis Galinski broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single to right in the top of the seventh and Stephanie Field reached on a one-out single before Ujvari retired the next two hitters to preserve the shutout.

The Spartans plated an unearned run in the firth inning on a double steal and extended their lead to 3-0 on Kendall Settlemyre's two-run homer to center field in the fourth inning.  Harris's RBI double highlighted a two-run sixth inning as USC Upstate pushed the lead to 5-0.

Freshman Meaghan Houston, who allowed just three earned runs on six hits in five innings of work, suffered the loss for Furman to fall to 3-1.  She fanned seven batters and allowed only two walks.

Settlemyre, Harris and Hayley Reinfield each collected two hits apiece for Upstate as the Spartans improved to 12-1 on the season.

The Paladins open play at Winthrop's Combat Invitational on Friday in Rock Hill, S.C.  Furman faces Rhode Island at Terry Field with the first pitch set for 11 a.m. before battling Monmouth at 3 p.m. at Field C.