Appalachian State 3, Furman 2
Appalachian State 5, Furman 4
BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State University softball improved on its perfect home record with a sweep over Furman on Saturday afternoon at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.
The Mountaineers defeated the Paladins 3-2 in game one before a taking a thrilling 5-4 victory on a Dani Heichen triple in the bottom of the seventh in game two.
With the sweep App State improves to 23-16 overall on the season and 15-5 in the Southern Conference, while Furman falls to 22-23 overall and 7-9 in conference play.
Game One: App State 3, Furman 2
Senior Allie Cashion lit up the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning for the Black and Gold when she drove her eighth home run of the season over the right center fence, giving the Mountaineers an early 1-0 lead over the Paladins. The home run marks Cashion’s 39th career home run, which brings her within five of the career record (44).
A leadoff walk from Caroline Rogers in the bottom of the third inning would get something started for the Mountaineers as she advanced to second on a Pepper Butler single and came around to score when pinch hitter Alex Sohl doubled off the left field wall.
App State extended its lead to 3-0 when Lindsay Loudermilk dug in with one out and laced a hard hit groundout to first base that plated Heichen.
The Paladins looked the threaten in the top of the fourth inning a single and a walk put two runners on before right fielder Ashley Seering retired the final out on a high hit ball to shallow right field.
Furman continued to battle as back-to-back home runs from pitcher Lauren Collier and Ambree Muller brought the Paladins within one of the Black and Gold.
Furman was unable to push any more runs across the plate as relief pitcher Shivaun Landeros came in for the final two innings, allowing only one hit and earning her first career save.
The Apps tallied five hits, while Cashion, Sohl and Loudermilk each drove in one run. Furman out-hit Appalachian 6-5 as Natalie Clemmons and Ambree Muller both notched two hits.
Sophomore Alissa Schoelkopf (14-9) earned the win in the circle as she went five innings with one strikeout.
Game Two: App State 5, Furman 4
Furman struck first in game two as Nikki Legg led off the contest with a single deep in the hole at shortstop. Stephanie Field recorded her 200th career hit when she single through the infield and scored Legg, allowing the Paladins to take an early 1-0 lead.
Appalachian started a two out rally in the bottom of the third inning when Sarah Warnock drew a walk. The Mountaineers put runners on first and second for Loudermilk when Heichen singled to the pitcher.
Loudermilk picked up her first hit of the day when she singled up the middle to score Warnock and knot the score at 1-1.
Cashion lined her 15th double of the season down the left field line into the corner to score Heichen allow the Apps to take the 2-1 lead with two outs.
Senior Meghan Smith extended the Black and Gold lead to 4-1 when she hit a shallow single to the right field gap, plating both Loudermilk and Cashion.
Furman would come from behind once against in the top of the sixth inning when three singles and a groundout to first base scored one, bringing the Paladins within two of Appalachian.
In an exciting seventh inning, Furman put runners in scoring position on back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt from Clemmons. With no outs Schoelkopf would come in to pitch for the Mountaineers before a double to left center field scored two and knotted the score at 4-4.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning Heichen hit a triple into the left field gap and was able to score on an error by the center fielder as the Apps took the 5-4 victory from Furman to remain perfect in the friendly confines of Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.
Smith notched one hit and two RBI for Appalachian, while Heichen added two hits and scored twice. Furman tallied 11 hits on the contest, while the Mountaineers had only eight hits through seven innings of play.
Landeros pitched six complete innings with three strikeouts; before Schoelkopf came in and picked up her second win of the afternoon, moving her to 15-9 overall on the season.
Georgia Southern 4, Western Carolina 0
Western Carolina 7, Georgia Southern 2
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina softball (17-31, 7-13 Southern Conference) earned a doubleheader split with Georgia Southern (24-24, 10-6 SoCon), dropping the first game,4-0, before bouncing back to win the second game 7-2 on senior day Saturday at the Catamount Softball Complex.
Between games one and two the five Catamount seniors: Morgan Blanton, Amber Steinhardt, Haley Pace, Shemekia Scotton and Jordan Fulton were honored.
Georgia Southern 4, Western Carolina 0
Georgia Southern pitcher Sarah Purvis tossed a four-hit shutout to help the Eagles pick up the win in game one of the doubleheader. It was Purvis’ second straight shutout performance as she fanned nine Catamount batters and improved to 11-11 on the season.
The Eagles earned three of their four runs, in the game, off homeruns. Western Carolina starting pitcher Jordan Garrett tossed two scoreless innings before Alexia Lewis hit a lead-off homerun, for Georgia Southern, in the top of the third inning.
Lexi Allen’s homerun, over the left field center wall in the fifth inning, earned her two RBI as Lewis got a one-out single prior to her at bat. Georgia Southern would tack on an additional run in the sixth inning.
Western Carolina had a runner on third in two of the seven innings. In the first inning, Amelia Griffin led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Fulton. After Scotton was hit by a pitch she and Griffin moved to second on and third on a wild pitch by Purvis following Taylor Sigmon’s fly out to second base. With a runners on second and third the Catamount scoring chance was squelched when Pace struck out.
The Catamounts next scoring chance came in the fifth when Steinhardt singled past the shortstop. Back-to-back strikeouts from Megan Crowe and Karley Harkey had the Catamoutnts down to its final out of the inning. Griffin picked up her second hit of the game when she hit a blooper to right field and Steinhardt motored to third. The scoring chance ended when Fulton ground out to third.
Purvis sat down the Catamounts in order in the next two innings to end the game.
Garrett falls to 10-11 on the season tossing a complete game allowing four runs on six hits and striking out six. Griffin had two of Western Carolina’s four hits in the game.
Western Carolina 7, Georgia Southern 2
In a complete opposite of game one, Western Carolina jumped on Georgia Southern in game two scoring early with a run in the first inning. With two outs, Scotton got things started when she singled up the middle. Sigmon followed with a single past the shortstop and Western Carolina found itself with bases loaded when Steinhardt drew a walk. Scotton scored on a passed ball by Georgia Southern catcher AJ Hamilton.
Western Carolina all but put the game out of reach, for Georgia Southern, when the Catamounts exploded for five runs in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Makenzi McAteer reached first on a Georgia Southern error. Eagles starting pitcher Allie Miles then yielded a walk to Harkey to put runners on first and second. Griffin followed with a beauty of a bunt single down the left side and the Catamounts were in business with bases loaded and one out. Fulton singled to the right side to pick up her eighth RBI of the season and score McAteer. Scotton got her second hit of the game, and it was a big one, as she singled to the right side scoring Harkey and Griffin and notching two RBI.
With runners on at the corners, Eagle pitcher Miles was pulled. She was replaced by Brooke Red who got Sigmon to ground out to second base but Fulton scored on the play for the Catamounts’ fourth run of the inning. Steinhardt singled past first base and Scotton scored Western Carolina’s fifth run of the inning. After Heather Chastain singled to the left side, Western Carolina was posed to score again, with runners at first and second, but Pace lined out to second base to end the inning.
In the third inning, Western Carolina pitcher Mallory Broome got a huge defensive boost after a Catamount error, to open the inning, put an Eagle runner on first. Georgia Southern’s Lewis hit a grounder to Catamount freshman shortstop Harkey who scooped the ball up, stepped on the bag at second and threw out Lewis at first to turn the double play. Broome struck out Allen to end the inning.
Georgia Southern did have something to say in the run department in the fourth inning. Kourtny Thomas hit a lead-off homerun to left field to put the Eagles on the board. Broome looked to be getting in a bit of a jam when Shelby Morrill followed with a triple to right field. The Catamounts second consecutive double play erased Morrill, in a play at the plate, when Tabby Douberlay flew out to center field and Fulton threw a strike from the outfield to catcher Chastain, at home, tagging Morrill out.
Western Carolina added one more run in the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Harkey led off with a single and stole second, the second stolen base of her career, and moved to third on a passed ball. Griffin reached on an error, stole second, and Western Carolina had runners at second and third with no outs. Harkey attempted to score when Fulton hit a grounder but was called out at home and Griffin moved to third. Griffin would score on a wild pitch by Red.
Georgia Southern earned its second run of the game in the top of the seventh. A lead-off single by Kaitlyn Johnson and a walk by Hamilton had runners at first and second for the Eagles. After pinch hitter Savanha Coon ground out, advancing the runners to second and third, pinch runner Dominque Grossman scored on a ground out RBI by Lewis.
Broome put an exclamation point on her stellar pitching performance by striking out Allen to end the game. She improved to 5-8 on the season allowing two runs on six hits and struck out six. Miles took the loss for Georgia Southern falling to 6-6 on the season.
Griffin and Scotton each had a pair of hits in the game Scotton also had two RBI and scored two runs.
Samford 10, Elon 0
Elon 2, Samford 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- Sophomore Shelby Scott was in total control Saturday afternoon at Samford Softball Field, throwing a five-inning no hitter behind an offensive explosion that gave the Bulldogs a 10-0 run rule victory in game one. The Phoenix bounced back in game two however, winning 2-0 to set up a rubber match tomorrow.
This is the second no-hitter for Samford (12-31, 4-13 SoCon) so far this season, with Mollie Hanson throwing the other in a game-three win at UNCG on March 10. Behind Scott’s masterful performance in the circle, the Bulldog offense exploded to the tune of 10 runs, including three home runs. The three homers are the most Samford has hit in any game so far this season and it is the highest-scoring win since a 12-4 drubbing of George Washington on February 16. It is also the highest margin of victory for Samford since a 13-1 win over Columbia on March 3 last season.
Elon (15-27, 5-12 SoCon) turned the tables on the Bulldogs in game two, shutting the home team out 2-0 thanks to a two-run homer by Carleigh Nester and a complete-game win by Chelsea White in the circle. Tomeka Watson, one of the SoCon’s leading hitters, was limited to only one hit in six at-bats Saturday.
GAME ONE: SAMFORD 10, ELON 0 (5 INNINGS)
Scott (3-12) earned her third win of the season and snapped a five-game individual losing streak in convincing fashion, walking five while allowing no hits in a run-rule shutout as the Bulldogs hammered the Phoenix, 10-0. Elon threw four pitchers with starter Kayla Caruso (6-11) ultimately being charged with the loss, allowing three earned runs in the opening 2.0 frames. Alex Adams and Rachel Bickert both went 2-3 at the plate, with Bickert hitting the third and final home run of the day for the Bulldogs while driving in four of their 10 runs.
The two teams would be hitless until the bottom of the second, as Scott helped her own cause with a leadoff single up the middle. Caroline Wilder, pinch-running for Scott, advanced to second on a groundout and was driven home by Bickert’s RBI single up the middle as Samford took the first lead of the game, 1-0.
In the bottom of the third, Megan Dowdy roped a ball just over the leaping right-fielder’s glove, allowing the speedy freshman to leg out a leadoff triple. Kayla Shaffer took the ball one step further in the next at-bat, blasting a home run to straightaway center, her first of the season, to stretch the Samford lead to 3-0. That ended the day for Caruso in the circle as Karen Berna came in and immediately loaded the bases off a single and two walks. Caitlin Bice grounded out to the right side, driving in one as Samford now led 4-0.
Samford ultimately put the game out of reach thanks to a six-run fourth inning. Shaffer walked with one out and Callie Brister took the ball over the fence in center field as the ‘Dogs now led 6-0 thanks to her team-leading fifth long ball of the year. Elon’s third pitcher of the day, Eve Clausen, entered following the home run and later gave up an RBI double to Bice, driving in Alex Adams to make it a 7-0 game. After walking Abby Adams, Bickert came through with the second homer of the half-inning, clubbing it over the fence to score three and swell the lead to 10-0. The Phoenix would get a walk in the top of the fifth but Scott retired the rest, preserving the no-hitter and the run rule victory.
GAME TWO: ELON 2, SAMFORD 0
A two-run homer by Nester in the top of the third would be the only scoring play of the game as Elon edged out Samford, 2-0, in game two of the doubleheader. Elon starter White (3-11) allowed six hits but worked with the defense to strand eight Bulldog runners on base. Riding the momentum of game one, Scott (3-13) started game two as well but ultimately exited after 2.1 innings to earn the loss. Misha Aldridge pitched 4.2 shutout innings behind her but the offense could not capitalize on their comeback opportunities.
After the Bulldogs stranded a pair in scoring position in the bottom of the first, Scott’s hitless streak in the circle finally ended as Sarah Little broke it with a leadoff single in the top of the second. The hit didn’t come back to bite the Bulldogs though, as a popup and two strikeouts would keep it scoreless through 1 1/2.
Watson led off the top of the third with a hard single to right field and was then sacrificed into scoring position. Nester wasn’t playing small ball in her at-bat however, popping a home run in left center to put Elon ahead 2-0.
Samford would be limited to only three hits the rest of the game while stranding three runners in scoring position as the Bulldogs failed to drive them home. Elon ultimately held on for the 2-0 shutout despite committing two errors in the final four innings.
UNCG 8, Chattanooga 7
Chattanooga 6, UNCG 5
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Chattanooga Lady Mocs (25-21, 9-8 SoCon) split its Saturday double-header with UNC Greensboro with an 8-7 loss in game one and a 6-5 win in game two. Senior Kasey Tydingco (Fairfield, Calif.) combined for four hits and cranked her team-leading fifth home run of the season while freshman Sam Taylor (Chickamauga, Ga.) extended her hitting streak to 12 games with a 2-for-4 and 1-for-4 performance against the Spartans.
Chattanooga jumped out to an early lead in game one, going up 6-0 in the first inning, but would fall late to a Spartans rally. The Lady Mocs found themselves on top again in game two, but despite a late-inning comeback from UNCG, Chattanooga and freshman pitcher Kaisey Carson (Indianapolis, Ind.) hung on for the win.
Chattanooga 7 – UNCG 8
The Lady Mocs came out swinging in the first inning of game one, totaling six runs to begin the game. Taylor led off the game with a single and senior Sara Poteat (Thomaston, Ga.) legged out an infield single to get the ball rolling. Chattanooga tied together five-straight hits in the first inning, including hits from Anyssa Robles (Lawrenceville, Ga.), Tydingco and Sarah Beth Roberts (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.).
Chattanooga batted around with Ninjja Suetsugu (Sao Paulo, Brazil) being hit by a pitch, Stephanie Rieck (Chandler, Ariz.) reaching on an error and Kaiti Dutton (Tulsa, Okla.) walking with the bases loaded. Freshman Alyssa Taylor (Orange, Calif.) topped off the scoring inning with a two-RBI single to put UTC up 6-0.
Each team went quietly through the next four innings before UNCG found its way onto the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning. A one-out single from Kately Bedwell boarded one and a Heather Robb double advanced the runner to third. A walk issued to Eileen Horseman loaded the base and an error on the next batted ball, off the bat of pinch hitter Toni MacReynolds, allowed one runner to score. A fielder’s choice would allow a second run to score, cutting the score to 6-2.
Chattanooga added another run in the sixth as Poteat tripled and Robles hit a sacrifice fly to left to drive in the speedy senior, but the Spartans plowed over the Lady Mocs in the top of the sixth on five hits and two errors. Two singles and two walks to the first four batters of the inning led to a run scored. A single from Robb drove in a second and a throwing error allowed a third run. The fourth run of the inning scored on a single from Dominique Madruga and a two-run single to center off the bat of Allison Geiner both tied and gave the Spartans the lead.
UNCG shut the Lady Mocs down in the final half inning to take the game 8-7. Despite the loss, Chattanooga managed 11 hits with Poteat, Robles, Tydingco and Roberts each finding a couple of base-knocks.
Chattanooga 6 – UNCG 5
Despite looking like a repeat of game one in the final score, Chattanooga was the team to walk away with a one-run win over UNCG. This time, six runs were enough to put away the Spartans.
The Spartans struck first in the top of the first inning for two runs on Carson. On two hits and a throwing error, UNCG led early but the Lady Mocs bounced back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Taylor walked to lead off and a groundout advanced the speedy freshman to second. After hustling into scoring position, Taylor would get to jog home as Tydingco lifted a pitch over the outside part of the plate to opposite field to tie the game 2-2.
UTC took a stingy lead in the second inning and didn’t give it back as the Taylor Gang dealt back-to-back blows to the Spartan defense. Alyssa Taylor reached on an error with two outs and Sam Taylor followed up with a double to drive in the go-ahead run, 3-2.
Tydingco singled to lead off the third inning and Roberts walked to board two runners. A Suetsugu single scored Tydingco and freshman Jenny Garcia (Miami, Fla.) reached on an error that resulted in Suetsugu and Roberts crossing the plate.
Greensboro then proceeded to play catch-up in the fourth and fifth innings. Two hits scored a run in the fourth inning off Carson and a two-run fifth courtesy of a Bedwell two-run shot brought the Spartans within one run.
Sophomore Taylor Deason (Clarksville, Tenn.) came on in relief of Carson in the fifth inning and mowed the remaining Spartans down. The sophomore struck out one batter and gave up just one hit over 2.2 innings of work to record her second save of the season.
Carson came away with the win, giving up seven hits through 4.1 innings of work, to earn her third win of the season. The freshman allowed just two earned runs and struck out two Spartan batters.
Sam Taylor and Tydingco each recorded two hits while Taylor, Tydingco and Suetsugu accounted for the Chattanooga RBIs.