Furman 6, Ohio 5
Furman 6, Ohio 5
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Furman rallied from 5-3 deficits in the seventh inning of both games on Friday afternoon to complete a 6-5, 6-5 (8 innings) doubleheader sweep of the Ohio Bobcats at Pepsi Stadium.
In the opening game of the three-game weekend series, which was added to the schedule on Thursday after winter weather wiped out Furman's trip to the Tennessee Classic, the Paladins (6-2) rallied from a 5-2 deficit with a single run in the sixth inning and three in the bottom of the seventh to win in walk-off fashion.
Sophomore Elise Smith began the rally in the sixth with a solo blast to center field before Andrea Abbatiello and Candace Johnson set the table with back-to-back singles to open the bottom of the seventh. Brittany Houston sacrificed the runners into scoring position and Ambree Muller delivered a soft liner to left-center to drive in two and knot the game at 5-5. Muller, hustling out of the box, legged out a double and scored when Natalie Clemmons lined an 0-1 pitch off of Bobcat pitcher Kaylin Clark. The Ohio hurler tried to recover and throw out Clemmons at first, but her throw was late and Muller beat the throw to the plate to register the winning run.
Ohio (4-6) had taken a 3-1 lead on Casie Hutchinson's three-run double to left-center with two outs in the third and upped its lead to 5-2 on Raven King's two-run blast to right field in the top of the sixth inning.
Junior Alex Sappington (2-0), who allowed five runs on 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings in the circle, garnered the victory for Furman. She struck out four batters and issued three walks.
Abbatiello went 3-for-3 with two doubles and three runs scored for the Paladins, while Muller added two hits.
Starter Lauren McClary suffered the loss for Ohio after allowing six earned runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings of work. Sloan Walker and King each collected two hits for the Bobcats.
The Paladins clinched the series win in game two by scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to erase a 5-3 deficit and notching the winning run in the eighth inning.
With one out in the seventh, Clemmons was hit by a pitch and Elise Smith drew a base on balls to put the tying runs on base. After Taylor Jenkins popped out, Sieara Bishop roped a two-run double off the top of the right-center field fence to drive in both runners and tie the game at 5-5.
The Bobcats, who started the eighth with the international tiebreaker rule in effect, loaded the bases against Paladin starter Lindsey Bert, but the freshman fanned Dakota Pyles to end the threat. Taylor Collins sacrificed tiebreaking runner Katharine Olson to third to open the bottom of the frame and Muller followed with a sacrifice fly to center to give the Paladins their second straight 6-5 victory.
Furman had grabbed a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on Bishop's first homer of the season before three hits and two Paladin errors led to three Ohio runs in the top of the fifth. Bert's first career homer, a line drive to right field, knotted the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth before King belted a two-run shot in the sixth to restore Ohio's lead.
Bert (3-2) held Ohio to three earned runs on seven hits over eight innings to earn the victory. The Tallahassee, Fla., native walked four batters and fanned nine in the complete-game effort.
Bishop powered the Paladin offense going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a homer, while Bert went 2-for-4 at the plate.
McClary (0-3), working in relief, took the loss for Ohio. She allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Furman and Ohio cap the three-game weekend series with a single game on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Pepsi Stadium.
Samford 2, Texas State 1
AUBURN, Ala. - Junior Caroline Wilder, with a 1-2 count against her, tripled down the right field line to score fellow juniors Callie Brister and Caitlin Bice to secure a 2-1 victory for the Samford University softball team over Texas State University on Friday, Feb. 27, at Jane B. Moore Field in the Wilson-DeMarini Classic.
The triple by Wilder put the Bulldogs (13-2) in the lead after the Bobcats (9-10) took the initial lead in the game in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Courtney Harris.
That would be all of the runs scored in the game as redshirt junior Mollie Hanson (7-1) and freshman Randi Rupp (7-1) battled it out in the circle for the rest of the night.
Hanson finished the complete-game effort with six strikeouts and two walk while only giving up five hits to the Texas State offense. Rupp posted equally impressive numbers as she fanned 11 Samford batters with only three walks and six hits given up.
The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday, Feb. 28, with a pair of contests against SIU-Edwardsville at 2:30 p.m. and Ohio State at 7:15 p.m. to continue play in the Wilson-DeMarini Classic hosted by Auburn University at Jane B. Moore Field.
Mercer 8, Buffalo 1
Evansville 6, Mercer 4
MACON, Ga. – On the opening day of the Black and Orange Challenge, Mercer split a pair of games to the University at Buffalo, 8-1, and the University of Evansville, 4-6, moving the Bears to 8-9 on the season.
In the first game of the day, Buffalo jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first aided by a Mercer error. Bears pitcher Kirsten Stevens quickly found her groove, striking out the last two batter of the inning. Mercer quickly answered with a run of their own, as Riley Carter got the fireworks started early with a solo blast to left center tying the game at one apiece.
Mercer would extend their lead during a big third inning on two hits and six Buffalo errors. Meghan Rud began the offensive, stealing home on a wild pitch. Carter would add another run on a RBI sack fly to score Taylor Miller. Kaytlin Haney furthered the lead with an RBI single before being driven in herself by Taylor Rogers. Rogers would close out the scoring in the third by adding a run on a wild pitch stretching the lead to 6-1.
The Bears would push another run across in the fifth, as Shayla Kicklighter singled through the left side for an RBI scoring Rodgers, before adding the final score of the game in the sixth on Kaylynn Sloat's RBI double to right center.
Stevens provided a dominating performance in the circle for Mercer, retiring fifteen batters straight through four and a half innings. Stevens would close out her fifth complete game of the season with ten strikeouts, one base on balls, and three hits.
Evansville started the second contest of the day off with one run in the first inning off of a wild pitch from Carter. The Aces would hold the lead until the bottom of the third. Mercer took its first lead of the night in large part to Caroline Taylor's lead off homerun. The Bears had a chance to bust the game open, with bases loaded. Sloat was hit by a pitch to walk in Emma Andrew, but were unable to take advantage of the runners in scoring position, leaving three runners stranded to close the inning.
Evansville tied the game in the top of the fourth on a solo-home run. Both Evansville and Mercer would go hitless through the fifth, but the Aces found their bats again in the sixth. Evansville scored three runs on three hits and an error to push their lead to 5-2. Mercer would leave two runners on in the bottom of the sixth to send the game into the seventh inning.
Evansville added their final run in the top of the seventh on a dead ball play that advanced the runner on third to home. Mercer attempted to claw their way back into the game in their final at bat. Miller doubled through the left side to lead off the inning, setting up an RBI double for Carter.
Sloat was hit by another pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Quirisa Mauga drew the walk to load the bases for the Bears. Rogers sack fly to right field advanced the runners scoring Carter to make the score 6-4. The rally, however, would come up just short as Taylor and Jastine Alaan would both go down swinging to end the game.
Mercer will be back in action tomorrow, starting at 2:30 p.m. in a rematch against Evansville before facing Buffalo at 4:45 p.m. On the final day of the challenge, March 1st, Mercer will faceoff against former A-Sun Conference foe Kennesaw State at 2:00 p.m.
Western Carolina 6, Marist 1
Delaware 9, Western Carolina 2
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Western Carolina softball (2-4) split a pair of games at the Seahawk Spring Softball Classic by UNC Wilmington. The Catamounts defeated Marist 6-1 and fell to Delaware 9-2 in the nightcap.
Three Western Carolina pitchers combined to hold Marist to four hits and one run as Catamount softball silenced the Red Foxes 6-1 in opening game action of the Seahawk Spring Softball Classic.
Senior hurler Jordan Garrett started the game and went three innings allowing two hits, walking four and striking out five. Mallory Broome entered the game in the fourth inning, getting the win and improving to 1-1. Broome gave up one run on two hits and also struck out five. Junior Taylor Sigmon closed out the game in the seventh inning facing three batters and striking out two.
Western Carolina jumped on Marist early scoring three runs in the opening frame. Emily Helton, who earned a starting spot after breaking up a South Carolina no-hitter on Thursday, led off with a single. A sacrifice bunt by Victoria Mariscal pushed Helton to second who then moved to third on a wild pitch. Kara Salvo got on courtesy of a Marist error and Helton scored the first run of the game. After another Marist error allowed Sigmon to get on base both Sigmon and Salvo scored thanks to a two RBI double by Cristyal Cyr.
The Catamounts tacked on three more runs in the top of the third. With one out Salvo logged in her second hit of the game, a single to left field. Sigmon hit her second double of the season pushing runners to second and third. Sophomore Courtney Price hit the third Catamount double of the day, to right center field, scoring Salvo and Sigmon for a pair of RBI.
Broome entered the game in the fourth inning and sat down six straight Marist batters. In the bottom of the sixth the Red Foxes' avoided the shutout when they scored a run off Broome.
Price and Salvo each had two hits in the game. Price and Cyr each had two RBI.
Western Carolina had a season-high 10 hits in the game and played flawless ball not committing an error.
Delaware jumped on Western Carolina early scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Starting Catamount pitcher Courtney Buchanan gave up back-to-back walks to open the Blue Hens half of the inning setting up the two runs. With two outs, Mariah Kondravy hit a two RBI double to put the Blue Hens on top.
Western Carolina battled back to tie the game in the top of the second. With one out, Price drew a walk and moved to second on a single by Heather Chastain. A fielder's choice erased Price and put Amber Kimrey on first. The Blue Hens gave up its second walk of the inning to Karley Harkey and Western Carolina had the bases loaded. Helton hit an RBI single to score Chastain and cut the Deleware lead to 2-1. When Victoria Mariscal was hit by a pitch, Kimrey scored to tie the game at 2-2.
Delaware reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the second. Another walk given up by Western Carolina came back to haunt them as Buchanan walked lead-off batter Shelby Jones. With one out, and runners at first and second, Giovanna Kolofer hit an RBI single past third base to give the Blue Hens the lead back, 3-2.
Buchanan held Delaware scoreless in the third inning, the first time in the game. This set up a great scoring chance for Western Carolina. Chastain opened inning with a single, Kimrey had a bunt single and Karley Harkey reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. A strikeout by Helton and pop up outs by Mariscal and Salvo ended Western Carolina's jewel of a scoring chance.
Delaware scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth set up by three straight singles given up by Buchanan. Failing to record an out, Buchanan was replaced by Sigmon with runners on first and second. Sigmon struck out three straight batters to end the Blue Hen scoring.
Delaware added a run in the bottom of the sixth.
Buchanan takes the loss and falls to 0-1 on the season. Chastain when 2-for-3 in the game and Helton was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Western Carolina continues play in the Seahawk Spring Softball Classic Saturday. The Catamounts face host UNCW at 2:30 p.m. and Delaware at 5 p.m.