Samford 3, Elon 1Elon 6, Samford 1ELON, N.C – Carleigh Nester tied a school-record with her 34th career home run as the Elon University softball team split its doubleheader versus Samford on Saturday, April 26, at Hunt Softball Park. The Phoenix (23-24-1, 5-12 (Southern Conference) fell in game one, 3-1, before evening the series with a 6-1 victory over the Bulldogs (34-14, 9-7 SoCon) in game two.
Both teams will be back at it tomorrow at 1 p.m. in the rubber match. The maroon and gold will also host Senior Day to honor its six-member class of Nester, Lauren Oldham, Amanda Allen, Ali Ford, Johanna Spencer and Karen Berna.
The Bulldogs got on the board early in the opening game as Megan Dowdy scored on a Cal Brister foul out to first in the top of the opening frame. Dowdy had reached earlier in the inning on a leadoff single before beating the throw home to score the first run of the contest.
Elon responded in the bottom half however as Nester lined a one-out triple to right center to drive in Alaina Hall, who drew a walk earlier in the frame, to tie the game at 1-1. Nester would be stranded however as the next two batters went down in order.
Samford pulled back in front as the Bulldogs scored two unanswered runs over the second and third innings to move ahead 3-1.
The Phoenix struggled to get things going offensively, mustering only one hit from the second to the sixth inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Elon threatened after loading the bases with no outs. Hall and Nester led off the inning with a singles before being joined by Emily Cameron on another single to load the bags. The Phoenix still could not push a run across the plate as Samford escaped the inning unscathed.
Elon went down in order in the bottom of the seventh as Bulldogs’ starter Mollie Hanson struck out all three batters to close out the game.
Elon starter Alli Burdette (3-3) took the loss after pitching a complete game and gave up three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Hanson improved to 21-7 with the complete game win.
The Phoenix was the first team to strike in game two in the bottom of the first. Hall reached on a one-out single before Nester hit her 13th homer of the season to put the Phoenix up 2-0. The home run tied Nester with All-American Tomeka Watson (2010-13) for the most in school history and set a new single-season high for the Kernersville, N.C., native.
The early lead was more enough for Elon starter Caitlin O’Shea, who did not allow a hit in the first three innings and did not allow a runner to reach second through the first four. Elon added to its advantage in the bottom of the third on an Aly Quintana sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Nester, who had reached on a walk to put the Phoenix up 3-0.
After a scoreless fifth, Samford finally added a run on the scoreboard in the top half of the sixth behind a Caroline Wilder double to right field, scoring Dowdy who led off the inning with a triple. Wilder would be thrown out trying to advance to third before O’Shea set down the next two batters to move to the bottom of the sixth.
Elon added some insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth from the bat of Hall. The Suwanee, Ga., native hit a two-out three-RBI triple down the right field line to put the Phoenix up 6-1 at the end of the sixth.
Samford had a runner advanced to second in the top of the seventh, but was unable to drive her home as the game ended in the 6-1 score.
O’Shea (7-13) picked up the win for the maroon and gold after going all 7.0 innings and gave up one run on six hits with a pair of strikeouts. Elon only had four hits in game two with half of them coming from Hall.
UNCG 11, Appalachian State 5UNCG 20, Appalachian State 19BOONE, N.C. – The UNCG offensive attack put on a show scoring more runs since 1995 leading to a doubleheader sweep on the road against Appalachian State Saturday at the Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium. The Spartans improve to 23-24 with a 6-11 conference mark while Appalachian State falls to 17-28 with a 5-11 SoCon record. UNCG launched nine home runs with 28 hits and 31 runs scored in the doubleheader sweep. The series concludes with a single game Sunday, April 27 at 1 p.m. In game one, the Blue and Gold used three home runs to power past Appalachian State, 11-5. Sophomore Lindsay Thomas went 3-for-3 with two home runs, five RBI and four runs scored. Twin sister Nicole Thomas had a 3-for-4 game with a home run and four RBI. Senior Katelyn Bedwell was 3-for-5 at the plate and junior Dominique Madruga was 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Senior Raeanne Hanks (Rainier, Ore./Rainier Senior) earned the victory throwing six innings after allowing five runs (three earned) with seven strikeouts. Alissa Schoelkopf fell to 4-8 after going 2.2 innings and allowed nine runs (four earned) with four walks. UNCG took advantage of some early control problems for Mountaineers starting pitcher Alissa Schoelkopf scoring two runs off one hit. Madruga led off the game by getting hit by a pitch. Lindsay Thomas singled to the shortstop to put runners on first and second with no outs. After a fly out and an illegal pitch, Nicole Thomas worked a walk to load the bases. Classmate Danielle Vega earned an RBI sacrifice fly to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. Back-to-back walks led to another run as pinch-hitter Hagan Kiser picked up the RBI off the walk. App. State came right back to tie the game at 2-2 after Ashley Seering lined a two-out two run single to plate two runs in the bottom of the first. The Mountaineers started the inning with back-to-back infield singles. Hanks was able to get two strikeouts in between a walk. With the bases loaded, Seering tied the game on hard hit ball to centerfield. In the second inning, the Spartans regained the lead after Lindsay Thomas blasted her sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot to push the Blue and Gold ahead 4-2. UNCG scored five runs all on two outs to break open a 9-3 lead over the Mountaineers. Lindsay Thomas blasted her second home run of the game, a three-run shot to left field. Bedwell singled and Nicole Thomas followed with a two-run, her 11th of the season.
In the fourth inning, App. State scored an unearned to cut UNCG’s lead to 9-4. Kristen Terry started the frame with infield single and Dani Heichen walked. After an error, Hanks struck out Sarah Warnock looking for the first out. Brittany Loudermilk earned an RBI groundout and Cara Parker struck out swinging to end the threat.
The Spartans added an insurance run on a RBI groundout by Nicole Thomas. After a walk, Bedwell doubled off the wall in right center. Nicole Thomas earned her 45th RBI of the season to give UNCG a 10-4 advantage.
The Mountaineers wouldn’t go away scoring another run in the fifth inning off a RBI groundout by Terry to cut UNCG’s lead to 10-5.
Nicole Thomas continued her solid game with a RBI single in the seventh, giving her four runs batted in for the contest.
In the seventh inning, the Mountaineers put runners on after back-to-back singles. Nicole Thomas relieved Hanks and got three-straight outs to finish the victory for the Spartans.
In game two, the Spartans blasted six more home runs and held on for a wild 20-19 victory. It was the most runs scored for UNCG since 1995 when the Spartans scored 22 in a victory over Morgan State.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Mountaineers made a furious rally scoring four runs on six hits. Hanks came into the game with one out and two runs in cutting UNCG’s lead to 20-17. With two runners on, Loudermilk hit a groundball back to the pitcher and Hanks tagged the runner but Loudermilk was awarded first base. Seering lined a two-run single to plate two more runs making it 20-19 Spartans. Hanks delivered a clutch swinging strikeout and a groundout to end the wild second game.
Nicole Thomas earned the victory improving to 6-5 on the season. Hanks picked up her first save of the season after sealing the victory.
Lindsay Thomas had an exceptional game going 4-for-5 with a RBI and four runs scored. Bedwell was 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI. Nicole Thomas went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. Senior Toni MacReynolds blasted a two-run home run and Madruga added a solo shot.
UNCG quickly took a 1-0 lead after a leadoff home run from Madruga, her second of the season. After a Lindsay Thomas single, Bedwell hit her 14th home run of the season, a two-run blast to right field to make it 3-0 Spartans.
App. State responded with two runs in the first inning to cut the lead to 3-2. Warnock with a RBI single and Ashley Seering doubled home a run.
In the bottom of the second, the Mountaineers tied the game at 3-3 after Cynthia Gomez earned a RBI sacrifice fly.
The Spartans took a 5-3 lead after scoring two runs off one hit. Vega picked up an RBI off a bases loaded walk and Kiser earned a RBI sacrifice fly to bring home the fifth run.
App. State rallied again to tie the game at 5-5 off one hit and a Spartan error. With two outs, pinch hitter Alex Sohl reached on a catcher’s interference to bring home a run. Gomez worked a RBI walk to tie the game at 5-5.
The Blue and Gold took control with a seven-run fourth inning off three hits. All seven runs came home after two outs. Lindsay Thomas singled through the infield and Bedwell followed with a two-run blast to right field. Bedwell now has 15 home runs on the season. Nicole Thomas walked and Vega kept the inning alive after getting hit by a pitch. MacReynolds struck out swinging but reached base on a wild pitch. Junior Tatiana Alcala lined a RBI single and freshman Tory Wright was hit by a pitch. Three more runs scored off two hit by pitches and a walk to give the Spartans a 12-5 lead.
In the top of the fifth inning, Nicole Thomas launched a solo home run to centerfield, her second of the series and 12th of the season, giving UNCG a 13-5 lead.
The Mountaineers battled back scoring five runs off four hits and a UNCG error. Seering had a two-run single and Parker picked up an RBI single. App. State cut the lead to 13-10 after five innings.
In the wild sixth inning, the Spartans scored seven runs off seven hits, including two home runs from Nicole Thomas (three-run shot) and MacReynolds (two-run blast). Bedwell tied the school record for most RBI in a season (57) after scoring two on a single through the left side. UNCG took a 20-10 lead after the seven-run inning.
App. State wouldn’t quit adding five runs in the sixth inning off a clutch grand slam from senior Lindsay Loudermilk to cut the lead to 20-15. Warnock earned an RBI single to setup the grand slam for Loudermilk.
Furman 7, Western Carolina 0Western Carolina 6, Furman 1Cullowhee, N.C. – Senior Lauren Collier tossed a five-hit shutout in game one to help propel Furman to a 7-0, 1-6 doubleheader split in Southern Conference softball action at Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon.
With the series opener scoreless after three innings, Andrea Abbatiello drew a leadoff walk and stole second to begin the top of the fourth. After back-to-back strikeouts, Ambree Muller hit a towering two-run shot to left-center to stake the Paladins to a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Elise Smith was hit by a pitch and Muller drew a one-out walk to set the table for Furman before Natalie Clemmons belted her team-leading sixth home run of the season, a three-run shot, to deep left-center field to extend the Paladin lead to 5-0. Collier doubled with one out and scored on Taylor Jenkins’ two-out double. The Paladins added another run as Nikki Legg reached on a bunt single and Jenkins scored on a throwing error to first.
Collier scattered five hits in a complete-game effort to improve to 15-10 in the circle. The Maineville, Ohio, native walked just one batter and fanned two in the victory.
Mallory Broome (1-6) suffered the loss for the Catamounts, allowing two runs on two hits in five innings. She struck out six batters and issued three walks.
Clemmons went 2-for-3 with three RBI for the Paladins while Muller homered, walked twice and scored two runs.
In the second game of the twinbill, Western Carolina plated four runs with two outs in the bottom of the third inning and three Furman errors led to two more runs in the sixth as the Catamounts cruised to a 6-1 win.
Starter Jordan Garrett (9-14) held the Paladins to just one run on three hits in six innings of work to earn the win. The right-hander fanned five batters and walked three.
Two walks and a single loaded the bases for the Catamounts in the bottom of the third and Taylor Sigmon put Western Carolina on the board first by lining a two-out, two-run single up the middle off of Paladin starter Shelby Parker. Heather Chastain followed with a two-run double off of the left-center field fence to up the margin to 4-0.
Abbatiello got Furman on the board in the top of the fifth by belting her first career home run to trim the Catamount lead to 4-1.
In the sixth, Western Carolina’s first three batters reached on errors by the Paladin infield as WCU pushed across two insurance runs.
Parker (6-10), who gave up four runs on five hits in four and 2/3 innings, took the loss for Furman. She walked four batters and recorded five strikeouts.
Western Carolina was led by Sigmon who went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI.
Georgia Southern 3, Chattanooga 1Chattanooga 2, Georgia Southern 1STATESBORO, GA. – Georgia Southern Softball split a Saturday afternoon doubleheader with Chattanooga, winning the opener 3-1 before falling 2-1 in the finale. The Eagles recognized the Class of 2014 in a pregame ceremony to open the final home series in the SoCon Era. With the doubleheader split, the Eagles continue to lead Chattanooga and Furman in the race for the SoCon Regular Season Championship by two and a half games entering the final four games of the season. The Eagles are 31-17 on the season with a 13-4 mark in league play. Chattanooga is 27-18 overall and 10-6 in the SoCon. The Eagles put the first runs on the board in the fourth when the GS punished Chattanooga for a two-out walk to Kourtny Thomas. Morgan Robinson did the damage, powering her fourth home run of the season. The home team tacked on another run in the fifth inning following a leadoff double by Lexi Allen. She was driven home by AJ Hamilton as the sophomore backstop laced a ball through the right side. Allen rounded third and got under the tag to tally the third run of the game for the Eagles. Chattanooga got on the board with two outs in the seventh, Sarah Beth Roberts hits her fourth home run of the season to avoid the shutout. The Eagles secured the win when the next batter fouled out to third base. Sarah Purvis earned the victory to improve to 17-10 on the season. She scattered three hits and the one run with seven strikeouts on the afternoon. Chattanooga’s Katie Henderson took the loss to fall to 14-9 on the season. Chattanooga got first blood in the second game with a pair of runs in the fourth. A throwing error on Tyler Templet’s single allowed Cricket Blanco to score from second base. Later in the inning, Templet came home on Sam Taylor’s RBI double to the gap in right. Kourtny Thomas cut the lead to one in the sixth inning with a solo home run to left. It was her 14th home run of the season and keeps her in a tie for the top spot in the league for home runs. The Eagles couldn’t get any runs in the seventh as they settled for the series split, 2-1. Taylor Deason was victorious for the Mocs to move to 12-8 on the year. Georgia Southern’s Brooke Red was handed the loss to fall to 12-5 on the year. The junior allowed two runs, both earned while allowing four hits with five strikeouts. Allie Miles came in to pitch the seventh and worked around a hit with a strikeout in the seventh inning.