Samford 9, Belmont 3
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University softball team opened up play at home with an impressive 9-3 victory over Belmont University on Friday, Feb. 14, on the first day of the Samford Invitational Tournament.

Sophomore Callie Brister tied her career-high of 4 RBI going 2-for-4 at the plate with two home runs to highlight the offense in the victory. The career mark is one she set against Mercer University on Feb. 07, 2014.

The Bulldogs (5-1) didn't waste time and jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead over the Bruins (2-3). After a pair of singles by sophomore Megan Dowdy and junior Caroline Seay, sophomore Hannah Taylor sent a two RBI shot out in center field to score the pair.

Samford tacked on a run in the bottom of the second frame of play to extend its lead out to 3-0. This time junior Madison Dickey led off with a walk and made her way into scoring position to set up Seay for the infield RBI single.

Belmont bounced back in the top of the third and fourth innings to tie the game at 3-3; two runs in the third and a solo run in the fourth.

SU's white-hot offense kicked into overdrive in the bottom of the fourth inning to plate four runs and take a 7-3 lead. Taylor knocked in her second RBI of the game on a single up the middle that scored freshman Abbie Miranda from third base to get the inning started. With two on and no outs for the Bulldogs, Brister launched a rocket over the center field wall to plate three more runs for Samford in the frame.

Samford plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to close out the game 9-3. Dowdy hit an RBI single in the fifth to score Dickey, who picked up her first hit of the season; and in the sixth Brister recorded her second home run of the game on a solo shot down the left field line.

Seay ended the day 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI and two runs scored; Dowdy went 2-fo-4 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored and Taylor finished the day going 2-for-4 with a career-high three RBI and a run scored. Dickey went 1-for-2 with two runs scored in the contest.

The pitcher of record for SU was Grey Adams (2-0) who came in relief for Jessica Stone in the third inning. Taylor Moon (1-2) received the loss for the Bruins.

 

Boise State 2, Chattanooga 1
Chattanooga 8, Brigham Young 0
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Chattanooga Mocs softball team picked up its first win of the season with an 8-0 run-rule victory over BYU Friday afternoon in Las Vegas, Nev., at the UNLV Easton Desert Classic.  The offensive outburst was backed by lights-out pitching performances from freshman Liana Rodrigues and junior Taylor Deason.

Chattanooga exploded for eight runs over five innings to down the Cougars 8-0.  Sophomore Criket Blanco led off the scoring with an RBI-single to center to score Alyssa Taylor from second base to put the Mocs up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning.

Junior Sara Beth Roberts led off the third inning with a single and a sacrifice bunt from Jesslyn Stockard moved Roberts over.  A throwing error allowed Roberts to score and a sacrifice fly from senior Kaiti Dutton put the Mocs up 3-0.

The fifth inning proved to be the final inning as Chattanooga tacked on five runs to invoke the eight-run mercy rule.  Rieck was hit by a pitch and sophomore Jenny Garcia singled to lead off the inning.  Dutton singled to the right side to load the bases, and back-to-back walks scored two runs.  Sophomore Anyssa Robles double to drive in two more, and the final run came courtesy of a Blanco single through the right side to score Alyssa Taylor.

Rodrigues was credited with the win, tossing three innings and giving up just one hit. Deason closed out the game with two innings pitched and two strikeouts. Deason also allowed just one hit.

The Mocs fell 2-1 in the first game of the tournament Friday morning to Boise State.  Another outstanding pitching outing for Chattanooga, sophomore Katie Henderson  tossed 6.2 innings of one-hit softball in relief.  The UTC bats were just unable to battle back from an early two-run first inning from the Broncos.

Deason started the game and only lasted through 0.2 innings before giving up a two-run blast to Broncos’ first baseman Ashley Palmer.  Henderson came on in relief after the homerun to close out the inning.

Sophomore Alyssa Taylor provided one run for Chattanooga in the bottom of the fourth inning.  Leading off, the second baseman lifted a solo homerun to center to cut the Boise State lead to one run.  The one-run shot was the Mocs’ first homerun of the season, but it was not enough to help UTC to a win. 

Henderson pitched 6.1 innings, allowing a bunt-single while striking out 10 batters.  It was her longest outing of the season.  The sophomore yielded no runs, coaxing five flyouts and four groundouts.

Broncos’ starting pitcher Rebecca Patton earned her second win of the season with a seven-inning, two-hit bid.  The only Mocs to claim hits off the pitcher were Taylor and Sam Taylor.  Patton struck out just one batter and walked one.

 

Georgia Southern 4, Wisconsin 0
FIU 8, Georgia Southern 0
MIAMI – Georgia Southern Softball got mixed results on the opening day of the FIU Classic, posting a win over Wisconsin before falling to FIU in the second game of the day. The Eagles handed Wisconsin its first loss of the season behind a complete game performance in the circle from Sarah Purvis. In the second game, FIU pounded out nine hits and eight runs in the run-rule win.

The Eagles drew first blood in the opening frame on the defending Big Ten Champions by playing small-ball to get an early 1-0 lead. Taylor Rogers reached on a bunt single, she stole second and was sacrificed to third in short order. A walk to Shelby Morrill put runners on the corners and a bunt single from Kourtny Thomas put Georgia Southern ahead, 1-0, after an inning of play.

Georgia Southern, the visitors on the scoreboard, got three more runs in the fourth inning for the bottom half of the lineup. Kaitlyn Johnson, pinch runner Nicole Benton and Dominique Grossman each scored in the inning which saw three Wisconsin errors.

Those runs would be enough for starting pitcher Sarah Purvis who recorded her first shutout of the season. She scattered six hits and fanned eight Badger batters in the seven inning outing to improve to 2-1 on the season.

In Friday’s second game, it was the FIU bats that did the damage. The Panthers struck for three runs in the opening frame including a two-run, two-out home run from Aleima Lopez. The home side added a run in the third and four more in the fifth inning en route to the run-rule victory.

Rogers went 2-for-2 in game two to post a 4-for-6 day at the plate. Brooke Red was saddled with the loss in two and a third innings of work, allowing four runs off six hits. Marla Thompson also worked two and a third innings, allowing four runs off three hits.

 

Elon 5, Bethune-Cookman 0
Stetson 9, Elon 0
DeLAND, Fla. – The Elon University softball team split a pair of games on Friday, Feb. 14, at the first day of the Hatter Invitational. The Phoenix (4-1-1) defeated Bethune-Cookman 5-0 in its first game before falling 9-0 to host Stetson at Patricia Wilson field.

 Elon jumped out in front in the bottom of the first inning in its contest against the Wildcats. Carleigh Nester led off the inning with a single followed by Ali Ford drawing a walk. Emily Cameron reached on a base hit, loading the bases for the maroon and gold with no outs. Bethune-Cookman rebounded to retire the next two batters, but Johanna Spencer hit a two out, bases-clearing double to left to give Elon a 3-0 lead. Spencer advanced to third on the throw and would cross home plate after Aly Quintana hit a bloop single to left, giving the Phoenix a 4-0 advantage after the first.

Neither team mustered any offense during the next three innings as both teams combined for three hits. In the top of the fifth, the Wildcats had their first two batters reach base with no outs. Elon made a pitching change as Caitlin O’Shea relieved starter Alli Burdette in the circle, but the next batter for Bethune-Cookman reached on a single to load the bases.

O’Shea and the Phoenix defense settled down as the Kennesaw, Ga., native recorded a 1-2-3 double play on the next batter. Senior Lauren Oldham then made a great diving stop on a potential single into right field to help end the inning for Elon.

The Phoenix added to its score in the bottom of the sixth. Spencer reached on a two-out single then scored after Quintana’s drive to left center was dropped by the center fielder. The error put Elon up 5-0 going into the top of the seventh.

Bethune-Cookman rallied in the top of the inning as its first two batters reached again with no outs. Elon made another change in the circle as Chelsea White relieved O’Shea. White struck out the first batter she faced then was able to record the final two outs to end the game.

Burdette (2-0) earned the shutout win after going 4.0 innings, allowing four hits with a strikeout. O’Shea came on in relief and allowed one hit in her two innings of action while White fanned a batter in her one inning of work.

Spencer led the way at the plate by going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI. Quintana also had an RBI after going 1-for-3 at the plate.

Elon started strong at the plate in the top of the opening frame. Nester reached base on a single and advanced all the way to third with two outs. After Grace Eng was walked, Elon had two runners on base, but the next batter struck out to end inning.

Stetson took quick advantage and plated the first run of the game in the bottom half. Meredith Owen hit a double to left center to put the Hatters up 1-0. Elon was able to recover and record the next three outs to get out of the inning.

Elon went down in order to start the top of the second and Stetson added two more runs in the bottom half to move up 3-0. The Hatters plated another run in the third to improve its cushion to 4-0.

The Hatters exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fourth and went up 9-0. Elon could not respond in the top of the next inning as the game ended in that score.

The Phoenix only recorded three hits total in the game with Nester, Eng and Alaina Hall being credited with one each. White (1-1) took the loss after going 2.0 innings with seven hits and four earned runs allowed.

 

College of Charleston 4, Western Carolina 0
DePaul 7, Western Carolina 5
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – Western Carolina softball (0-2) dropped both of its games to open the 2014 season at the College of Charleston Classic Friday. The Catamounts were shutout by host College of Charleston 4-0 and edged by DePaul 7-5 at Patriots Point.

The Catamounts played a strong game in both contest but showed true heart against DePaul. The Catamounts battled back from being down 7-0 to scoring five unanswered runs and sophomore Taylor Sigmon holding the Blue Demons scoreless the final two innings make the game interesting down the stretch.

Western Carolina and College of Charleston were in a battle early with the game scoreless through the first four innings.

The Catamounts had one of its best scoring chances squelched in the top of the second inning. Junior catcher Heather Chastain drew a lead-off walk but was erased at second on a fielder’s choice that put Kara Salvo on first. Thanks to a Cougar error and another fielder’s choice, Salvo moved all the way to third with two outs but was stranded when senior Makenzi McAteer struck out.

College of Charleston threatened in the bottom of the second inning when Amber Mueller reached base on a throwing error and used the miscue to scramble all the way to third and head home. The greedy decision by Mueller to attempt home was her down fall as the solid through from right field by Amelia Griffin to home, and the waiting glove of Chastain, earned Mueller a trip back on the bench – she was out.

The Mueller scoring attempt seemed to only be a reprieve as College of Charleston found home base in the bottom of the fifth. The Cougars scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and secured the win.

Junior pitcher Jordan Garrett, for the Catamounts, tossed 4.2 innings. She got into a jam in the fifth inning and was replaced by freshman Courtney Buchanan who inherited one base runner, and four runs scored. After Buchanan gave up a walk she bounced back to strike out the second batter she faced to end the inning.

Buchanan ended the game going 1.1 innings. Garrett took the loss, falling to 0-1, giving up four runs, three earned, walking one, and striking out five. Garrett’s five strikeouts put her even closer to the Catamount career strikeout record – she now needs eight to break the record as she currently has 375.

It was sophomore short stop Karley Harkey who got the first hit of the game, and the first for Western Carolina in 2014, in the third inning. Chastain led the Catamounts with two hits.

DePaul struck early and often early in the game against Western Carolina helping DePaul squeeze out the 7-5 win. Mallory Broome got the start on the mound for Western Carolina going two innings and giving up five runs.

Broome was replaced by Buchanan in the bottom of the third after Broome walked the first two batters and gave up an RBI double. DePaul scored three more runs in the inning, one credited to Buchanan.

DePaul added one more run in the bottom of the fourth and lead 7-0. The Catamounts were in danger of having the game cut short, thanks to the International tie-breaker rule that ends the game if one team leads the other by eight runs after five innings. Western Carolina would have none of that as the Catamounts scored two runs, the first runs of the infant season, in the top of the fifth.

Sophomore Amber Kimrey got the fifth inning started when she drew a walk and stole second. Strikeouts by McAteer and Courtney Price put the Catamounts in the hole with two outs and Kimrey at second.

Griffin kept the inning alive when she singled to left field and Kimrey motored to third. Griffin then stole her first base of the 2014 season and WCU had runners at second and third. Harkey came up and delivered smoking a double to right field scooping up two RBI plating Kimrey and Griffin.

DePaul was held scoreless in an inning for the first time in the game in the bottom of the fifth. Buchanan was pulled for sophomore Taylor Sigmon who retired the side with a pair of strikeouts and a fly out.

Western Carolina tacked on two runs in the top of the sixth. Chastain singled to left field to open the inning. Whitney Haywood pinch ran for Chastain and moved to third base when Brooke Coggins reached first on a DePaul error. Kimrey, who started the scoring in the fifth inning, was at it again when she ground out the pitcher but picked up an RBI scoring Haywood. After McAteer was hit by a pitch, WCU had runners at first and third with one out.  The Catamounts scratched out its second run of the inning when Price singled past the shortstop scoring Coggins for an RBI. The inning continued when Griffin drew a walk to load the bases with one out. DePaul caught a break when Harkey struck out and Salvo ground out to end the inning.

Sigmon held the Blue Demons scoreless for the second straight inning when DePaul failed to score in the bottom of the sixth. Sigmon got a strikeout, gave up a hit and forced a pair of ground outs in the inning.

Western Carolina kept plugging away getting its third straight lead-off batter on base when Sigmon reached first on a muffed throw by the DePaul first baseman, Nicole Pihl. After Chastain struck out for the first out of the innings, Coggins reached first on a DePaul error moving Sigmon to second. Kimrey struck out for the second out. McAteer knocked an RBI single past third base scoring Sigmon and keeping the inning alive. With McAteer at first and Coggins at third Price struck out to end the Catamount threat and the game.

Broome took the loss in the game and falls to 0-1. Chastain led the team going 2-for-4 in the game. Harkey had two RBI in the contest.