George Washington 2, UNCG 1GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG softball team dropped a tough 2-1 game in eight innings to George Washington on Day Two of the Spartan Classic Saturday at the UNCG Softball Stadium. The Spartans drops to 3-6 on the season while the Colonials earned their first win at 1-11. The Blue and Gold pitching staff was sensational holding George Washington to six hits in eight innings. Sophomore transfer Lacey Leary threw five innings, allowing four hits on one earned run with three strikeouts. Sophomore Nicole Thomas suffered the tough loss after 2.1 innings, allowing just two hits and an unearned run in relief. George Washington’s Courtney Martin improved to 1-8 on the season after throwing a complete game in eight innings. Martin allowed nine hits but only one earned run with two strikeouts.
UNCG took an early 1-0 lead in the third inning after an RBI groundout from Nicole Thomas. The inning started with back-to-back singles from sophomores Allison Geiner and Lindsay Thomas. Both runners moved up after a groundout and Nicole Thomas picked up her team-leading ninth RBI of the season on a groundout to second.
In the fourth inning, George Washington tied the game on an RBI single from Victoria Valos. The Colonials started the rally with a single from Megan Lynn. Sam Dos Santos moved the runner to second on a sacrifice bunt. Valos singled to right center to tie the game at 1-1.
After seven innings, both teams went into international tiebreaker rules placing a runner on second base. In the top of the seventh, UNCG couldn’t take the lead leaving a runner on third base after two groundouts. Freshman Tory Wright almost gave the Spartans the lead but second baseman Megan Linn made a diving stop to save a run.
The Colonials started the bottom of the seventh with a sacrifice bunt from pinch-hitter Maura Murphy to move Bradleigh Breland to third with one out. George Washington’s Marissa Mangini laid down a suicide squeeze to win the game.
UNCG had three players with multiple hits in Geiner (2-for-4), Lindsay Thomas (2-for-4) and junior Dominique Madruga who was 2-for-3.
UNCG returns to action on Day Three of the Spartan Classic Sunday against No. 20 Minnesota at 11:30 and Hampton at 5 p.m. at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
Furman 3, Winthrop 0Spartanburg, S.C. – Shelby Parker tossed a two-hit shutout and freshmen Andrea Abbatiello and Candace Johnson combined for four hits and three RBI to lead Furman to a 3-0 victory over Winthrop in the Spartan Classic on Saturday night at Cyrill Stadium.
The shutout marked the fourth straight for the Paladin pitching staff as Furman improved to 4-5 with its fourth consecutive win. Winthrop dipped to 3-9.
Parker, who tossed a five-inning no-hitter in the Paladins’ 12-0 win over Liberty on Friday night after throwing a three-hit shutout versus Presbyterian on Wednesday, limited the Eagles to McKenzi Corn singles in the first and sixth innings to extend her streak of scoreless innings in the circle to 20. The right-hander walked just one batter and fanned eight to improve to 3-2 on the year.
Furman opened the scoring in the second with the only run it would need. Lauren Collier reached on a leadoff single and moved to second on Taylor Jenkins’ sacrifice bunt before Abbatiello lined an RBI single down the left field line.
In the fourth inning, Collier reached on a leadoff walk and Jenkins and Abbatiello followed with singles to load the bases with nobody out. After Winthrop’s Sutton Watson retired the next two batters, Johnson drove in two runs with a single to shortstop.
Abbatiello and Johnson each finished 2-for-3 at the plate while Collier went 1-for-2 with a base on balls.
Watson (3-3) allowed three runs on six hits to take the loss for Winthrop. She struck out four batters and walked one.
Appalachian State 11, Alabama A&M 2Missouri State 6, Appalachian State 0SOUTHAVEN, Miss. – Appalachian State University softball got the second day of the Blues City Classic underway with its first game against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs and came away with an 11-2 win. In the later game coming against the Missouri State Bears, the Mountaineers fell, 6-0. The Mountaineers got off to a lightning fast start with singles and stolen bases from Dani Heichen and Cynthia Gomez. With Heichen on third and Gomez on second, Heichen scored on a groundout from Lindsay Loudermilk to take an early 1-0 lead. Alex Sohl who received the start behind the plate, placed a single perfectly through the right side of the infield to score Gomez from third to extend the inning and the lead to 2-0. After a passed ball, Cara Parker and Caroline Rogers raked back-to-back RBI triples into the left field corner followed by Whitney Johnson’s first hit and RBI of the season to give the Apps five runs and six hits to close the top half of the first. Sydney Laws was in the circle to start the game for the Mountaineers and allowed one single and a runner to advance to third, but kept the Bulldogs scoreless in the bottom half. In the second, Gomez reach on an error and stole her second base of the game and season, but was left stranded. The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the second and scored their first run of the game via a wild pitch to make it 5-1 App State. A&M would score again on a wacky play that saw Sohl not touch home plate on a force play to keep the inning alive and the Bulldogs would end the inning scoring two and cut the Appalachian lead to 5-2. Parker would single in the third followed by a Rogers double to put the Apps in great position to score with runners on second and third and just one out. Johnson would continue the App State hit parade with a two-run triple to drive in both Parker and Rogers. Johnson would score on a throwing error by A&M to make the score 8-2 in favor of the Mountaineers. Laws would then set down the Bulldogs in order to head to the fourth. Meaghen Gray would settle in for the top of fourth and put down the Mountaineers in order. Laws would replicate Gray in the bottom half and ended the inning on her third strikeout of the game getting Chelsey Furgeson to swing and miss. Parker would reach base for the third time in the game on an error by Taiya McInnis in right field that allowed Parker to advance to third base. Parker would steal third prior to Rogers’ second RBI of the game on a single through the left side to extend the Appalachian lead to 9-2. Laws would put down the Bulldogs in order to end the fifth inning. Heichen would lead off the sixth inning with a hit and promptly steal second base to put herself in scoring position. Caroline Chambers would follow up by ripping one into center field for an RBI double to make it 10-2 Mountaineers. The hit and RBI for Chambers were her first of the season. Katie Mathewson would bat next for the first time this season and her career and drive in Chambers on an RBI single for an App State lead of 11-2. The single and RBI were her first of her career as well. Laws would finish off the Bulldogs in the sixth and the game would end on a 6-3-5 double play. The true freshman pitched six innings allowing just three hits and zero earned runs with three strikeouts. Rogers led the team with three hits going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Heichen and Parker both had two hits and scored two and three runs, respectively. Johnson also had two hits going 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Chambers, Loudermilk, Mathewson, Sohl and Parker all tallied one RBI each in the triumph. Getting the starting nod in game two, Shivaun Landeros would allow a walk with the bases loaded before registering the next two outs via the strikeout. Heather Duckworth would single to drive in a pair of runs and extend the Bears lead to 3-0. Landeros would strikeout Braxton Coil to end the inning. Warnock would draw a base on balls in the first, but the Mountaineers were unable to string something together against Erin Struemph in the first. Landeros would allow a single and walk in the second, but made good pitches and escaped danger. In the bottom half, the Mountaineers worked their second walk against Missouri State starter Erin Struemph, but nothing more would come of the inning for the Apps. Landeros began to settle in even more in the third making quick work of the Bears. Johnson connected on Appalachian’s first base hit to lead off the bottom half followed up later by a Heichen walk. Both would advance to give the Apps second and third but would not score. The Bears would go down quietly in the fourth with the Mountaineers tallying a base hit off the bat of Parker in the bottom half before moving to the top of the fifth. Missouri State would add a run in the fifth inning to extend their lead and make it 4-0. The Mountaineers would go down in order in the bottom half. In the sixth, Ashley Brentz would tack on a two-run double to extend the Bears’ lead to 6-0. Gomez lead off the sixth with a walk that was followed up later with a Loudermilk single up the middle, but App State couldn’t not advance either runner on Struemph. Landeros would pitch a perfect seventh getting the Bears down in order 1-2-3. The Apps would work just a walk in the bottom half and would fall 6-0. Landeros pitched seven innings allowing seven hits and five earned runs. The Sparks, Nev. native would also strike out seven in the game. Elon 2, Saint Joseph’s 1UMBC 3, Elon 2ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team earned a 2-1 walk-off win over Saint Joseph’s in its first game Saturday, Feb. 22, on the second day of the Phoenix Opening Tournament. The Phoenix however could not find that same magic in its second contest falling to UMBC, 3-2, in extra innings.
Elon’s Chelsea White (3-3) pitched a complete game victory against the Hawks, giving up only one run on five hits while striking out six batters. She also walked only one batter while outlasting Saint Joseph’s Emily Rodgers in the pitcher’s duel.
The Phoenix only had four hits against the Hawks, doing most of its damage in the bottom of the second and seventh innings. Emily Roper led off the bottom of the second frame with a walk and stole second to move into scoring position. Ali Ford followed with a bunt single to move her over to third before Roper scored on a wild pitch to put Elon up 1-0 early.
The Phoenix ran into some trouble in the top of the fourth as the Hawks moved runners into scoring position with only one out. White and the maroon and gold defense held strong and recorded the next two outs to escape the inning.
Saint Joseph’s finally added the tying run in the top of the fifth. Maria Ficca was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to second after Bella Picard reached on a fielder’s choice. Ficca would be thrown out at third on another fielder’s choice, but White would hit another batter to load the bases. Elon managed to force the second out of the inning after throwing out a runner at home, but the Hawks knotted the score at 1-1 on another hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded. SJU flied out to end the inning on the next at bat.
Both teams were quiet between the bottom of the fifth to the seventh inning. White allowed one hit in the top of the seventh, but struck out her sixth batter of the game to give the ball back to the Phoenix in the bottom half.
Freshman Carey Million led off the inning with a well hit ball to left field. The center fielder dropped the ball and Million was able to advance to second base. Aly Quintana moved her to third on a sacrifice bunt before pinch-hitter Caitlin O’Shea drove her home with a one out single through the left side of the infield.
In the contest against UMBC, the story was much of the same throughout the early portion of the game. Elon plated the first run of the game in the bottom of the third as Roper hit a single to right center that drove in Emily Cameron from second and gave the maroon and gold an early 1-0 lead.
Roper again provided another score for the Phoenix in the bottom of the fifth as the freshman connected on a double to right center, scoring Cameron again to move Elon up 2-0.
Some miscues from the Phoenix led to UMBC’s first run of the game in the top of the sixth and eventually the tying run on a two-out single to right field by the Retrievers’ Caitlin Chance.
The game headed into extras where the Retrievers plated the go-ahead run, 3-2, in the top of the eighth. The Phoenix could not respond in the bottom half of the frame and fell by that score.
O’Shea (1-1) took the loss for Elon in relief after going 2.1 innings and allowed only one run, unearned. Starter Alli Burdette pitched 5.2 innings and had three strikeouts along with two runs allowed.
Cameron led the way at the plate after going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a pair of doubles. Roper was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
Georgia Southern 6, Indiana 2
Coastal Carolina 2, Georgia Southern 1
GAINESVILLE, FLA. – Georgia Southern went 1-1 in the second day at the UF Lipton Invitational, defeating Indiana 6-2 before falling 2-1 to Coastal Carolina.
Georgia Southern improved to 2-0 this season against the Big Ten Conference with a 6-2 victory over Indiana in Saturday’s first game. Brooke Red held the Hoosiers to just five hits and two runs while recording five strikeouts.
The Eagle offense got off to a hot start with three runs in the second inning. The first two came off A.J. Hamilton’s two-run home run with one out in the frame. An RBI single with two outs in the inning by Nicole Benton drove in a third to give Georgia Southern a 3-0 lead.
Indiana clawed one run back in the bottom of the third to make it a 3-1 game.
Georgia Southern added three more runs in the sixth off the bat of Kourtny Thomas. The Eagle shortstop laced a double to right to plate three more runs and make the lead 6-1.
A home run in the seventh by Indiana made it a 6-2 game as the Eagles closed out the win to improve to 3-0 on the weekend and 9-3 on the season.
The Eagles were handed their first loss in the Lipton Invitational at the hands of Coastal Carolina, 2-1. First blood went to the Eagles with a Shelby Morrill double pushing leadoff hitter Nicole Benton home after she opened the inning with a leadoff walk. The run gave the Eagles an early 1-0 lead.
The Chanticleers got a run in the second by conventional means, but Coastal took advantage of two Georgia Southern errors to go 2-1 up through the middle of the third inning.
Georgia Southern stranded four runs over the next four innings and was held to just one hit for the enter game.
Marla Thompson was handed the loss to fall to 1-1 on the season, scattering five hits and allowing two runs, one earned.
The Eagles play top-ranked Florida on Sunday in the final game of the 2014 Lipton Invitational. That game is schedule for approximately 3:15 p.m.
Western Carolina 8, LIberty 7SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Western Carolina softball (1-6) weathered a furled comeback attempt by Liberty (2-8), in the top of the seventh inning, to defeat the Flames 8-7 Saturday in the Spartan Classic.
Western Carolina looked to be cruising into the top of the seventh inning, after posting five runs in the bottom of the sixth, breaking a 3-3 tie to lead Liberty 8-3. The Flames had other ideas as they strung together four runs in the top of the seventh to claw to within one run, 8-7. With two outs, Liberty had the tying run on second and had freshman relief pitcher Courtney Buchanan on the ropes. Sophomore pitcher Mallory Broome came into the game and forced Flame catcher Kelby Allen to line out and end the game.
Broome's appearance not only secured a win for Western Carolina but gave her a save. Buchanan, who came into the game with the scored tied at three, earns her first win as a Catamount with a record of 1-0.
Tied at three, after Liberty came back from a 0-3 deficit, Western Carolina looked to put the game out of reach posting five runs in the bottom of the sixth. The fifth run, Brooke Coggins scoring on a Liberty throwing error, proved to be the insurance run Western Carolina needed.
Courtney Price opened the bottom of the sixth reaching first on a Liberty error and moved to second. Whitney Haywood's bunt single pushed Price to third for runners at the corners. With one out, after Amelia Griffin flew out to left field, sophomore short stop Karley Harkey sent Price home on an RBI single through the left side.
A wild pitch by Liberty hurler, Annah Jo Brittingham and a walk to Catamount Kara Salvo loaded the bases for Western Carolina with one out. Brooke Coggins' hit an RBI single to centerfield scoring Haywood and Harkey. For the second time in the game, a Liberty fielder's choice with Taylor Sigmon at the plate notched her an RBI.
Leading since the first inning, when with bases loaded Taylor Sigmon notched an RBI off a fielder's choice, Western Carolina weathered a Liberty comeback in the later innings. The Catamounts built a 3-0 lead scoring a run in the first and two in the second, and then their offense stalled.
Western Carolina added two runs in the top of the second inning. With one out Price reached on a Liberty fielding error and moved to second. Haywood laid down a sacrifice bunt and Price moved to third. After Amelia Griffin drew a walk, the Catamounts executed a double steal as Griffin swiped second and Price stole home. Harkey's first career triple plated Griffin for the second run.
Liberty used Western Carolina's offensive chill to whittle away at the Catamount lead. The Flames scored a run in the third and runs in the fifth and sixth inning to tie the game.
Western Carolina used all four pitchers in the game against Liberty. Western Carolina career strikeout leader Jordan Garrett started the game and went four innings giving up one run on five hits and struck out five.
In the fifth inning, Garrett was replaced by Sigmon. After five innings without allowing a run in relief, Sigmon gave up two runs on two hits and Liberty tied the game. Sigmon was replaced by freshman hurler Courtney Buchanan who weathered the Liberty come-back attempt in the top of the seventh. Buchanan held on for her first win as a Catamount and Broome got the save.
Western Carolina had 12 hits in the game, a season-high, with Harkey posting a season-high four hits and two RBI. Heather Chastain added two hits.