Georgia Southern 2, Kennesaw State 0
KENNESAW, GA. – Senior pitcher Sarah Purvis delivered another dominant performance on Wednesday as she silenced Kennesaw State in a perfect game victory, 2-0. It was her third career perfect game and the fifth no-hitter in her career, overall. The right-handed hurler tossed her second no-hitter in a five day span.

First blood went to the Eagles in the second inning when a double by A.J. Hamilton drove in the first two runs of the game with her double to left center. Kaitlyn Johnson and Morgan Robinson scored on the play to give the Eagles an early 2-0 lead.

That offense was all that was needed for Purvis. She fanned nine batters on the day and extended her scoreless streak to 29-straight innings which ranks as the third-longest streak in school history.

Purvis is now 7-2 on the season with a 0.70 ERA. Her three career perfect games rank her 11th in NCAA history for career perfect games.

 

Furman 2, Gardner Webb 1
Furman 3, Gardner Webb 2
Greenville, S.C. – Senior Lauren Collier picked up two wins in the circle and senior Nikki Legg delivered a walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth inning in game two as Furman extended its winning streak to five games with a 2-1, 3-2 doubleheader sweep of the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs on Wednesday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.

With game two knotted at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning and Natalie Clemmons on second base with one out, Legg looped a walk-off double down the left field line to hand Furman a 3-2, come-from-behind victory.

The Paladins (9-7) trailed 2-0 entering the bottom of the fifth inning when Taylor Jenkins supplied Furman with its first hit of the game by tripling off of the center field wall.  Kalie Hicks followed with her first collegiate homer, a two-run shot over the left field fence on a 2-1 pitch, to tie the game at 2-2.

In the top of the eighth, Gardner-Webb (6-14) placed a runner on second base via the international tiebreaker rule and loaded the bases when Taylar Pridgen was hit by a pitch and Kellie Beres reached base on a one-out, bunt single.  Collier escaped the jam by striking out Megan Gibbons and Amanda Gomes to set up Legg’s bottom of the eighth heroics.

Ashley Rhyne (2-8) suffered the loss for the Runnin’ Bulldogs despite allowing just two earned runs on three hits in 7.1 innings or work.  She struck out seven batters while issuing three walks.

Gomes went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles to lead the Gardner-Webb offense.

Collier improved to 5-3 in the circle for the Paladins by allowing just one hit in one inning of relief and striking out three batters in game two.  Starter Shelby Parker got a no decision after surrendering two runs on four hits in seven-plus innings in the circle.  She fanned six batters without allowing a base on balls.

Furman claimed a 2-1 victory in game one as Collier limited Gardner-Webb to just an unearned run on four hits in a complete-game effort.  The right-hander fanned six batters and allowed only one walk while tossing 109 pitches over seven innings.

The Paladins took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Elise Smith singled up the middle to start the frame and beat a throw to the plate from shortstop on a Hannah Pace grounder.  Smith doubled the Furman lead in the bottom of the fourth with her third homer of the season, a solo shot to right field.

Gardner-Webb cut the lead in half with an unearned run in the top of the fifth, but Collier induced a ground out to shortstop from Beres with the bases loaded to keep the Paladins in front.  

Smith registered two of Furman’s four hits and scored two runs to pace the Paladin offense.  Gibbons notched two hits for the visitors.

Jessica Childers, who gave up two runs on four hits in six innings, took the loss for the Runnin’ Bulldogs to slip to 4-6.  She walked five batters and struck out six.

 

Elon 4, Presbyterian 2
ELON, N.C. – Carleigh Nester moved into second place all-time in school history with her 27^th career home to help the Elon University Softball team earn a 4-2 victory over Presbyterian on Wednesday, March 5, at Hunt Softball Park. The win was the Phoenix’s fifth in a row and sixth out of its last seven.

Nester broke a tie with Brandi Jones (2006-09) with her sixth home run of the season in the bottom of the third inning and trails only Tomeka Watson (2010-13) on the program’s all-time list in career homers. It was the senior’s lone hit of the day and one of eight that the Phoenix (13-5-1) tallied against the Blue Hose (6-8).

Ali Ford led the way at the plate after going 2-for-3 and scored the tying run for Elon in the bottom of the fourth on an Aly Quintana double to left center. Quintana’s knock helped the Phoenix erase an early 2-0 deficit after some Elon miscues allowed a pair runs by the Blue Hose in the top of the second.

Presbyterian’s Shelby Petik was walked to lead off the second inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. She reached third on a passed ball and was joined on the bases by Abby Allen after she drew a free pass. Allen then also moved into scoring position on another passed ball with both Allen and Petik crossing home plate on an Erin Taylor double down the left field line to give the Blue Hose the early 2-0 lead.

Elon starter Kayla Caruso would labor through the remainder of the inning to record the final two outs before giving way to Caitlin O’Shea to begin the top of the third. O’Shea quickly went through the order to hand the ball back to the Phoenix.

Nester plated the first run on the scoreboard for the Phoenix with her two-out solo home run to center that trimmed Presbyterian’s lead to one, 2-1. O’Shea followed with another 1-2-3 inning to keep the Phoenix within distance in the bottom half of the fourth.

In the fourth, Ford hit a two-out single to left field then tied the game at 2-2 after Quintana blasted a double to left center. O’Shea tossed her third straight scoreless and hitless inning in the top of the fifth and Elon was back up looking to move ahead in the bottom of the fifth frame.

Behind the rallying cries of its home crowd, the Phoenix bats came alive and took the lead for good thanks to a solo home run from freshman Carey Million in the fifth. The Roebling, N.J., native took the first pitch she saw and lined it to center field to put the Phoenix up 3-2.

Elon added an insurance run in the inning from Emily Cameron’s one-out single that scored Alaina Hall, who had reached earlier on a double to left center. The Blue Hose recorded a double play to escape the inning however on the next at bat.

O’Shea however shut down Presbyterian’s offense and did not allow a hit the rest of the way helping the Phoenix earn the 4-2 victory. O’Shea (3-1) went 5.0 innings while allowing no hits and struck out two while walking only one batter.

 

Western Carolina 4, Charlotte 3
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Sophomore Karley Harkey’s walk-off RBI single pushed Western Carolina softball (6-11) to a 4-3, in nine innings, victory over Charlotte (8-8) Wednesday in the Catamounts’ home opener at the Catamount Softball Complex.

Western Carolina used the short game to place runners on first and second, with one out, in the bottom of the ninth to set up the win. Freshman Whitney Haywood singled to second base and senior Amelia Griffin followed with a single, beating out the throw to first. This set up Harkey who hit a frozen rope to first base. The ball went right past the first baseman and allowed Haywood to motor around third and just beat out the throw home.

Knotted at three, after seven innings, Western Carolina and Charlotte went into extra innings. The teams decided against The International Tie-Breaker rule of putting a runner on second in extra innings, to play through since it was just a single game.

Sophomore Taylor Sigmon came into the game in relief pitching role at the top of the ninth to hold the 49ers scoreless. She opened the inning with a strikeout and then gave up a single to Samantha Slade. After forcing a pop-up to first base, Sigmon got Jessica Plemmons to hit into fielder’s choice with Slade out on the play.

Sigmon earned her second win on the season, 2-0, as she entered the game with the score tied.

Charlotte took the early 2-0 lead scoring a pair of runs in the top of the third. Starting Catamount pitcher Courtney Buchanan gave up three straight doubles to allow the 49ers to post the two runs. Junior Jordan Garrett replaced Buchanan with two outs and struck out the last batter to end the inning.

Western Carolina took its first lead of the game when it scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth with one swing of the bat. Haywood led off the fifth with a single through the left side. Griffin laid down a sacrifice bunt that landed perfectly just to the left side of home plate, and beat out the play to reach first. With runners on first and second, Harkey hit into a fielder’s choice that erased Haywood at third. Kara Salvo gave the Catamounts the lead when she sailed a three run homerun over the left field wall. It was Salvo’s third homerun on the season.

Charlotte tied the game at three in the top of the seventh. With one out, Charlotte hit back-to-back singles and got the bases loaded when Slade was hit by a pitch. Courtney Kleinsmith ground out to Harkey at short-stop but a runner scored to tie the game. Plemmons hit into a fielder’s choice as Plemmons was called for interference running to third to end the inning.

Buchanan went 2.2 innings giving up two runs on five hits and struck out two. Garrett, in a reliever role, went 5.1 innings yielding one run on three hits and struck out six.

Western Carolina had 12 hits in the game. Griffin went 3-for-4 in the game while Harkey, Sigmon, Price and Haywood each had a pair of hits. With Salvo’s homerun, her only hit in the game, she has now hit safely in the last 14 games.

 

UNCG 8, North Carolina A&T 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG softball used a season-high 16 hits to run-rule North Carolina A&T, 8-0, Wednesday afternoon at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex.

The Spartans improve to 9-8 on the season with the victory while the Lady Aggies fall to 3-7.

Sophomore Lacey Leary went five innings only allowing two hits with two strikeouts to earn her second win of the season. Shelby Synder took the loss falling to 0-3 on the year.

Senior Katelyn Bedwell and freshman Ally Vergona each had three hits to pace the Spartans. Sophomore Danielle Vega went 2-for-3 with two RBI doubles.

UNCG took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after a passed ball led to a run scoring. Vega worked a walk and senior Toni MacReynolds singled to put runners on first and second. Freshman Emily Lopez laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third with one out. Vergona walked to load the bases. Vega came home after North Carolina A&T’s catcher couldn’t handle a pitch leading to UNCG’s first run.

In the top of the third, the Spartans added another run off a two-out rally after sophomore Lindsay Thomas walked and Vega roped a RBI double off the wall in left centerfield to give UNCG a 2-0 advantage.  

The Blue and Gold scored another two out RBI in the fourth inning after Bedwell singled through the infield to score pinch runner Stephanie McKinney. Vergona singled to right field with one out. After a groundout, junior Tatiana Alcala beat out an infield single off a bunt to put runners on first and third. Bedwell picked up her 12^th RBI to score UNCG’s third run of the game.

In the top of the fifth inning, UNCG added two more runs to take a 5-0 lead. Lindsay Thomas singled through the infield to start the inning. Vega lined an RBI double to centerfield to plate Thomas. With two outs, Vergona hit a deep double to the centerfield wall scoring Vega on the play.

The Spartans increased their lead with three runs on six hits in the sixth inning. Alcala started the inning with a single to centerfield and Bedwell followed with a single to right to setup runners on first and second. After a single from freshman Tory Wright, Lindsay Thomas earned an RBI sacrifice fly to push UNCG’s lead to 6-0. MacReynolds drove a one-out single for an RBI and pinch-hitter Hagan Kiser (Asheboro, N.C./Southwestern) singled to right field for another RBI.

North Carolina A&T had one last chance in the sixth but senior Raeanne Hanks (Rainier, Ore./Rainier Senior) ended inning in order including two strikeouts to clinch the victory.

UNCG improved to 38-2 all-time against the Lady Aggies.