North Carolina 1, Western Carolina 0
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - In a strong outing to open the 2015 season, Western Carolina softball (0-1) dropped a 1-0 heart-breaker to ACC foe North Carolina (4-2) Wednesday at Anderson Stadium.
In the only extra base hit Western Carolina allowed in the game, North Carolina's Aquilla Mateen hit a double to left center to lead off the seventh inning. Tar Heel s'designated player Amber Parrish laid down a bunt to push Mateen to third. A wild pitch by relief pitcher Taylor Sigmon allowed Mateen to score and give North Carolina the win.
Western Carolina put together a brilliant defensive performance against North Carolina in its opening game of the season. The Catamounts turned two double plays and gunned down a Tar Heel runner at home during the contest.
In the bottom of the first North Carolina seemed to be sitting pretty with back-to-back singles placing runners on first and second. The Catamounts turned a double play when sophomore short stop Kara Salvo scooped up a ball to third, stepped on the bag, and tossed it to first for the double play. The next North Carolina batter, Kristen Brown, fouled out to end the inning.
The Catamounts registered its second double play in as many innings in the second. With one out, and a runner on second, North Carolina was turned away again. Kendra Lynch lined out to starting pitcher Jordan Garrett who headily threw it back to first to catch the runner off the bag.
North Carolina was back at it again in the third inning when it loaded the bases with two outs, and Garrett with a steely stare, calmly rung up Brown to end the inning and the Tar Heel threat. Garrett showed her defensive side when with two outs in the fourth inning she snagged a liner to end the inning with runners on the corners.
The fourth inning was the last for Garrett. Drawing the start, Garrett went four innings giving up three hits and striking out two.
Still want some defensive razzle dazzle? Relief pitcher Sigmon allowed two base runners, off a walk and a single, with runners on first and second in the fifth inning. Jenna Kelly followed with a single to right field and Tar Heel pinch runner Elly Wagner was gunned down at home. Junior college transfer Victoria Mariscal tossed a laser to waiting Catamount catcher Heather Chastain for the third out.
Western Carolina strung together three hits in the game to North Carolina's seven. Both teams played flawless ball not yielding an error.
Sigmon took the loss tossing 2.1 innings giving up four hits, one run and striking out two. The Catamounts got hits by Chastain, Sigmon and Mariscal (her first as a Catamount).
Western Carolina will compete in the Upstate Classic, hosted by USC Upstate, this weekend. In an amended schedule, due to the projected bitter cold, the Catamounts will open the tournament at 1 p.m. Saturday against Radford. Check out the Catamount softball schedule for the remainder of the changes.
No. 3 Alabama 7, Samford 1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - In front of a packed stadium the Samford University softball team dropped its 2015 home opener 7-1 to No.3 University of Alabama on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
The Bulldogs stood tall against the Crimson Tide in the first two innings as each team swapped hits and stranded runners in scoring position.
Samford's best chance early on came in the bottom of the second when junior Hannah Taylor ripped a ball into deep right center for a double and push freshman Karsin Spinks over to third with only one out.
Junior Callie Brister popped a ball up to Demi Turner for the second out but sophomore Abbie Miranda loaded the bases with a walk after drawing a full-count from Alabama starter Leslie Jury (2-0).
SU ended the inning with junior Megan Dowdy hitting a sharp grounder to Danae Hays at shortstop for the final out.
Alabama capitalized in the top of the third inning to plate four runs on three hits and a pair of Samford errors to take the initial lead of the game 4-0.
The Crimson Tide scored two more runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth thanks to a solo home run from Marisa Runyon to bring the score to 7-0.
The Bulldogs showed signs of life in the bottom of the seventh when freshman Karsin Spinks railed a shot over the wall in right center field against UA's Sydney Littlejohn to close the margin down to 7-1.
With one out on the board Brister sent a shot of her own to the wall but wasn't able to send it quite over the tall fence in deep left field. The ball hit the top of the wall and Brister was credited with a single to keep the inning alive for Samford.
Littlejohn settled down and retired the next two Samford batters to secure the victory.
Redshirt junior Mollie Hanson (2-1) fended off the Crimson Tide and kept its batters off-balance for most of the game but UA found a way to produce runs at the end of the night.
Freshman Shelby Maze led the Bulldogs offense going 2 for 4 at the plate while Spinks, Taylor and Brister added a hit each in the game. Spinks' home run in the seventh was the first of her collegiate career.
The Bulldogs continue play on Friday, Feb. 13, at home against Gardner Webb on the first day of the Samford Classic with first pitch slated for 2:30 p.m.