Samford 2, Western Carolina 1Western Carolina 3, Samford 0CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina softball split the doubleheader with Samford dropping the first game 2-1, before bouncing back to shutout the Bulldogs 3-0 in game two, Saturday at the Catamount Softball Complex.
The Catamounts (14-24, 4-7 Southern Conference) became just the third team this season to toss a shutout against Samford (28-11, 6-4 SoCon). Prior to WCU hanging a zero in the scoring column on Samford the Bulldogs were held scoreless against Auburn and Furman earlier in the year.
The Catamounts dropped a heartbreaker in game one as Samford just edged the Catamounts 2-1. The Bulldogs benefitted from two timely hits to secure the win.
Western Carolina took the early lead scoring a run in the first inning. Senior Amelia Griffin hit a lead-off single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Karley Harkey. Freshman Kara Salvo hit an RBI single through the left side to score Griffin.
Samfrod knotted the game at one with one swing as Shelby Scott hit a one out homerun off Western Carolina freshman pitcher Coutney Buchanan. It was the only run Buchanan would give up as she went four innings allowing five hits, one run, three walks and striking out four.
Western Carolina had a base runner in the first five innings of the game but couldn't find a way to push more than one run across. Samford got the winning run in the top of the fifth.
Sophomore Taylor Sigmon, who came into the game in relief in the fifth, gave up a one out hit to Callie Brister and Brister scored on an RBI double by Scott. It was a bang-bang play at the plate as Brister just reached home plate beating the throw from left field.
Sigmon took the loss falling to 2-1 on the season. She allowed one run on three hits and struck out four.
Samford had eight hits in the game and Western Carolina had six. The Catamounts also left eight runners on base. Courtney Price went 2-for-3 in the game.
Samford looked to have the early advantage in game two when starting Western Carolina pitcher Mallory Broome walked the first two batters she faced. Broome was quickly lifted for junior hurler Jordan Garrett. The bulldogs laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third and Garrett walked Brister to load the bases. Garrett got a strikeout and a line out to end the inning.
Western Carolina took the early 1-0 lead, in the bottom of the second, when Harkey hit a one out homerun over the left field wall. With the lead, Garrett worked around a couple of Bulldog hits and struck out two to help WCU cling to the 1-0 lead.
Harkey was involved again in scoring when she drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the fifth. A beauty of a sacrifice bunt laid down by sophomore Amber Kimrey moved Harkey to second and she moved to third on a wild pitch. Brooke Coggins delivered a two-out RBI single up the middle to score Harkey.
In a tight game, Western Carolina all but put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore first baseman Sigmon hit her third homerun the on the year, a shot over the left field wall, to make the score 3-0.
In the final two innings of the game Garrett struck out three of the six batters she faced and stifled the Bulldogs.
Garrett ended the game with nine strikeouts and earned the win improving to 6-12 on the year. She gave up three hits and earned her second shutout of the season.
Harkey had a strong day going 1-for-1, scoring two runs, hitting a homerun and drawing two walks. She also made two spectacular defensive plays at her short stop position.
Furman 5, UNCG 2Furman 6, UNCG 5Greenville S.C. – Senior Hannah Pace belted a three-run, walk-off homer in game one and Furman rallied from a pair of two-run deficits in the nightcap to complete a 5-2, 6-5 doubleheader sweep of UNCG in Southern Conference softball action on Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
The sweep improved the Paladins to 19-18 overall and 6-4 in SoCon play while upping their record at Pepsi Stadium in 2014 to 8-2. UNCG slipped to 15-20 overall and 3-8 in league play.
With game one tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Ambree Muller started the frame with a double to left-center field off UNCG starter Raeanne Hanks. Lauren Collier lined a one-out single to left field to put runners on the corners and Pace followed with a walk-off blast off of the scoreboard in left-center to hand the Paladins a 5-2 victory.
Collier, who held UNCG to just two runs on five hits over eight innings of work, picked up the win to improve to 11-9 in the circle. The right-hander worked around four hit batters and two walks while fanning five Spartans.
The Paladins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the first inning. Taylor Jenkins reached on a one-out, infield single and scored when Sieara Bishop lined a double to the base of the wall in right-center field. Jenkins advanced to third on a wild pitch and raced home on Muller’s sacrifice fly.
Katelyn Bedwell lined a two-run double down the left field line to even the game at 2-2 in the third inning. The game remained scoreless until Muller and Collier’s hits set up Pace’s walk-off heroics in extra innings.
Muller went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles in the series opener while Jenkins, Collier and Pace each registered two hits to ignite Furman’s 12-hit attack.
Hanks (7-12) took the loss for the Spartans after allowing five runs on 12 hits in seven and 1/3 innings in the circle. She walked three Paladins and recorded six strikeouts.
In the nightcap, Alex Sappington tossed her first career complete game and the Paladins scored four of their six runs with two outs en route to a 6-5 win over the Spartans.
Lindsay Thomas, who went 3-for-3 with a homer and a pair of doubles, put UNCG on the board with a two-run blast in the top of the first. Furman got on the board in the bottom of the second on Muller leadoff blast to right-center. Elise Smith and Kalie Hicks followed with walks before Pace singled to left-center to tie the game at 2-2.
After UNCG regained the lead at 4-2 on Toni MacReynolds’ pinch hit, two-run double in the top of the fourth, Furman exploded for three runs in the bottom of the frame. Smith walked and moved to third when Natalie Clemmons singled with two outs. Stephanie Spain knotted the game with a two-out, two-run single up the middle and scored the go-ahead run on Nikki Legg’s single to center field.
The Spartans tied the game on Thomas’ third hit of the day before Furman pushed across the eventual winning run in the bottom of the fifth. Muller reached on a two-out walk and stole second before scoring on Smith’s single through the right side.
Sappington allowed five runs on seven hits in seven innings to up her record to 4-1. The New York, N.Y., native walked two batters and fanned a career-high five in the win.
Clemmons paced the Paladins with two hits while Jenkins doubled for the Purple and White.
Lacey Leary (4-3) suffered the loss for UNCG. She gave up six runs on eight Paladin hits in six innings.
Thomas led the Spartans going 3-for-3 with a double and a homer.
Elon 5, Chattanooga 4Chattanooga 3, Elon 0CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – A solo home run by Grace Eng in the eighth inning of game two helped the Elon University softball team 5-4 win and a doubleheader split at Chattanooga on Saturday, April 5, at Frost Stadium. The Phoenix (19-17-1, 3-8 Southern Conference) bounced back from a 3-0 game one loss versus the Mocs (22-15, 7-3 SoCon).
The two teams will return for the rubber match tomorrow in the series finale with the first pitch scheduled at 2 p.m.
Chattanooga scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the third due to some Elon miscues. The Phoenix recorded the first two outs of the frame, but the Mocs’ Sam Taylor reached on an error. She then advanced to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a single to right field by Sarah Beth Roberts that gave Chattanooga an early 1-0 lead.
Elon attempted to respond in the top of the fourth. The Phoenix had two runners reach base in the inning with Ali Ford leading off with a bloop single to left. Ford advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alaina Hall, but Hall reached due to an error on the third baseman with no outs. The Mocs struck out the next batter before inducing the final out on a double play to escape the inning.
Chattanooga added another run in the bottom of the fourth. Anyssa Robles led off the inning with a double to left field before being replaced on the base paths by a pinch runner. She advanced to third despite a great diving catch by left fielder Emily Cameron in foul territory. Robles would eventually score on a grounder by Jesslyn Stockard to second base and put the Mocs up 2-0.
The Mocs added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Nicole Osterman lined a one-out double down the left field line and was driven in on a single by Cricket Blanco. Elon managed to record the final two outs to move to the top of the seventh down 3-0.
Elon was unable to answer in the top of the seventh and fell to the Mocs in game one, 3-0.
Elon starter Caitlin O’Shea (5-9) pitched a complete game in the loss, allowing only two earned runs on four hits while walking two. Cameron led the way at the plate after going 2-of-3 with Ford and Hall registering the only hits for the Phoenix.
The Mocs plated the first run of the game in the bottom of the third. Chattanooga scored on an Anyssa Taylor single to center field to go ahead 1-0. The Mocs added another run in the inning to take a 2-0 advantage after the third.
Elon answered in the top of the fourth to tie the game. Hall reached on an error by the second baseman and advanced to second on a single by Carleigh Nester. The pair would score on an Aly Quintana two-out double to center field, knotting the game at 2-2.
Elon took the lead in the top of the fifth. Grace Eng doubled to begin the inning and advanced to third with two outs on a grounder to the pitcher by Lauren Oldham. Eng would cross home plate to give Elon the lead on a single up the middle by Ford. Ford would give Elon a two-run lead after mishap by the Chattanooga pitcher put Elon up 4-2 after the top of the fifth.
Chattanooga battled back to score a run in the bottom half of the frame. Anyssa Taylor placed a one-out triple to left center and scored on a sacrifice fly by to trim Elon’s lead to one, 4-3. Elon recorded the final out to end the inning and move the game to the sixth.
Elon threatened again in the top of the sixth loading the bags. Quintana and Cameron both reached on a couple errors by the Mocs’ third baseman to lead off the inning. The pair moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Eng and was joined on the base paths by Johanna Spencer after she was walked. Elon could not drive them in on the next two at bats moving the game to the bottom half of the frame.
Chattanooga tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. Roberts singled up the middle to start the inning then plated the tying run on an error by the Phoenix. Elon would recover to escape the inning as the game moved into extras tied at 4-4.
Elon retook the lead in the top of the eighth frame as Eng connected on her seventh homer of the year on a two-out solo shot to left field. The blast gave the Phoenix a 5-4 lead after the top of the eighth.
Chattanooga had a runner reach in the bottom of the frame and advance to second with one out on a squeeze play. Ford however caught a line drive and converted a double play to end the game.
Chelsea White (8-6) earned the win for the Phoenix after she entered the game in the seventh. Starter Alli Burdette threw 5.0 innings and allowed three runs on her seven hits to go with three strikeouts. O’Shea threw a scoreless sixth in relief.
Eng went 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and a RBI. Quintana also had two RBI for the Phoenix.
Georgia Southern 4, Appalachian State 0Georgia Southern 9, Appalachian State 4BOONE, N.C. – In its fifth conference series of the season, Appalachian State University softball hosted Georgia Southern University for a doubleheader on Saturday.
Georgia Southern (26-11, 10-1 SoCon) started the contest off with a Shelby Morrill home run to center field to give the Eagles an early 1-0 lead.
The Mountaineers (13-21, 3-7 SoCon) defense held off the Eagles until the final inning when three more runs were tallied for Georgia Southern. Dominique Grossman scored on a throwing error. Taylor Rogers stole second base and was later brought home by a Kourtny Thomas double to deep center. The Apps committed an error on the play and Emily Snider would come home as a result.
Alissa Schoelkopf started the contest for the Mountaineers and pitched 6.2 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out six batters. Shivaun Landeros (Sparks, Nev./Edward C. Reed) relieved Schoelkopf to pitch the final out in the seventh inning. She hit the first batter and forced a ground out from the second.
The Mountaineers stranded six batters in the game.
The Eagles struck first in game two off a pop fly to right field, driving home Rogers, but App State was able to return the favor with Dani Heichen scoring on a wild pitch from third base to tie the game at 1-1.
The Mountaineers continued the momentum and went quickly into the bottom of the second, where Pepper Butler grounded out to the shortstop but drove home Kristen Terry, who was on to pinch run, giving them their first lead of the series at 2-1.
After retying the game at two apiece, the Eagles pounded out three hits, including a grand slam off the bat of Shelby Morrill to give the Eagles a commanding 6-2 lead.
App State only managed one hit between the second and fifth innings while the bats got hot for Georgia Southern. The Eagles would tally two more home runs from Lexi Allen and Snider.
The Mountaineers attempted a comeback in the sixth inning as Ashley Seering was batted in off a Lindsay Loudermilk RBI groundout before Cara Parker homered to left center. The home run for Parker was her team-leading fifth of the season.
Landeros pitched 4.2 innings, allowing six hits and seven runs before Sydney Laws would come in and finish the game. Laws allowed four hits and two runs and added four strikeouts.