Chattanooga 6, Boston University 1
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team (17-7) defeated Boston University at Eddie C. Moore Field, Sunday in a 6-1 offensive outburst. Chattanooga totaled nine hits and five RBI during the six and half inning victory. Sarah Beth Roberts, Criket Blanco and Kailey Palazzolo collected multiple hits and freshman Cori Jennings moved to 7-3.
Chattanooga struck for three runs in the first inning, taking a 3-0 advantage early. J.J. Hamill reached on an error off of BU’s second baseman, Emily Felbaum. Roberts singled to center field to begin the scoring. The senior then advanced to second off of an outfield error, and Hamill ran for the score.
Nicole Osterman extended UTC’s lead with her seventh homerun of the season.
A double from Boston’s Gabi Martinez tacked on a run for the Terriers in the top of the fourth, closing the gap to 3-1.
UTC responded with a run from Palazzolo in the bottom of the inning as the freshman was the lone Moc on the diamond. Doubling to left center, Palazzolo advanced to third as Alyssa Taylor grounded out to second base. The California native reached home on a pass ball to set the score at 4-1.
Boston was held scoreless for the rest of the game and Chattanooga loaded on two insurance runs on three hits in the fifth to push the UTC lead to 6-1. Roberts doubled to left center to lead off the inning. Blanco singled and advanced to second on the throw while Roberts made it home for the Mocs’ fifth run.
Palazzolo singled, advancing Blanco to third. Quick on her feet, Blanco ran in to score on Boston’s fourth error of the game. The Mocs registered one more hit in the sixth as Sam Taylor singled to left center. However, Chattanooga would stay at 6 runs for the victory.
UTC returns to the field, Tuesday March 17 at 5 p.m. ET in a game against Georgia State in Atlanta, Georgia.
Samford 6, Jacksonville 0
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Samford University softball team completed a series sweep over Jacksonville University with a 6-0 shutout on Sunday, March 15, at the Pruitt Complex.
Samford (18-8) capped off the series with Jacksonville (15-14) with both impressive performances at the plate and in the circle. Sophomore catcher Abby Sweeney was a triple away from hitting for the cycle in the matchup while redshirt junior pitcher Mollie Hanson (9-4) and sophomore Jessica Stone combined to pitch the Bulldogs third shutout of the season.
The Bulldogs jumped on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning after sophomore Abbie Miranda and freshman Shelby Maze both reached on fielding errors by the Dolphins. Junior Caitlin Bice scored Miranda on a one out sacrifice fly out to left field and freshman Karsin Spinks singled plate Maze to take a 2-0 lead over JU.
SU struck for two more runs and took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third after Callie Brister drilled a shot down the right field line that Daniels couldn't handle which allowed Sweeney and Bice to score.
Sweeney led off the fifth inning with a double to deep right field that set up Samford's next scoring opportunity. Senior Shelby Scott entered the contest to pinch run for Sweeney then Brister reached on another Jacksonville error to put runners on the corners for senior Abby Adams.
Adams blistered a shot deep into the hole at short that allowed Scott to score from third but was unable to beat out the throw at first.
Samford rounded out its scoring effort with a solo home run from Sweeney to make the score 6-0.
Sweeney was a perfect 3 for 3 from the plate with a hit by pitch, two runs scored and an RBI.
Hanson tossed five complete innings with five strikeouts compared to two hits and two walks on the day. Stone wrapped up the game from the circle with two complete innings of action with two strikeouts, two walks and two hits.
The Bulldogs return home to the Samford Softball Field for a seven-game home stand which starts on Wednesday, March 18, with a double header scheduled at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. against Tennessee Tech.
Mercer 8, Alabama A&M 0 (5 inn.)
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University softball team's weekend sweep was capped off with an 8-0 victory over Alabama A&M University on the final day of the Mercer Bears Classic. The victory marked the fourth shutout of the weekend for the Bears, and marks the longest winning streak of the 2015 campaign.
Mercer got the bats going early scoring two runs to open the game. Natalie Shiver's RBI single to the short stop was enough to drive in Meghan Rud for the first run of the game. Shiver was followed up with a RBI single by Caroline Taylor to score Riley Carter making the score 2-0 at the end of the first inning.
The Bears were back at it in the second scoring two runs with two outs. Rud singled up the middle for an RBI and was later driven in by Carter for the second RBI of the inning. Mercer kept the trend going in the fifth adding two runs on a double from Emma Andrew making the score 6-0 at the end of three.
Mercer added the two runs necessary for the run rule in the bottom of the fourth as Carter picked up her second RBI of the game to start off the inning before being driven in by Taylor for her second RBI of the game. Kirsten Stevens allowed four hits in route to her 14th win of the season. The victory marked her 14th complete game of the season and fourth shutout of the past week.
Looking ahead, the Bears will stay at home next week, with double headers against Alabama State on Tuesday, March 17th and Savannah State on Saturday, March 21st to close out their nonconference schedule.
Furman 7, Memphis 4
College of Charleston 2, Furman 1
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Furman scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally past Memphis for a 7-4 victory at the CofC Softball Invitational at College of Charleston's Patriots Point Athletics Complex on Sunday morning.
After allowing a pair of runs in the top of the first, Furman's Courtney Jacobs ignited the rally for the Paladins. The sophomore tripled to open the bottom of the third and scored on Sieara Bishop's double off of the base of the center field fence. In the fourth, Jacobs lined a single to right field to plate Andrea Abbatiello with the tying run.
Jacobs opened the five-run sixth inning by reaching on an error. Bishop walked before Jacobs was thrown out at the plate while trying to score on Taylor Jenkins infield single. With one out, pinch hitter AnnaRose Borrelli lined a two-run single inside of the first base bag to score Bishop and Jenkins to put Furman ahead 4-2. Two batters later, Lindsey Bert laced a single to center to up the lead to 5-2. Following a Hannah Reynolds single, Abbatiello hammered a two-run double to the wall in left-center to give the Paladins a 7-2 lead.
Memphis took advantage of two hits and two Paladin errors to trim the lead to 7-4 and loaded the bases with nobody out, but Bert got Calli Irvin to pop up to second base and Furman (14-7) turned a double play on Haleigh Ross' grounder to end the threat.
Bert allowed just two earned runs on seven hits in a complete-game effort to improve to 10-3 in the circle. The freshman walked four batters and struck out three. She also went 2-for-2 at the plate with two walks, a run and an RBI.
Jacobs and Reynolds also tallied two hits apiece for the Paladins.
Jordan Richwood took the loss for the Tigers to fall to 5-7. She allowed six runs on seven hits in three innings while striking out seven Paladins. Katie Brignac went 2-for-4 with two RBI for Memphis (7-12).
Samantha Martin fanned 12 batters in a complete-game effort and Mackenzie Maples drove in both College of Charleston runs as the Cougars held on to down Furman, 2-1, in the finale of the CofC Softball Invitational at Patriots Point Athletics Complex on Sunday.
Martin scattered eight hits and allowed just one run in seven innings while walking two Paladins and striking out 12 to improve to 6-3 in the circle. Maples provided all the offense Martin would need by driving in Taylor Dupree from first with an RBI double to right-center in the bottom of the first and belting a solo homer to right field in the third inning.
The Cougars maintained their 2-0 lead into the late innings. In the top of the sixth, Andrea Abbatiello started a two-out rally with a single and Taylor Collins laced a double to left-center to put two runners in scoring position, but Martin fanned Hope Smith to end the threat.
In the seventh, Courtney Jacobs started another two-out rally with a triple into the right-center field gap and scored when Taylor Jenkins beat out a slow roller to shortstop. With the tying run on base, Martin got Natalie Clemmons to pop out to shortstop to end the inning.
Junior Alex Sappington (2-5) took the loss for Furman despite allowing only two runs on five hits over six innings.
Bishop and Jacobs paced the Paladin offense with two hits apiece while Abbatiello reached base three times.
Furman returns home to host Kennesaw State in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch for game one is slated for 3 p.m.
ETSU 14, Eastern Michigan 4 (5 inn.)
Eastern Michigan 7, ETSU 4
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - A six-run first inning highlighted by a Bethany Cowart grand slam propelled ETSU to a commanding, 14-4 victory in Game One of Sunday's doubleheader versus Eastern Michigan at Betty Basler Field in Johnson City. The Buccaneers were edged in extra innings in Game Two, falling, 7-4.
ETSU manufactured six runs on four hits in the opening inning of Game One, with Cowart andLatosha Rectenwald hitting back-to-back home runs, accounting for five runs. Senior Alex Everett plated the Buccaneers' (10-10) sixth run of the frame by drawing a walk to score Kelsey Smith.
Cassi Pickett, Nicole Fox, and Everett each scored runs in the frame, helping ETSU to a 6-0 lead after just one inning of play.
ETSU's offensive success carried into the second inning where the Bucs scored twice more thanks to a sacrifice fly by Smith and an RBI single by Kelsey Chernak, scoring Pickett and Cowart, respectively.
The Buccaneers and Eagles (5-9) traded scoring frames in the fourth and fifth innings, with ETSU plating six runs and Eastern Michigan scoring four runs over the two-inning span. Smith belted a homer in each inning for ETSU, bringing her RBI total for the game to six, matching a career-high set Feb. 28 versus Morehead State.
Smith, a freshman from Tucson, Ariz., leads the Bucs with eight home runs and 25 RBI this season.
ETSU stole four bases in the Game One victory, with Fox swiping two, and Brooke Baxter and Pickett each recording one steal. The Bucs, who are a perfect 26-of-26 on stolen base attempts this season, entered the weekend as one of just three teams in NCAA Division I to have recorded 20 or more stolen bases without being caught stealing (Arizona: 32, Tennessee 28).
The storyline of Game Two belonged to Eastern Michigan righthander Trisha Trujillo. The freshman from Whittier, Calif., tossed a perfect game through three-and-one-third innings before walking Jenine Duncan in the top of the fourth. The very next batter, Casey Horner, then drove a double to right center field to extinguish Trujillo's no-hit bid and knot the game at 1-1.
The score remained tied through the next three innings, forcing the game into extra innings.
The Eagles' offense surged for six runs in the top of the eighth, leaving ETSU with a six-run deficit and just three outs to work with.
Smith led off ETSU's final frame with a two-run homer to center field, scoring Rectenwald, who began the inning on second base in compliance with the international tiebreak format.
Fox and Chernak then recorded back-to-back hits, breathing life into ETSU's comeback hopes. With the eighth-inning single, Fox extended her team-best hit streak to 11 games.
With runners on first and third with one out, Horner drove a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Chernak; however, the Bucs' rally would advance no further as Eastern Michigan retired the side to seal the 7-4 win.
Tujillo picked up the complete-game victory for Eastern Michigan, striking out three batters.
For the Bucs, Whitney Leon tossed seven innings of one-run softball before the Eagles mounted their six-run eighth inning. Leon finished with six strikeouts, increasing her season total to 40.
ETSU will host former Atlantic Sun cohort USC Upstate for a doubleheader Tuesday, March 17, with games beginning at 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.
Elon 6, UNCG 2
GREENSBRO, N.C. – The UNCG softball team took a early lead but Elon scored six unanswered runs to earn a 6-2 win Sunday afternoon at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
The Spartans falls to 12-7 on the season and Elon improves to 14-6 with the victory.
Sophomore Tory Wright went 2-for-3 in the loss. Junior Nicole Thomas was 1-for-2 with a single.
Freshman pitcher Alicia Bazonski suffered the loss after throwing 5.1 innings and allowed six runs (five earned) off seven hits. Kiandra Mitchum improved to 7-4 on the season after throwing 5.2 innings and allowed two runs (zero earned) off five hits.
UNCG took a 2-0 lead in the first inning after a two out rally led to two runs. Junior Danielle Vega got the rally started reaching first after being hit by a pitch with two outs. Nicole Thomas worked a walk to put runners on first and second. Wright singled up the middle and the cut off throw was bobbled by Elon’s first baseman allowing two runs to score off the two-base error.
Elon responded with a four-run third inning off four hits, including a bases clearing three-run triple from Kara Shutt. Emily Cameron lined a two out RBI single up the middle to bring home their fourth run of the frame.
The Phoenix added a insurance run in the fifth inning after a two out error by the Spartans aided a run being scored for Elon. Alaina Hall reached base after hitting a shot off her teammate resulting in a fielder’s choice. Hall stole second and came around to score off the UNCG error with two outs.
Elon continued to add runs after a one out solo home run from Aly Quintana, her second of the season, to give the Phoenix a 6-2 lead.
In the seventh, UNCG worked a walk but no runs came across as Elon earned the 6-2 victory.
The Blue and Gold travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. to face North Carolina Tuesday, March 17 at 4 p.m.
Weber State 11, Western Carolina 2
SANTEE, Calif. – Western Carolina softball (7-17) fell to Weber State (17-10) 11-2 Sunday in the final day of the San Diego Classic II held at Sportsplex USA.
Western Carolina jumped on top early with one swing of the bat. In the top of the second, junior first baseman Taylor Sigmon led off the inning with a single past the third baseman. With two outs, senior Heather Chastain launched a homerun over the left field wall to put Western Carolina up 2-0.
In the bottom of the second Weber State rallied with two outs to tie the game at two. The Wildcat rally began when Mylee Brown was hit by a pitch and Mckinna Brinkerhoff drew a walk. Back-to-back RBI singles by Alyson Culp and Malia Campos tied the game at two.
Weber State pulled away in the game scoring four runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Catamounts could not recover from the huge Wildcat inning.
Senior pitcher Jordan Garrett takes the loss and falls to 5-8 on the season. Garrett tossed three innings giving up six hits, six runs (five earned) and struck out three.
Junior pitcher Mallory Broome came into the game in relief in the fourth inning. She gave up five runs in the inning to shorten the game to five innings with the run rule in effect.
Sophomore Courtney Price had her seven game hitting streak snapped in the game. Fellow sophomore Kara Salvo also had her hitting streak end at five.
Western Carolina returns home Wednesday to host North Carolina A&T in a doubleheader set to begin at 3 p.m. at the Catamount Softball Complex.