Western Carolina 4, Elon 3
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina softball (10-14, 1-0 Southern Conference) clipped Elon (15-7-1, 0-1 SoCon) 4-3 in 10 innings Friday at the Catamount Softball Complex.

Knotted at three, in the bottom of the 10th inning, the International Tie-Breaker Rule was in effect, placing a runner on second base. Elon elected to intentionally walk the next two batters to load the bases with Catamounts.

This tactic worked earlier in the game for the Phoenix. Elon walked Western Carolina third baseman Taylor Sigmon with two outs, and runner on second and third with two outs, in the bottom of the seventh. Phoenix pitcher Caitlin O'Shea forced Courtney Buchanan to pop up for the third out.

It did not fall in the Phoenix's favor in the bottom of the 10th. With the bases loaded, and one out, Brooke Coggins hit a line drive to first base. The hit was too much for Elon first baseman Grace Eng to handle - she bobbled the ball allowing Sigmon to beat the throw and score the Catamounts' winning run.

Western Carolina is 3-0 in extra-inning games this season.

The Catamounts took an early 2-0 lead scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, freshman Kara Salvo drew a walk. Sigmon singled up the middle and Salvo moved to third. Buchanan notched an RBI single to score Salvo and Amber Kimrey followed with a single RBI up the middle to plate Sigmon.

Western Carolina's early lead knocked starting Elon pitcher Chelsea White out of the game. She was replaced by Caitlin O'Shea. After getting the third out, in the first inning, O'Shea would pitch the remainder of the game.

Elon would trim the Catamount lead to one scoring a run in the top of the second. The Phoenix would take the lead thanks to a Carleigh Nester homerun off Catamount starting pitcher Jordan Garrett.

After Garrett gave up three runs in the first three innings of the game, the Western Carolina career strikeout leader buckled down and held the Phoenix scoreless through the next seven innings.

Western Carolina forced extra innings when it scored the tying run in the bottom of the fifth. Karley Harkey drew a one out walk. Courtney Price laid down a bunt single and pushed Harkey to third on a Phoenix error. A sacrifice fly to right field by Salvo scored Harkey and tied the game at three.

Elon had a prime scoring opportunity in the top of the seventh. The Phoenix had bases loaded and one out after Garrett gave up a one out single and back-to-back walks. Garrett got out the jam by recording back-to-back strikeouts to end the Elon scoring opportunity.

The Catamounts had its own chance to end the game in regulation with bases loaded and two outs. Buchannan popped up to the second baseman to end the inning.

After an uneventful eighth and ninth inning, Elon had a huge scoring chance again in the top of the 10th. With O'Shea placed on second for Elon, as she was the final out in the top of the ninth, she moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. After Garrett yielded a walk, Elon had runners at first and third with one out. Aly Quintana attempted a sacrifice fly but O'Shea was called for leaving early at third, and Quintana was out on the fly out to end the inning.

Garrett tossed a season-high 10 innings and improves to 3-9 on the year. She gave up three runs on seven hits and struck out eight. O'Shea takes the loss for Elon falling to 4-2.

Sigmon was 2-for-4 and also scored two of Western Carolina's four runs. Price was also 2-for-4. Harkey's single in the seventh inning extends her hitting streak to nine games.

 

Appalachian State 10, Syracuse 4
BOONE, N.C. – A winning streak that dates back to April 22, 2012 was continued on Friday when Appalachian State University softball won its 20th-straight game at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium, 10-4 over Syracuse.

The Mountaineers (8-14) got on the board first when Lindsay Loudermilk drew a bases loaded walk to give the Apps an early 1-0 lead. The Orange (7-14) would answer back with three runs of their own in the top half of the second inning when they plated three. After a walk and a single, starting pitcher Sydney O’Hara hit a three-run home run to center field.

The Apps would get one run back in the third inning on a solo home run off the bat of Cara Parker. The home run for Parker was her first of the season. Following Appalachian in the top of the fourth, Syracuse would tack on its fourth and final run of the game on a Shirley Daniels double to to right field that scored O’Hara for a 4-2 lead.

The fourth inning would see an offensive explosion from the Black and Gold. App State would plate six runs in the inning.  Whitney Johnson led off with a double followed later by a walk fromDani Heichen. Johnson advanced to third on a wild pitch and Heichen would steal second base moments later. Sarah Warnock would proceed to deposit a pitch over the right field wall for her first home run of the season to give the Apps a 5-4 lead.

Cynthia Gomez would step up and single, which was followed by a Parker double. Gomez would come in to score on a wild pitch with Parker advancing to third and later scoring on a Loudermilk ground ball. With Ashley Seering on third base after reaching on a fielder’s choice would come home on an Alex Sohl single through the left side to give the Mountaineers an 8-4 lead.

The Mountaineers would tack on two more unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning seemingly putting the game away. App State would grab its eighth win of the season and defeat Syracuse 10-4. The 10 runs for the Mountaineers is the second-most all season long. The team scored 11 runs against Alabama A&M back on February 22 in an 11-2 victory.

Sydney Laws started the game for App State and pitched 2.1 innings, allowing three runs on three hits with two strikeouts. Earning the victory was Shivaun Landeros (5-7) also pitching 2.1 innings, allowing just one run on three hits and striking out two. Alissa Schoelkofp pitched the final 2.1 innings and allowed not hits and no runs and fanned two batters.

The win over Syracuse also marks the fourth win all-time against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference and the second win all-time against the Orange.