Samford 1, Georgia Southern 0
Samford 2, Georgia Southern 1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Sophomore Caroline Wilder's two timely hits lifted the Samford University softball team to a double header sweep to clinch the series over Georgia Southern at Samford Field on Saturday, May 3.

Despite the losses, Georgia Southern clinched the top seed in the upcoming SoCon Softball Tournament, thanks to a Furman loss.

Wilder hit a solo home run in game one to propel the Bulldogs (36-15, 11-8 SoCon) to a 1-0 victory and recorded the game-winning hit in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat the Eagles (32-19, 14-6 SoCon) 2-1 for the sweep.

The Bulldogs started freshman pitcher Rebecca Leonard (4-2) in game one to which she pitched five masterful innings against the Eagles. Leonard only gave up one hit and kept the GSU batters off balance through five forced fly outs and six ground outs during her stint in the circle.

With the game deadlocked 0-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning Wilder smashed a home run over the wall and netting in left center field to put the 'Dogs ahead of the Eagles.

Sophomore Mollie Hanson came in relief in the sixth inning for Leonard after the Bulldogs went up 1-0 to secure the victory and record her first save of the season.

Georgia Southern ace Sarah Purvis (18-11) pitched a complete-game for the Eagles and scattered four SU hits throughout six innings of work.

Megan Dowdy, Callie Brister and Abbie Miranda each recorded a base hit in the contest.

Hanson (22-8) got the call in game two and picked up where she left off of from where she was in her relief role in game one. Hanson pitched an eight-inning complete-game gem for the Bulldogs as the only run she allowed was a solo home run to Breanna McLendon in the third inning.

GSU pitcher Brooke Red had all of the momentum in the contest as she pitched a no-hitter all the way until the seventh inning (12-6) until pinch hitter freshman Abby Sweeney sent a high chopper over the head of the Georgia Southern third baseman. The hit moved pinch runner Leonard over to second base with no outs.

Wilder sent a fly ball over to right field that allowed Leonard to advance to third with only one out. Freshman Abbie Miranda loaded the bases on a fielder's choice to third as the defender took too long when she looked back Leonard to third base.

Dowdy drove in the game tying run in the next at-bat on a fielder's choice to second base.

The Bulldogs kept the offense rolling in the eighth inning when Caitlin Bice led off with a double in the gap of right center field. Madison Dickey added another base runner after she reached on a wild pitch strikeout.

Sweeney loaded the bases on a one out walk to set up the game winning hit from Wilder.

 

Chattanooga 1, Western Carolina 0
Chattanooga 10, Western Carolina 2
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – While the Southern Conference regular season may be cooling down, the Chattanooga softball team is staying hot as the Mocs claimed a couple of games from Western Carolina Saturday evening at Frost Stadium.  Chattanooga edged out the Catamounts in a 1-0 win in the first game and took the second 10-2 in walkoff fashion in the bottom of the fifth inning with a run-rule shortened contest.

With today’s twin-bill sweep and Furman’s split with Appalachian State, the Mocs and Paladins are tied for second place in the league standings.  However, with UTC winning the regular season series, Chattanooga holds the tie-breaker if the two teams finish with identical record – giving the Mocs the higher seed.

A pitching duel ensued in the first game of the night, pinning Chattanooga ace Katie Henderson (Hixson, Tenn.) against Western Carolina ace Jordan Garrett.  Henderson (15-10) came out on top in the end with Garrett (9-15) taking the no-decision, but both hurlers were neck-and-neck until the bottom of the fifth inning.

Through the first three frames of the game, Henderson whiffed five batters – striking out the side in the third – and allowed just one hit.  On the flip side, Garrett gave up just four hits in four innings of work and stranded five Mocs on base.

The game’s only run came in the fifth off Catamounts reliever Taylor Sigmon as Sarah Beth Roberts got the ball rolling with a hard single up the middle with one out.  With the swift junior on, a wild pitch allowed Roberts to move up to second with Alyssa Taylor at the plate.  Taylor took advantage with the runner in scoring position, driving a hit up the middle to score the third baseman from second.

Working with a 1-0 lead, Henderson gave up just three hits beyond the fifth and did not allow a WCU run to cross.  The sophomore totaled nine strikeouts and the shutout was her third of the season.

The Mocs put Western Carolina away in five innings in the second game with a big first inning and multiple runs in the fourth and fifth innings to give Chattanooga a walkoff win.

UTC posted five runs in the first inning to take a convincing lead.  Among the five hits in the inning, Roberts blasted her fifth homerun of the season on a high flyball to center.

Jesslyn Stockard proved to be the dangerous hitter in the lineup on a couple of strikes first and third innings.  The freshman was 2-for-3 on the night while also reaching on an error.  A three-RBI double in the first and an RBI-double in the third gave UTC four of its 10 runs and four RBIs to Stockard’s credit.

Backing the offense was junior Taylor Deason in the circle for the Mocs.  The righty picked up her 13th win, allowing just three hits and two runs – both unearned.  Deason struck out six and walked just one.

 

Furman 4, Appalachian State 2
Appalachian State 7, Furman 3
Greenville, S.C. – Senior Lauren Collier tossed a complete game in the series opener to help Furman to a 4-2 victory and doubleheader split with Appalachian State in Southern Conference softball action on Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.  The Mountaineers bounced back to claim a 7-3 decision in game two.

The split kept Furman in second place in the SoCon at 28-22 overall and 12-7 in league play, but the Paladins’ loss in game two secured the SoCon regular season title for Georgia Southern.  Appalachian State moved to 18-30 overall and 6-13 in the league.  The Paladins can clinch at least a share of second place in the final SoCon standings with a win in Sunday’s regular season finale.

Collier tossed a complete game and held Appalachian State to just two runs on seven hits to lead Furman to a 4-2 win in the series opener on Saturday.

The Mountaineers broke on top in the first inning as Dani Heichen scored on Lindsay Loudermilk’s two-out double into the right-center field gap.  

Furman answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame.  Sieara Bishop and Ambree Muller opened the inning with singles and the Paladins loaded the bases when App State starter Alissa Schoelkopf hit Collier with a one-out pitch.  Bishop scored on a wild pitch to tie the game and Muller raced home when Andrea Abbatiello’s two-out grounder skipped over Schoelkopf’s glove for an error to give Furman a 2-1 lead.

The Paladins plated a key insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Abbatiello drew a leadoff walk and moved to second base on Nikki Legg’s sacrifice bunt before Taylor Jenkins lined a double to the left field wall to give Furman a 3-1 lead.

After Appalachian State strung together three hits to score a run in the top of the sixth on Cara Parker’s RBI single to center field, Furman restored its two-run lead in the bottom of the inning.  Muller reached on an error, went to third on Natalie Clemmon’s single and scored on Collier’s flyout to right field.

Schoelkopf (4-9) allowed four runs, two earned, on five hits to suffer the loss for the Mountaineers.  She finished with three walks and four strikeouts in six innings of work.

Collier fanned four Mountaineers and did not allow a walk while improving to 17-10 in the circle.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Appalachian’s Sydney Laws carried a no-hitter into the sixth and held Furman to just two earned runs on three hits to lead the Mountaineers to a 7-3 win.

An error led to an Appalachian State run in the first inning and Parker doubled the lead by opening the top of the fifth with a solo homer to left-center field.  Cynthia Gomez singled with two outs in the frame to score Carolina Rogers and up the Mountaineer lead to 3-0.

Furman got on the board without the benefit of a hit in the bottom of the fifth.  Bishop reached on an error by the shortstop and went to third when Clemmons’ line drive to center was dropped.  Bishop scored on a wild pitch to slice the lead to 3-1, but Laws retired the next two batters to strand Clemmons at third base.

After Appalachian State extended its lead to 4-1 in the top of the sixth, Furman cut the margin to a run when Legg reached on a one-out infield single and Taylor Jenkins launched a two-run homer off of the light tower in left field.

The Mountaineers responded by putting the game out of reach in the top of the seventh with three runs.  After Kristen Terry doubled and Gomez was hit by a pitch following a sacrifice bunt, Sarah Warnock lined a two-run double to the wall in left-center and scored on Loudermilk’s single up the middle for the finale 7-3 scoreline.

Laws struck out two Paladins without allowing a walk in seven innings of work to improve to 5-8 in the circle.  Furman starter Alex Sappington (5-3) suffered the loss, allowing three runs on six hits in five and 1/3 innings.  She walked two and struck out two.

Four Mountaineers each registered two hits to power a 12-hit outburst for Appalachian State while Legg, Jenkins and Bishop recorded the only hits for Furman.

 

UNCG 10, Elon 2
UNCG 10, Elon 8
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG softball team continued its recent hot streak scoring 20 runs in a doubleheader sweep against rival Elon Saturday afternoon on Alumni Day at the UNCG Softball Stadium.

The Spartans improve to 26-24 with a 9-11 conference mark while Elon falls to 24-26-1 and 6-14 in the SoCon. UNCG has won six-straight conference games heading into Senior Day tomorrow.

In game one, UNCG scored six runs in the fifth inning to run rule Elon 10-2 in five innings.

Senior Raeanne Hanks threw all five innings to improve to 13-15 on the season after allowing two earned runs off four hits with seven strikeouts. Hanks now has 403 career strikeouts to move into fifth all-time in the record books. Alli Burdette took the loss after allowing nine earned runs off 11 hits to earn her fourth loss of the season.

Sophomore Lindsay Thomas went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Classmate Nicole Thomas was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Junior Tatiana Alcala (Oxnard, Calif./Pacifica) had a solid 2-for-3 day driving in three runs.

In the first inning, the Spartans scored four runs off three hits that included a two-run triple from Alcala. Lindsay Thomas roped an RBI double and Nicole Thomas earned an RBI single to left field to give UNCG a 4-0 lead.

Elon scored two runs in the second inning off two hits. With two runners on, Carey Million lined a two-run double to left centerfield scoring two runs to cut the Spartans lead to 4-2.

The Blue and Gold ended the game with a six-run fifth inning to run rule the Phoenix, 10-2. Sophomore Danielle Vega lined a double to left center to help break the single season team record with 79 doubles. Senior Toni MacReynolds singled to put runners at the corners. Alcala singled home Vega to make it 5-2. After a sacrifice bunt, pinch hitter Hagan Kiser lined a RBI single. Back-to-back RBI walks from Bedwell and Lindsay Thomas gave the Spartans an 8-2 lead. Nicole Thomas and Danielle Vega both picked up RBI singles clinch the victory for UNCG.

In game two, Hanks came on in the seventh to earn her second save of the season to help UNCG sweep a doubleheader against Elon.

In the seventh inning, Elon worked two walks to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Hanks induced a groundout to second base to give the Spartans their 26^th win of the season and six-straight win against conference opponents.
Junior Dominique Madruga went 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot adding a RBI and Vega was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Elon took an early 2-0 lead without recording a hit in the first inning. The Phoenix loaded the bases with one out after earning three walks. Aly Quintana was hit by a pitch to bring home the first run and Amanda Allen picked up a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

In the bottom of the first, the Spartans sent 12 hitters to the plate scoring seven runs off seven hits to open up a 7-2 lead. Madruga singled to centerfield to start the frame. After a walk, senior Katelyn Bedwell aunched her SoCon leading 16^th home run of the season, a three-run to right field. After a single and a out, MacReynolds reached on a fielding error to keep the inning alive. Freshman Tory Wright earned an RBI single to make it 4-2 Spartans. Alcala scored off a wild pitch and Madruga beat out an infield hit sliding into first for the RBI. Lindsay Thomas picked up an RBI single for the seventh run of the inning.

The Phoenix would score two more runs in the second inning off a two-run home run from Emily Cameron, her eighth of the season, cutting UNCG’s lead to 7-4.

UNCG plated three unearned runs in the second inning off a crazy play. Nicole Thomas walked to start the inning, followed by a singled up the middle from Vega. After an out, Alcala hit a chopper to the catcher as Million tried to beat Alcala throwing it all the way to right field allowing all three runners to score off the error giving the Spartans a 10-4 lead.

Elon would climb back hitting back-to-back solo home runs in the fifth inning as Carleigh Nester and Emily Roper each went yard to cut UNCG’s lead to 10-6.

In the sixth inning, the Phoenix scored two unearned runs after UNCG made three errors helping Elon cut the lead to 10-8. Ali Ford reached on an error to start the inning and another error allowed Million to reach. Cameron picked up a sacrifice fly and Alaina Hall lined a RBI double to left center for the eighth run.