Western Carolina 1, Winthrop 0
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Pitcher Jordan Garrett tossed a two-hit shutout, and junior Victoria Mariscal hit the game-winning homerun, to lead Western Carolina softball (5-8) to a 1-0 win over Winthrop (8-10) Friday at Terry field. The contest was the opening game of the Winthrop Tournament that will conclude Sunday.
Garrett, a senior from Henderson, N.C., evened her overall record to 4-4 with the seven inning performance. In her first shut out of the season, Garrett struck out seven and walked three.
Scoreless through five innings, Western Carolina got on the board with one swing. With one out, in the top of the sixth, Mariscal hit her third homerun one the year over the centerfield wall. It was the fourth hit given up by Winthrop pitching.
Weathering early scoring chances by Winthrop, Garrett turned away the Eagles at every turn. The Eagles had their best scoring opportunity in the third inning when Garrett gave up a lead-off walk to K.J. Uyeno who moved to third in a sacrifice bunt and single. Uyeno was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice play.
After the play at the plate, Garrett sat down nine straight batters before giving up a walk in the sixth inning. She stranded the Winthrop runner forcing a ground out. Garrett struck out the side, in the bottom of the seventh inning, to end the game.
Junior Amber Kimrey led Western Carolina going 2-for-3 at the plate. Mariscal, Kara Salvo and Heather Chastain also had one hit a piece.
Western Carolina will face Belmont at 11 a.m. and Albany at 1 p.m. Saturday in day two action of the Winthrop Tournament.
UNCG 11, Howard 1 (5 inn.)
UC Riverside 8, UNCG 7
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The UNCG softball team run-ruled Howard, 11-1 in five innings but fell to host UC Riverside, 8-7, in a walk off to split Day One of the Highlander Classic Friday at Amy S. Harrison Field.
The Spartans sit at 10-4 on the season and saw their eight-game winning streak snapped by UC Riverside. The Highlanders go 1-1 on the day and are 17-6 overall.
In game one, the Blue and Gold used a big seven-run third inning to run-rule Howard, 11-1 in five innings.
Junior Lacey Leary tossed a one-hitter picking up her second win of the season, allowing just one earned run with two strikeouts. Classmate Danica Bishop finished the game with a strong 1-2-3 seventh inning.
Junior Lindsay Thomas went 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored.
The Spartans struck first for seven runs off four hits and two Howard errors. Freshman Alexis Overdiep lined a two-run double to left field to give UNCG a 2-0 lead. After a error, Lindsay Thomas singled up the middle, scoring two runs to make it 4-0 Spartans. Junior Danielle Vega walked and Nicole Thomas roped a two-run double to right center as UNCG went ahead 6-0. Pinch-runner Allison Geiner scored on a error by Howard’s third baseman for the final run of the inning.
Howard broke up the no-hitter with a double from Deja Henderson to start the fourth inning. After a walk and a wild pitch, the Bison added a run off a RBI groundout to make the score 7-1 UNCG.
In the bottom of fourth inning, UNCG added four runs off four hits to extend its lead to 11-1 against Howard. The Spartans loaded the bases with no outs as pinch-hitter Kendall McKinney blasted a two-run double off the left field wall. Leary followed with a double to left field scoring two more runs to push UNCG’s lead to 11-1.
Bishop closed the victory with a quick seventh inning on a strike out and two groundouts.
In game two, the Highlanders scored two runs in the seventh inning to upset UNCG in a walk off 8-7 victory.
Freshman Mackenzie Winslow took the tough loss in relief after throwing 1.2 innings and gave up two earned runs. UNCG tagged Chelsea Ponce for four earned runs off five hits in 2.1 innings. Rebecca Faulkner earned the win despite giving up the go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning.
Vega was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Nicole Thomas finished 2-for-3 and Madruga collected two hits.
UC Riverside took a 3-0 lead off four hits and a error in the second inning. Haley Harris singled up the middle to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt, Kris DeAnda singled home a run to give the Highlanders a 1-0 lead. UC Riverside made it 2-0 after a error and Stephanie Tickemyer lined a RBI single for the final run of the inning.
UNCG would respond with four runs in the third inning off four hits, including a towering three-run blast from Lindsay Thomas to deep centerfield. Overdiep beat out a infield single and Dominique Madruga doubled to left field. Lindsay Thomas would tie the game with her second home run of the season. Vega singled up the middle and Nicole Thomas walked. With two outs, Vega scored on a illegal pitch by the Highlander pitcher to give the Spartans a 4-3 advantage.
The Highlanders came back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth off one hit. UC Riverside earned back-to-back walks to start the inning. The Spartans were able to induce two outs but a hit by pitch and a RBI walk tied the game at 4-4. Tickemyer singled up the middle to push UC Riverside ahead 5-4 and another RBI walk made the score 6-4 when the inning concluded.
In the top of the seventh, Vega singled with one out and redshirt freshman Sidney Grkman (Salisbury, N.C./Jesse Carson) beat out a infield single to keep the inning alive. Leary would pinch-hit and deliver a clutch two-out three-run home run to give UNCG a 7-6 lead.
UC Riverside would battle back tying the game in the seventh inning off a sacrifice fly from Tickemyer. After a intentional walk to load the bases, Chelsey Holley lined a single to center to give the Highlanders the walk off 8-7 win.
Day Two at the Highlander Classic resumes Saturday with the Spartans facing LMU twice at noon and 2:30 p.m.
Mercer 5, Villanova 4
Kansas 11, Chattanooga 1 (5 inn.)
DELAND, Fla. – The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga fell to No. 25 Kansas, 11-1 in its first game in the Stetson Tournament on Friday afternoon.
Kansas jumped on UTC, scoring seven runs in the first inning. But Nicole Osterman hit her fifth home run of 2015, blasting a deep shot out of the park, setting the score 7-1 in the top of the second.
However, the Mocs jump in momentum was paused by 25 minute rain delay.
Coming off the delay, the Jayhawks added three more runs to wrap up the second inning with a 10-1 lead.
A pitching change for the Mocs in the bottom of the third, brought Kailey Palazzolo to the mound. In her second appearance this season, the freshman added two strikes, limiting Kansas to only one run in the inning.
With the Jayhawks leading 11-1 in the top of the fourth, a second patch of rain added a 30 minute delay to the game.
Both teams would go scoreless for the next two innings to give Kansas the win, 11-1 in five innings.
Chattanooga vs. Stetson was cancelled due to the rain.
The Mocs look to return to the field tomorrow at 11 a.m. ET to face Kansas and LaSalle at 1:30 p.m.