Georgia Southern 3, Appalachian State 0
STATESBORO, Ga. – Appalachian State University softball fell to Georgia Southern in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon at Eagle Field. The Eagles took game three, 3-0, as they would earn the series win over App State.
With the loss the Mountaineers cap off the regular season record at 30-20 overall and 17-7 in the Southern Conference, while Georgia Southern finished its regular season with a 28-27 overall record and a 14-9 record in conference play.
A leadoff walk to Alexa Lewis would lead to the Eagles first run of the contest as she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and came around to score on a Kourtny Thomas double off the center field wall. A fly out and a pop out would retire the final two outs of the inning after an App State pitching change, allowing Georgia Southern to score only one run.
A two-run home run over the right field fence in the bottom of the third inning from senior Tabby Douberley extended the Eagle lead to 3-0 and conclude the rest of the scoring in the game.
The Mountaineers saw their first base runner in the top of the fifth inning when Meghan Smith drew a walk with one out before the final two batters were struck out by GSU ace pitcher Sarah Purvis.
The Apps only hit came with two outs in the top of the seventh inning when Lindsay Loudermilk drove a single up the middle for the Black and Gold, but the Mountaineers were unable to rally, falling 3-0 to the Eagles.
Starting pitcher Katherine Johnson (0-3) suffered the loss, pitching 0.1 innings, while Shivaun Landeros went 3.2 innings of relief and Alissa Schoelkopf threw 2.0 innings with two strikeouts.
Furman 4, Samford 3
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- With their backs against the wall, Samford rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh but Furman answered right back to take a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth, which proved final.
Samford (14-33, 6-15 SoCon) finishes the regular season with a six-win conference record and earns a No. 9 seed in this week’s SoCon Tournament. For the third-straight game, Samford left six runners on base despite out-hitting the Paladins, 9-7. Four Bulldogs had two-hit performances, including a 2-4 day from Kayla Shaffer with the game-tying RBI double in the seventh. Misha Aldridge continued her hot weekend at the plate, going 2-3 today to bring her weekend total to five hits in eight at-bats. Shelby Scott (5-15) threw 124 pitches over 8.0 innings, taking another tough loss in the circle.
Yesterday’s game two hero for Furman (27-25, 10-11 SoCon) was the difference-maker Sunday as well, as Ambree Muller hit a clutch two-out double in the top of the eighth, scoring Stephanie Field from second as the go-ahead run. Field led off the inning with a single, her second hit of the day, as she was the only Paladin with a multi-hit performance. After throwing only 0.2 innings of relief in game one Saturday, Meaghan Houston (9-7) earned an efficient complete-game victory Sunday, throwing only 90 pitches over 8.0 innings.
For the third-straight game, Samford scored first to take a 2-0 lead in the third inning. With two runners in scoring position and one out, Callie Brister grounded out but still scored the runner from third to put the Bulldogs up 1-0 and advance Shaffer to third. Alex Adams powered a double to the left-field wall, easily scoring Shaffer to move the lead to 2-0. A groundout ended the inning with the Bulldogs holding a two-run lead.
The lead didn’t last long as Furman pulled ahead in the top of the fourth. With a pair of base runners on courtesy of two walks and two out in the half-inning, Natalie Clemmons drove them both home with a double into the left-field corner to tie the game. Hannah Pace put the Paladins ahead with an RBI single to right field in the next at-bat. A fly ball in foul territory would end the inning but the Bulldogs now trailed 3-2 through 3 1/2 innings.
Samford was down to its last out in the bottom of the seventh with Abby Adams as the potential tying run at first base. Shaffer came through with a clutch at-bat, hitting an opposite-field double to left field as Abby Adams slid into home with the ball popping out of the Furman catcher’s glove. Shaffer advanced to third on the throw, putting the go-ahead run 60 feet away, but a strikeout would end it and force extra innings.
With a runner at second and two out in the top of the eighth, Muller put the Paladins up 4-3 with an RBI double to center field. A fly ball would end the inning as the Bulldogs were in a must-score situation in the bottom of the eighth. Samford failed to rally however, going three up, three down to take the tough extra-innings loss.
College of Charleston 3, UNCG 1
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG softball team was hurt by a couple of late-inning home runs falling to College of Charleston, 3-1, on Senior Day Sunday afternoon at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
The Spartans fall to 35-18, 12-11 on the season while the Cougars improve to 34-18, 15-8 in the SoCon. With the loss, UNCG claims the No. 4 seed and will play fifth-seeded Furman in the SoCon Championships on Wednesday, May 8 at 7:30 at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
Hope Klicker (17-9) threw a complete game, allowing one earned run on six hits with three strikeouts. Sophomore Erica Navarette (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills) took the loss in relief after allowing two earned runs on three hits, including two solo home runs in the seventh inning. Redshirt junior Raeanne Hanks (Rainier, Ore./Rainier Senior) had a no-hitter through five innings but came away with a no decision after 5.2 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits.
Freshman Allison Geiner (Raleigh, N.C./Middle Creek) finished the game 2-for-3 with a RBI triple to pace UNCG.
UNCG took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning after a two out RBI triple from Geiner. With one out, freshman Danielle Vega (Rialto, Calif./Aquinas) singled up the middle. Senior Aubrey Baldwin (Tucson, Ariz./Catalina Foothills) grounded into a fielder's choice, while Geiner tripled home Baldwin to give the Spartans a 1-0 advantage.
In the top of the sixth inning, the College of Charleston tied the game at 1-1 after Ashton Jarrett earned an RBI groundout to second base. Kristy Giragosian singled to start the inning, breaking up the no-hitter from Hanks. Carly Corthell sacrificed the runner to second base with one out. After a wild pitch moved Giragosian to third, Jarrett tied the game with the groundout.
The Cougars took their first lead of the game when Rebecca Mueller hit a solo home run to right center in the seventh inning. Giragosian made it 3-1 after a solo home run as the College of Charleston hit back-to-back home runs.
Klicker completed the victory with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh.
BURLINGTON, N.C. – The Chattanooga Lady Mocs softball team (26-26, 10-11 SoCon) fell 4-3 Sunday evening at Hunt Softball Park to Elon (21-30, 8-16 SoCon) as the Phoenix completed the weekend sweep. The loss to Elon slides Chattanooga one spot in the standings and makes the Lady Mocs the No. 6 seed going into the Southern Conference Tournament in Greensboro, N.C. UTC will take on No. 3 Georgia Southern Wednesday at 2 p.m. to open up tournament play.
Sunday saw freshman pitcher Rachel Albritton (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) pitch 7.2 strong innings of softball, despite walking away with the loss. The freshman retired six batters on strikes and walked only one Elon batter. From the last out of the first inning to the first batter of the fifth, Albritton retired 10 Elon batters in a row and dealing three strikeouts over the streak. The loss brings Albritton’s record to 6-5 on the season.
Chattanooga jumped ahead in the first inning as freshman Sam Taylor (Chickamauga, Ga.) led off with a single up the middle to center. Junior Stephanie Rieck (Chandler, Ariz) sacrificed Taylor to second and Anyssa Robles (Lawrenceville, Ga.) followed up with a single to right to place runners on the corners. Sophomore third baseman Sarah Beth Roberts (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) delivered a single to center to score Taylor from third, putting the Lady Mocs on top 1-0.
After four scoreless innings, the Elon offense found its way to the scoreboard in the fifth as Albritton ran into her first bit of trouble. Back-to-back singles put two runners on and an RBI groundout to shortstop off the bat of Allie Ford drove in the first Phoenix run, tying the game at 1-1.
Chattanooga was held scoreless in the sixth – retired in order after redshirt freshman Jenny Garcia (Maimi, Fla.) was hit by a pitch – and Elon took advantage of the dry inning. With two outs on the board, Carleigh Nester walked and first baseman Grace Eng sent a line-drive home run to left to put Elon on top 3-1.
Down going into the final frame, Chattanooga answered with two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game 3-3. Sam Taylor led off the inning with a reached-on-error and Rieck followed up with a single to right. Robles dealt the run-scoring blow with a double to the right-center gap to score both Taylor and Rieck.
Elon kept UTC off the board in the eighth inning but with one out and runner at second and third in the bottom of the eighth inning, a sacrifice fly ball to right off the bat of Nester sank the Lady Mocs in extra innings.
Elon reliever Chelsea White was credited with her seventh win of the season while senior starter Kari Pervell came away with no decision after seven innings of work.