Jacksonville 4, Georgia Southern 0Georgia Southern 11, Jacksonville 1STATESBORO, GA. – Georgia Southern Softball split a Wednesday afternoon doubleheader to start a run of five-straight non-conference games that runs the next week. The Dolphins took a 4-0 win in the opener, but it was the home side that responded with the resounding five-inning 11-1 win in the second game. The Eagles close the day with a 30-14 overall record and post the 10th 30+ win season in program history. Jacksonville is now 16-27 on the year. Jacksonville got the first runs of the day in the third inning, hitting back-to-back home runs in the frame. Tuck’s two-run bomb, followed by Bradshaw’s solo job handed the visitors a 3-0 advantage. The Dolphins added another run in the seventh inning on an RBI double by Bradshaw with two outs. The Georgia Southern offense had plenty of opportunities, leaving eight runners on base with at least one runner left in five trips to the plate. Taylor Rogers went 2-for-4 as the Eagle offense posted five hits and took advantage of two Jacksonville errors. Sarah Purvis took the loss, allowing seven hits and four runs over her seven innings of work. She also added 10 strikeouts to her season total as she fell to 16-8 on the year. The Georgia Southern offense struck early and often in game two. Shelby Morrill hit a two-run home run in the first inning to give the Eagles a lead that would not be touched. The senior recorded her sixth home run of the season with the bomb and the 14th four-bagger of her career. The Eagles added six more runs off six hits in the third to blow the contest open. Morrill and AJ Hamilton each drove in one run while Kourtny Thomas and Morgan Robinson drove in two runs in the third. With the Eagles batting around, Rogers was able to become the first Eagle since Jenny Side on 4/22/2008 to record two hits in an inning. Jacksonville, however, punched back with a run in the fourth with a one-out home run to the gap in left. That run cut the Eagle lead to 8-1. The home side tacked on three more runs in the fourth to bring the run rule back in play. Kaitlyn Johnson’s double drove in a run while pinch hitter Savanah Coon laced a single to score a pair. Brooke Red earned the win, allowing just two hits and a run to improve to 12-4 on the season. Senior Allie Miles pitched a perfect fifth inning to nail down the victory with a pair of strikeouts in her inning of work. Georgia Southern is back on the road this weekend for a pair of non-conference games in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Eagles face Alabama on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. and have a 2:30 p.m. game set for Saturday afternoon against the Tar Heels.
Furman 7, ETSU 3ETSU 5, Furman 0Johnson City, Tenn. – Lauren Collier drove in three runs at the plate and tossed a complete game in the circle to propel Furman to a 7-3 victory over East Tennessee State in game one in a doubleheader split with the Buccaneers on Wednesday afternoon at Betty Basler Stadium.
Furman (25-20) broke a 3-3 tie with three runs in the top of the fifth to down East Tennessee State, 7-3, in the opening game of the doubleheader.
Nikki Legg opened the fifth inning with a single off of Bucs starter Katie Wolff and Andrea Abbatiello and Sieara Bishop greeted reliever Whitney Leon with singles to load the bases with nobody out in a 3-3 game. Ambree Muller worked a base on balls to force home the go-ahead run and Kalie Hicks reached on a fielder’s choice to drive in the second run of the frame. Collier lined a double into the right-center field gap to up the lead to 6-3.
Taylor Jenkins singled, stole second base and scored on Abbatiello’s RBI single in the sixth to cap the scoring for the Paladins.
Collier, who upped her record to 14-9 in the circle, retired the final seven batters she faced while allowing three runs on 10 hits over seven innings. The senior walked two batters and struck out seven in the win.
Furman answered ETSU’s second-inning run with a sacrifice fly from Abbatiello in the third inning and gained the lead on Collier’s two-run single to right field in the top of the fourth. The Bucs plated two runs to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth before Furman answered with its three-run outburst in the fifth to take control.
Legg, Abbatiello, Bishop and Collier each tallied two hits apiece for the Paladins while Hicks drew three walks to go with an RBI on a fielder’s choice. Collier finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI.
Wolff, who allowed four runs on six hits in four-plus innings or work, suffered the loss for ETSU to drop to 4-11.
In the nightcap, ETSU’s Jackie Baird blasted a pair of home runs and Taylor Carter hurled a five-hit shutout to key the Bucs to a 5-0 win.
Baird belted a two-run homer to left-center field to stake ETSU to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and hammered her team-leading 15th homer, a solo shot, in the fourth inning to extend her team’s lead to 3-0. The Buccaneers added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth to avoid the sweep and improve their record to 17-26.
Carter scattered five hits in a complete-game effort while striking out two batters without issuing a walk. She improved to 11-8.
Baird went 3-for-3 with three RBI in the ETSU victory. Elise Smith paced the Paladins going 2-for-3 with a double.
Parker (6-9) took the loss for Furman after allowing three runs on three hits over four innings. She fanned six batters without allowing a walk.
Longwood 6, Elon 5FARMVILLE, Va. – The Elon University softball team could not maintain an early 5-0 lead and fell late to Longwood, 6-5, on a seventh inning walk-off hit by the Lancers on Wednesday, at Lancer Field.
Justina Augustine lined a bases loaded single to center field in the bottom of the seventh to hand the Phoenix (21-21-1) a tough loss and its fifth straight to the Lancers (31-9). Elon recorded seven hits in the game, but none after the second inning after the Phoenix took a 5-0 lead.
Elon was the first to score a run in the top of the first frame. The Phoenix had back-to-back leadoff singles from Alaina Hall and Carleigh Nester before Emily Cameron drove in Hall on another single through the left side. Nester would cross home plate on a one-out single by Grace Eng up the middle to give the Phoenix a 2-0 lead after the top of the first.
The Phoenix added three more runs to the scoreboard in the top of the following inning. Carey Million hit a one-out double to the right field fence scoring on another double by Hall to put the Phoenix up 3-0. Hall then advanced to third on a stolen base before being joined by on the bases by Nester, who drew a walk. Nester then stole second to give the Phoenix a pair of runners in scoring position before Cameron drove them both in on a single to left center that gave the Phoenix a 5-0 advantage after the top of the second.
Longwood plated its first runs in the bottom of the fourth. Katie Shinrock beat out a single to the pitcher to lead off the frame and moved to second on the next at bat. Megan Baltzell hit a liner that looked to be headed down the right field line, but Eng put up her glove in time to slap it down to tag her out a first. Shinrock would later score on an Elon error to trim the Phoenix’s lead to four, 5-1.
The Lancers would load the bases with one out in the fourth after Jamie Barbour singled to first base. After a line out, Longwood scored its second run on a bases loaded walk to pull within three, 5-2. Elon would escape the inning on a pop up to the shortstop.
Another run by the Lancers in the bottom of the fifth sliced Elon’s lead to two. Carly Adams singled to first base with two outs to drive in Baltzell, who had reached earlier on a walk. The Phoenix recorded the final putout on a grounder to the pitcher to move the game to the sixth with the score 5-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, Longwood pulled within one behind a RBI triple down the right field line from Baltzell. Baltzell drove in Shinrock, who had reached earlier after receiving a free pass to make the score 5-4. The Phoenix was able to record a putout on next at bat, but a Phoenix error led to Baltzell scoring the tying run, knotting the game at 5-5.
After a walk that led to the bases being loaded, Augustine took a delivery to center field, scoring the winning run in Adams to end the game.
Elon starter Caitlin O’Shea (6-12) received the loss after giving up six runs, four earned, on 10 hits. Cameron led the way at the plate after going 2-for-4 with three RBI. Hall also had two hits for the Phoenix while scoring a pair of runs.
UNCG 5, Charlotte 3UNCG 9, Charlotte 3GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG softball team sweep Charlotte in a doubleheader Wednesday at the Phillips Softball Complex. The Spartans won game one 5-3 before picking up a 9-0 run-rule victory in game two. The Spartans improve to 20-23 on the season with the sweep while the 49ers sit at 16-22. In game one, the Blue and Gold used a couple of home runs to defeat Charlotte, 5-3. Senior Katelyn Bedwell led the team going 3-for-3 with a two-run home run and four RBI. Senior Raeanne Hanks picked up her 10th win of the season after throwing a complete game allowing just one earned run off eight hits. Chelsea Lisikatos took the loss after allowing four earned runs off seven hits. UNCG jumped out on top with a run in the first inning after an infield RBI single from Bedwell. Junior Dominique Madruga reached on a dropped ball in the infield. Sophomore Allison Geiner moved Madruga to third off a sacrifice bunt. Bedwell earned her team-leading 44th RBI of the season. In the top of the second inning, sophomore Nicole Thomas blasted her 10th home run of the season to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead. The Spartans added to their lead with a run in the third inning off another RBI single from Bedwell. Freshman Ally Vergona worked a walk to start the inning. Madruga singled up the middle and Geiner grounded out to put runners in scoring position. Bedwell came through again with her 45th RBI of the season. The 49ers rallied back with two runs in the bottom of the third scoring both runs with two outs. With two outs, Natalie Capone reached on a throwing error and moved to third off a stolen base. After a walk, Jessica Plemmons scored a run on a infield single and Jackie Kleinsmith lined an RBI single to right field to make it 3-2. In the fifth inning, UNCG added a couple of insurance runs off a two out two-run opposite field home run to give the Spartans a 5-2 lead. Bedwell picked up her 11th home run of the season and two more runs batted in. Charlotte added a run in the bottom of the fifth off a RBI groundout. With one out, Kleinsmith, Chelsea Lisikatos and Courtney Caroll all singled to load the bases. Chelsea Ingersoll earned an RBI with a groundout to cut the lead to 5-3. In the seventh, the 49ers loaded the bases but Hanks induced a groundball to seal the victory for the Spartans. In game two, the Spartans scored nine runs in the first two innings to cruise to victory. Bedwell went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI and Lindsay Thomas was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Junior Tatiana Alcala was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Sophomore Lacey Leary threw all five shutout innings to improve to 6-4 on the season after allowing just two hits. Mack Hauser fell to 1-5 after allowing nine earned runs in two innings. The Spartans scored four runs off five hits to take a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Madruga doubled to right center to start the frame. Geiner sacrificed the runner to third and Bedwell followed with a RBI double to centerfield. Sophomore Lindsay Thomas roped a RBI triple to right field. With one out, Nicole Thomas lined a RBI single to push UNCG’s lead to 3-0. UNCG loaded the bases and made it 4-0 after Vergona was hit by a pitch. In the second inning, UNCG scored five runs off four hits, including a two-run home run from Bedwell. Geiner singled and Bedwell followed with her 12th home run of the season. Alcala and Vergona each had RBI singles. Leary closed the game with a 1-2-3 fifth inning to complete the sweep for UNCG.