Samford 8, UNCG 0
Samford 5, UNCG 3
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Samford University softball team took the doubleheader sweep (8-0, 5-3) from the home team UNCG on Saturday, March 28, at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
The Bulldogs (22-13, 4-1 SoCon) secured its second SoCon series victory of the season with the doubleheader sweep and its first SoCon road series victory of the season with the pair of wins over UNCG (13-14, 0-5 SoCon).
Samford's offense opened the series strong as the team posted eight runs in the first three innings of game one. Junior Megan Dowdy led the charge going a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate with four RBIs and a pair of home runs to her credit. The Fairhope, Alabama native had only one career home run coming into the contest.
Redshirt junior Mollie Hanson (13-6) stepped up to give the Bulldogs everything she had as she tallied her second shutout of the season in a complete-game effort from the circle. The Dothan, Alabama native scattered six Spartan hits and forced numerous ground balls that allowed the Samford defense to work behind her.
UNCG threatened several times in the first game and had its best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the second when Nicole Thomas and Tory Wright both singled and doubled to lead off the inning to put runners on second and third with no outs. The Bulldogs defense stonewalled the threat with great defense from Hanson who caught a line drive and picked up a strikeout while Miranda fielded a hard grounder while playing in on Allison Geiner.
Sophomore Abby Sweeney tallied her ninth home run of the year in the first game on a solo shot in the first inning. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee native finished the game 2 for 3 from the plate with a walk, a pair of RBIs and a run scored.
Hanson had her number called again in game two of the twin-bill and she answered with her ninth complete-game outing of the season.
Samford took the early lead 3-0 over the Spartans in the top of the second inning when senior Abby Adams came through with a three-run home run with no outs on the board.
UNCG broke its scoring drought and scored its first run of the day in the bottom of the third when second baseman Dominique Madruga hit a two-out solo home run to close down Samford's lead to 3-1.
The Spartans struck for two more runs in the fourth as UNCG loaded the bases with no out for Gabrielle Cubbage. Cubbage took the first pitch from Hanson for a strike then ripped a line drive back up the middle to plate a pair of Spartan runs and bring tie the score with no outs.
Hanson was hit with a hard line drive to the legs in the second but rebounded to field her position in the third as she recorded the first out of the inning on a grounder from Alexis Overdiep. With runners on second and third and one out on the board it was the Samford defense who came through to get out of the inning; Shelby Maze caught a fly ball in shallow center while Adams closed out the inning on a grounder from Madruga.
Samford responded in the top of the fifth to engineer a series of hits and regain the lead. With two outs against the Bulldogs, Callie Brister fell behind 0-2 in the count before she drove the ball through the right side for an RBI single that scored Maze from third.
Junior Caitlin Bice came through in the seventh with a pair of critical plays that secured the victory for the Bulldogs. The Chelsea, Alabama native drove in a speedy Wilder from second base with an RBI base hit up the middle of the Spartan defense. Bice then came up with a near diving catch out in deep right field to end the game and the scoring threat from UNCG.
Wilder finished the day going 4 for 6 at the plate with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
The Bulldogs look to complete the series sweep on Sunday, March 29, at noon (CDT) against the Spartans.
Chattanooga 11, ETSU 0
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Chattanooga Mocs (21-8, 4-0) softball team picked up its fourth consecutive SoCon win and 21st season victory with an 11-0 triumph over ETSU Saturday afternoon in Betty Basler Field. The offensive outburst was backed by an electric pitching performance by senior Taylor Deason (9-3).
Chattanooga exploded for 11 runs over six innings to down the Bucs, 11-0. UTC’s solid offense was led by Nicole Osterman and Jesslyn Stockard as they each secured 4 RBI apiece. Defensively, Deason tossed six scoreless innings to compete her fifth shutout of the season.
The Mocs first struck in the opening inning for two runs. Osterman singled to short stop and Criket Blanco doubled to right center to put two runners on. Stockard shot a single to right field, plating Osterman and Blanco.
Chattanooga extended its lead in the top of the third inning as Osterman blasted her eighth homerun of the season. Third batter up, Osterman’s solo-homerun carried over the leftfield fence putting the Mocs up, 3-0.
UTC tacked on eight more insurances runs in the top of the sixth inning. Leading off, Blanco singled through the left side. Stockard then lifted a two-run homer to center field, increasing the Mocs’ lead to 5-0.
Chattanooga then loaded bases as Anyssa Robles singled to second base, Jenny Garcia reached on a walk and Marina Wilkerson singled to left field. Lead-off hitter, Sam Taylor singled to the right side to drive in pinch runner Courtney Ervin.
Bases still loaded, Alyssa Taylor singled to second base running in Garcia and Wilkerson, pushing the Mocs’ lead to 8-0.
With runners still on second and third, Osterman smacked her second home run of the game. Her ninth homer of the season was a three-run hit, giving the Mocs an 11-0 lead and distinguishing any chances of ETSU comeback.
Both teams will return to the field tomorrow for a double header starting at 1 p.m. ET.
Mercer 3, Western Carolina 2
Western Carolina 6, Mercer 5
MACON, Ga. – Western Carolina softball split its road Southern Conference series with Mercer Saturday at Sikes Field. The Bears took game one 3-2 with the Catamounts bouncing back to take game two 6-5.
Western Carolina moves to 14-19 on the season and 3-2 in Southern Conference play. Mercer is now 25-14 and 1-1 in the SoCon.
The Catamount victory in game two over the Bears halts Mercer’s 10-game winning streak. Also in the second game junior Taylor Sigmon came into the game in relief and tossed a career-high 15 in a game.
A tight game broke open in the bottom of the fifth when Mercer finally scratched the scoreboard. With two outs, Meghan Rud drew a walk and moved to second on a passed ball by Catamount catcher Heather Chastain. Rud scored off an RBI single by Riley Carter. Starting pitcher Jordan Garrett gave up a single and a walk to load the bases but ended the Mercer scoring striking out Rachel Hugghins.
Prior to Mercer’s score in the bottom of the fifth, the game was a solid pitching and defensive duel. However, Mercer was the team that kept chipping away with at least one runner in the first five innings.
Chastain also kept the Bears off the base path early catching three Mercer runners stealing, two at third base. The Bears just found ways to take advantage of five walks in the game.
Western Carolina had a solid scoring chance in the top of the fifth inning with Karley Harkey hit by a pitch and Amber Kimrey singling down the third base line. Freshman Emily Helton reached first on a Mercer fielding error and Harkey tried to extend her base running home and was thrown out for the second out. Victoria Mariscal struck out with runners at the corners to end the Catamount threat.
Mercer second run scored in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the game-winner as WCU strung together a pair of runs in the top of the seventh.
Western Carolina rallied in the top of the seventh but fell short. The rally was spurred by a one out double by Chastain. The bases were loaded with Catamounts when pinch hitter Abigail Daniels singled and Amber Kimrey reached on a fielder’s choice. With two outs Mariscal singled to left field scoring pinch runner Kassandra Flores from third to make it 3-2. Designated player Anna Hughey cut the Mercer lead to one, 3-2, when she hit an RBI single to left center plating Daniels. The rally ended when Courtney Price struck out with bases loaded to end the game.
Garrett falls to 8-9 on the season. She gave up three runs on 10 hits and struck out four.
Western Carolina wasted no time scoring in game two. The Catamounts scored five runs to start the game.
Price gave WCU a quick 3-0 lead when she launched a three-run homerun over right center set up by Daniels and Kimrey reaching on Mercer errors. Back-to-back singles by Taylor Sigmon and Crystal Cyr had a pair of base runners on for WCU. Mariscal hit an RBI single scoring Sigmon for the fourth run of the game and Cyr scored on a wild pitch for the fifth run of the inning.
Mercer cut into the Catamount lead when it scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. The Bears got another run in the bottom of the second off a solo homerun by Quirisa Mauga.
After giving up the solo homerun to Mauga, starting Catamount pitcher Courtney Buchanan was lifted for relief pitcher Sigmon who inherited one out. Sigmon got three strikeouts and had base runner as one Bear reached first on Sigmon wild pitch.
Back-to-back doubles by Mariscal and Harkey with one out set up a run for WCU in third. Harkey notched the RBI when Mariscal scored.
After solid pitching in the second and third inning, Sigmon got into a jam in the bottom of the fourth walking three batters allowing Mercer to score two runs. With the bases loaded, Sigmon gave up a two RBI single to pull the Bears within one run, 6-5. Sigmon did recover getting Caroline Taylor to strike out to end the inning.
Sigmon controlled Mercer in the ensuing next three innings working around a pair of hits and striking out five of her career-high 15 in the last three innings of the game. Sigmon improves 3-2 on the season.
Mariscal kept her on base streak alive having reached base safely the last nine games.
Western Carolina and Mercer will play the final game of the three game Southern Conference series Sunday at Sikes Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Marshall 3, Furman 0
Marshall 3, Furman 0
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Marshall's Jordan Dixon hurled back-to-back shutouts as the Thundering Herd claimed consecutive 3-0 victories over Furman in non-conference softball action on Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
With the sweep, Marshall improved to 20-10 on the season and Herd head coach Shonda Stanton collected her 500th career coaching victory in game two. Furman dropped to 15-15 on the season.
In game one, Dixon fanned 11 Paladins without issuing a walk en route to a one-hit shutout. The sophomore allowed only a fourth-inning single to Furman's Courtney Jacobs and retired 11 of the final 12 batters she faced to secure the 3-0 decision for Marshall.
The Herd jumped in front in the first inning after loading the bases with no one out. Raquel Escareno plated Morgan Zerkle with a sacrifice fly to center field before Furman starter Alex Sappington rallied to limit the damage to one run.
Zerkle led off the third inning with a walk, stole second base and scored on Escareno's single to up the Marshall lead to 2-0. In the sixth, it was Escareno who opened the frame with a double. Shaelynn Braxton followed with a single to center, but pinch runner Jordan Colliflower was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base. Braxton scored moments later when Madi Marshall singled to right-center to up the margin to 3-0.
Sappington, who surrendered three runs on nine hits in seven innings, took the loss for Furman to fall to 2-8 in the circle. The New York, N.Y., native walked two batters and struck out three in the complete game effort.
Zerkle and Escareno each collected two hits apiece for the Herd in game one.
In the nightcap, Dixon gave up just three hits and fanned eight batters while tossing a complete-game shutout to improve to 19-10 in the circle.
Alyssa Woodrum delivered an RBI single to put the Herd in front in the top of the second. Zerkle scored on Braxton's RBI base hit in the third inning and Escareno doubled into the gap to plate Braxton with the third run of the game.
Furman's Sieara Bishop opened the bottom of the seventh with a bloop single to right field and Elise Smith followed with a line drive single down the right field line, but Dixon fanned back-to-back batters before getting Candace Johnson to pop up to second base to end the Paladins' biggest threat of the afternoon.
Freshman Lindsey Bert suffered the loss for the Paladins after allowing three runs on 10 hits in seven innings. The left-hander recorded two strikeouts and walked one batter.
Emileigh Cooper, Katalin Lucas and Kaelynn Greene each recorded a pair of hits for Marshall in game two.