College of Charleston 2, Charleston Southern 1
Charleston Southern 6, College of Charleston 4
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The College of Charleston softball team split a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader with Charleston Southern at CSU Softball Field. The Cougars came from behind to take game one, 2-1, but fell in too deep of a hole to come back in a 6-4 game two loss.
Sophomore Hope Klicker (Walla Walla, Wash.) was dominant once again in the circle as she threw her ninth complete game of the season in game one. She fanned a season-high 12 hitters while allowing just two hits and two walks.
Also in game one, Carly Corthell (Reno, Nev.) and Allison Pedigo (Scottsville, Ky.) each had an RBI as he Cougars got away with stranding 13 base runners. Corthell and Lizzy Vaughn (Placerville, Calif.) both had two hits from the top of the Cougar lineup.
The Cougars outhit the Bucs, 10-6, in game two, but a four-run CSU first inning paced the game and was ultimately too much for the Cougars to overcome.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON: 2, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN: 1
CofC had little trouble producing base runners, but instead lacked timely hitting which could have solidified the win much earlier. The Cougars left the bases loaded three different times, leading to nine runners being stranded in scoring position and 13 in total.
After the Cougars loaded the bases in the first, CSU left fielder Stephanie Sbardella sent a solo shot out to left on a one-out, 1-0 pitch to give the Bucs the early lead.
CofC had an answer in the top of the second, once again loading the bases with a Rebecca Mueller single (Fair Oaks, Calif.) and walks by Lexi Murdock (Clifton, Va.) and Ashton Jarrett (Hanahan, S.C.). Corthell then lined a single into right field to plate the game-tying run, but the CofC rally ended there.
Both pitchers quietly worked through their opponents’ batting order until the Cougars capitalized on Bucs pitcher Jennifer Giles losing her pitch control a bit in the seventh.
Hodgson and Mackenzie Maples (Corona, Calif) both drew walks, and CSU botched Chandler Frisbie’s (Lawrenceville, Ga.) sacrifice bunt effort which loaded the bases. Pedigo then displayed her calm patience at the plate in a seven-pitch at-bat which ultimately resulted in an RBI walk and the game’s winning run.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON: 4, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN: 6
The first five Lady Bucs hitters combined to hit for the cycle, and the result was a four-run first-inning CSU lead in game two.
The Cougars started to work their way back into the game right away with a productive rally in the top of the second. Maples started it off with a hard-hit single into right field, and Pedigo drove a single to center to put runners on the corners. Mueller and Kristy Giragosian (Charlotte, N.C.) both followed suit with RBI singles to right field to cut the lead to 4-2.
The Lady Bucs undid the Cougars’ rally with one of their own in the bottom of the third, and Rother singled to right field for two RBIs after a walk and Cougar error granted them two free base runners.
Down 6-2 in the fourth, the Cougars continued to show resiliency and cut further into the lead. Pedigo once again prolonged the life of her at bat by fouling back and spoiling multiple pitches before drawing a one-out walk. Mueller then singled back up the middle and CSU infielders committed back-to-back fielding errors on the ensuing plays which allowed Pedigo to score and cut the lead to 6-3.
Hodgson homered to cut the deficit to 6-4 in the fifth, but the Cougars would never get closer despite putting five runners aboard between the sixth and seventh innings.
Jacksonville 7, Elon 2
Jacksonville 11, Elon 1
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Elon softball team fell in a couple of contests today, March 26, to Jacksonville in a doubleheader at the JU Softball Complex today. The Phoenix lost game one, 7-2, then fell in the final game of the day, 11-1, to fall to 11-17 on the season.
Game One
Jacksonville quickly got on the board in the bottom half of the first on a Victoria Brown solo shot into center field for the first run of the game. Codi Kelly earned a free pass on the next at bat then stole second to move into scoring position. Ashley Simon drove her home on a single up the middle to push the lead to 2-0 after one.
Both teams went scoreless in the second inning before Elon registered its first hit on the day off a Caitlin O’Shea single in the top of the third. Carleigh Nester’s sacrifice bunt advanced O’Shea to second with Camille Hill up to bat. Hill hit a two-out single up the middle then advanced to second after a errant throw to first that scored O’Shea to bring the Phoenix within one, 2-1.
Elon starter Chelsea White and the Phoenix defense got into some trouble in the bottom half of the third. Brown hit a one-out single up the middle then advanced into scoring position after stealing second. Kelly would fly out on the next at bat, but Brown moved over the third on a wild pitch. Sarah Simon was walked to give the Dolphins runners at the corners, but White induced the final out to escape the inning.
In the top of the fourth, Emily Cameron led off with a free pass and nearly scored on a Grace Eng double into right center. The second baseman was able to take the relay front the right fielder and throw out Cameron at home. The Dolphins went with a pitching change as Taylor Rossman relieved starter Cecile Gomez in the circle, but she walked the next two batters for the Phoenix to load the bases. O’Shea was able to take advantage and drove in Eng on a two-out single to left center to tie the game at 2-2.
The Dolphins were quick to put runners on the corners in the bottom half of the fourth. Karson Tuck singled through the right side to reach base then advanced to second on an Emily Sanchez sacrifice bunt. Meagan Balding’s one-out single through the left side moved Tuck to third, but White was able to strike out Sable Lee and get Jacey Warner to ground out to the second baseman to keep the score tied at 2-2.
In the bottom of the fifth, JU plated three runs to move back in front. Codi Kelly reached on a one-out double to right center then scored after Sarah Simon laced a single up the middle. Pinch runner Jackie Dipiazza scored from second after Tuck reached on an error to push the Dolphins’ lead to two. Elon made a change in the circle as Karen Berna came on in relief for White, but JU added another run to move ahead 5-2.
JU added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth for a five-run lead over the Phoenix, 7-2.
Elon would get runners at the corners in the top of the seventh with one out, but the Phoenix would leave them stranded as the game ended at 7-2.
Brown (8-4) earned the win after pitching 3.0 innings in relief for JU, allowing only one hit. White (2-7) took the loss for Elon after going 4.2 innings with five runs allowed, four earned, on eight hits.
O’Shea led Elon with two hits, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a RBI. Eng, Hill and Nester and had a hit for the Phoenix.
Game Two
Elon was the first to mark a run on the scoreboard in the top of the first. Watson drew a two-out walk from Dale Tillman and advanced to second after stealing her 13th base of the year. Nester was able to hit a bloop single into left center to score Watson and give Elon an early 1-0 lead after the top half.
Jacksonville answered in the bottom half with back-to-back one-out home runs to jump ahead 4-1. Berna relieved starter Eve Clausen and was able to force the final two outs of the inning.
JU added another two runs in the bottom of the second. Brown hit a one-out single through the right side to advance Warner to second, who reached earlier on a fielder’s choice. Kelly doubled to right field to score Warner and move Brown to third. After Sarah Simon reached on a fielder’s choice, Ashley Simon singled up the middle to drive in Kelly and make the score 6-1.
The Dolphins continued to pad to its lead in the bottom of the third. Balding hit a one-out home run to left center to make the score 7-1. Lee then singled through the left side to reach and advanced to second after a wild pitch. Warner followed with a single to right center then advanced to second after a throwing error that scored Lee. After Brown reached on a single, Kelly singled to center to score Warner, giving JU an eight-run advantage. White took over in the circle for Berna and the Phoenix was able to get out of the inning.
Another two runs would cross the plate for Jacksonville in the bottom of the fourth, extending the lead to 11-1. The game would end in that score after the Phoenix went down in order in the top of the fifth.
Tillman (6-2) earned the win after going all five innings and allowing only one run off two hits. Clausen (1-2) took the loss for Elon.
The Phoenix will return to the confines of Hunt Softball Park for a three-game series with local rival and Southern Conference foe UNCG beginning with a single-game matchup on Friday, March 29. That game is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Jacksonville State 7, Samford 6
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- Samford softball dropped a tough loss Tuesday to Jacksonville State as the Gamecocks overcame a four-run lead and held off a Bulldog rally in the seventh with Samford ultimately falling, 7-6.
Samford (10-18) built an early 4-0 lead thanks to a four-run second inning spurred by a leadoff home run by Rachel Bickert, her first career long ball at Samford. Bickert had a great day at the plate, going 3-4 with Alex Adams and Shelby Scott each driving in a pair of runs as well. Misha Aldridge (2-2) threw 6.0 shutout innings before allowing five earned runs in the top of the seventh, taking the tough loss in the circle.
Jacksonville State (18-14) was relatively quiet offensively until the big seventh inning, including a grand slam by Krystal Ruth. Kalee Tabor went 2-3 as their only player to earn more than one hit while reliever Savanna Hennings (2-0) held on in the seventh inning to narrowly earn her second win of the season.
Bickert got the Bulldogs on the board first in the bottom of the second with a leadoff homer to straightaway center. With one out in the inning, back-to-back singles by Arica Dykes and Kayla Shaffer set up a two-out single by Megan Dowdy that scored one and put runners at the corners. Alex Adams brought the pair home with a double to the left-field wall, stretching the Samford lead to 4-0. A strikeout would end the inning with the Bulldogs holding a four-run lead.
The Gamecock offense would only muster three hits through the first six innings, as the score remained the same heading into the top of the seventh. Back-to-back singles leading off the half-inning spelled early trouble for Samford, and a failed force out attempt at third off a ground ball loaded the bases as the potential tying run was now at the plate with nobody out. A walk would bring one run home, cutting the lead to 4-1, and a two-run single to center field would further narrow the gap with Samford only leading 4-3 with two in scoring position and still nobody out.
That single would end the day for Aldridge in the circle as Scott entered to pitch in a big spot. A walk would load the bases again and set up the big at-bat for Ruth as she blasted a grand slam to center field, giving Jacksonville State their first lead of the game, 7-4. Scott would bounce back, allowing a walk before getting out three batters in a row but the damage was done as Samford now had to overcome a three-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh.
With one out in the bottom half of the inning, Dowdy and Alex Adams drew back-to-back walks and a groundout moved them both into scoring position with two away. Scott shot a hard single into the right-field gap, driving both runners home to draw the Bulldogs within one run. Bickert roped a single through the left side as the potential tying run moved into scoring position. Caroline Seay looked as if she grounded out but was given second life as the Jacksonville first baseman dropped the ball with Seay reaching on an error. Scott rounded third after seeing the error as the Gamecock first baseman recovered the dropped ball and threw Scott out at home trying to score, ending the game with Samford taking the tough 7-6 loss.
Next up, Samford travels to Baton Rouge, La., for a Saturday doubleheader with #12 LSU (27-6, 7-2 SEC). First pitch of game one on Saturday, March 30 is set for 1 p.m. CT.