Chattanooga 4, Kansas 0
Chattanooga 4, La Salle 0
DELAND, Fla. – The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team swept No. 25 Kansas and LaSalle in consecutive 4-0 victories on Saturday in the Stetson Tournament.
The Mocs (13-5) handed the Jayhawks their second loss of the season, and first no-run game, snapping Kansas’ seven-game winning streak, 4-0.
Chattanooga followed with the day’s second, 4-0 victory over the Explorers, giving LaSalle its fourth straight loss of the season.
In the first game of the day, the teams went scoreless through the first three innings.
Leading Chattanooga into the top of the fourth, Sarah Beth Roberts blasted a home run to left center, giving the Mocs a 1-0 favor. The hit was her fourth homer of the season.
The Mocs’ defense sustained Chattanooga’s lead, keeping the Jayhawks to zeros runs or hits in the bottom of the fourth. Jennings would strike out Kansas’s power hitter Jessie Roane, while Kailey Palazzolo caught a popped up foul ball down the right line and Criket Blanco connected a ground ball to Palazzolo at first.
The teams would pressure each other to a scoreless fifth inning.
Nicole Osterman would give UTC a burst of energy as the second Chattnooga batter up at the top of the sixth. Osterman blasted a hard hit to left center to double and advance Roberts to third.
With the Mocs hot on the bat, Blanco followed in with a single to left field, running in Roberts and putting Chattanooga up, 2-0.
A shot down the center by Anyssa Robles added another run for UTC, running in Osterman. With the score set at 3-0, the Jayhawks were forced to make their fourth pitching change of the game. However, the change on defense for the nationally ranked opponent, didn’t scare the Mocs as Marina Wilkerson singled to run in Blanco giving Chattanooga a 4-0 advantage.
The teams made it a quick final inning as they both went down in order.
Chattanooga’s 4-0 victory over No. 25 Kansas gave Cori Jennings her fifth win of the season. Pitching all seven innings, the freshman fanned six strikes while only giving up three hits.
Carrying over their momentum from their 4-0 sweep over the No. 25 Jayhawks, the Mocs wasted no time igniting at the bat.
The second batter up for the Mocs, J.J. Hamill singled to center field. An illegal pitch from Explorer, McKenzie Peace advanced the freshman to second.
Sarah Beth Roberts hit a single to center field and a bad infield toss from LaSalle allowed the third baseman to advance to second as Hamill ran to third.
Nicole Osterman would load the bases with the first walk of the game.
With the diamond loaded, Criket Blanco singled to left field running in Hamill, giving the Mocs an early 1-0 lead.
UTC clipped on one more run in the bottom of the third as Osterman doubled off of a smoked shot to left field. The senior stayed quick on her feet to slide into third on a wild pitch. Blanco put up a sacrifice fly to center field, running in Osterman and extending UTC’s advantage to 2-0 over LaSalle.
The Mocs’ last offensive drive came in the bottom of the fifth inning. Roberts reached second off of a hit to left field and Osterman followed with a single. Blanco followed her teammates in on a fielder’s choice that caught Roberts out on third.
With runners still on second and first Robles secured the offense with a fly out to left center allowing Osterman and Blanco to advance one base each.
Two outs on the board, Kailey Palazzolo stepped to the plate with confidence locking a single to run in Osterman.
Alyssa Taylor followed with a single of her own to drive in Blanco, pushing Chattanooga’s favor to 4-0.
Leading Chattanooga on defense, Taylor Deason put out nine strikes allowing only one walk. Pitching an unbreakable seven innings, the senior limited the Explorers to its second game of the season with no runs and its lowest hitting game of the season with only two hits secured.
ETSU 8, Radford 7
Tennessee Tech 3, ETSU 2
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - One month into the season, the ETSU softball team played in Johnson City for the first time. ETSU, the host of this weekend's three-team Holiday Inn Invitational, split a pair of games Saturday, finishing on both sides of late-inning rallies.
In Game One of their double-header, the Buccaneers (7-7) came from behind to erase a 6-4 deficit and defeat Radford, 8-7, in eight innings. ETSU then came up on the losing side of a rally later in the day, falling narrowly to Tennessee Tech, 3-2, after the Golden Eagles (10-9) plated three seventh-inning runs.
Versus the Highlanders, ETSU capitalized on a bevy of Radford errors early on to take a 3-1 lead after two innings.
The Highlanders (3-10) would go on to score twice in the second and three times in the third to assume a 6-3 advantage heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Junior outfielder Bethany Cowart then belted her second home run of the year, a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth to cut the Bucs' deficit to 6-4.
The Buccaneers' offense continued to make an impact in the bottom of the sixth, with Jennine Duncan hitting an RBI single and Kelsey Smith driving in another run on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 6-6.
Deadlocked at 6-6 after seven innings, ETSU and Radford headed to extra innings, with each team beginning its respective frame with a runner on second base in compliance with the international tiebreaker rule.
A sacrifice fly by Mackenzie Blackwell gave Radford a brief, 7-6 lead; however, the Bucs clinched the 8-7 win by scoring twice in the eighth after speedy centerfielder Nicole Fox forced Radford's defense to commit a rushed, arrant throw, resulting in Mykeah Johnson scoring from second base and Fox rounding the bases herself.
In Saturday's two games, Fox went a combined 3-of-8 at the plate, scoring once and swiping two bases. Her five steals this season are second-most on the team behind only Duncan's 12.
Seven ETSU players recorded hits in the win versus Radford.
Taylor Carter earned the victory on the mound for the Bucs, tossing eight innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out four batters.
ETSU got another quality pitching performance in the second game of the double-header, with senior Whitney Leon hurling six scoreless frames before Tennessee Tech's seventh-inning rally.
Leon was not the only pitcher dialed in during Saturday's finale.
Tennessee Tech's Danielle Liberatore allowed just one earned run—a seventh-inning solo home run by ETSU's Danielle Knoetze.
With ETSU maintaining a narrow, 1-0 lead, the Golden Eagles plated three runs in the seventh following back-to-back doubles by Sabrie Neeb and Madison Taylor and a two-run homer by Angi Sakamoto.
The Buccaneers will conclude play in the Holiday Inn Invitational Sunday as ETSU takes on Tennessee Tech and Radford in a double-header with games beginning at 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m., respectively.
Furman 3, Winthrop 0
Albany 7, Furman 1
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Freshman Lindsey Bert needed just 77 pitches to toss her first career no-hitter and lead Furman to a 3-0 victory over host Winthrop in the Paladins' opening game of the Winthrop Invitational on Saturday afternoon at Terry Field.
Bert, a Tallahassee, Fla., native, fanned six batters, issued just one walk and worked around two errors to no-hit the Eagles and improve to 6-2 in the circle. Bert faced just 24 batters and went to a three-ball count only twice while hurling her second shutout of the week.
Furman got all the runs it would need early. Bert and Sieara Bishop reached on back-to-back singles with one out in the first before Elise Smith singled off of the glove of Winthrop first baseman Leah Young to put the Paladins in front. After adding a second run on an Eagle throwing error, Ambree Muller belted a solo homer to center field in the second inning to provide the final 3-0 margin.
Winthrop's Dallas King surrendered three runs on four hits in one and 1/3 innings of work to suffer the loss. She fell to 1-4 on the season.
Bishop went 2-for-3 to pace the Paladins six-hit attack.
In the second game of the Winthrop Invitational, Albany's Devin Durando turned the tables on Furman by allowing just four hits and striking out 13 in a complete-game effort as the Great Danes downed the Paladins, 7-1.
Durando, who moved to 2-0 in the circle, allowed just an unearned run in the opening frame and got a four-spot from her offense in the bottom of the inning to take control. Back-to-back singles sandwiched around a stolen base helped Albany tie the game in the bottom of the first and Marlin Solano highlighted the frame with a two-run blast to left field.
The Great Danes added another run in the fourth and two more in the bottom of the fifth to pull away from the Paladins (9-4) and improve to 5-2. Kelly Costello went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI for Albany, while Elizabeth Snow tripled and scored two runs.
Alex Sappington suffered the loss for Furman to drop to 2-2. The right-hander gave up six earned runs on six hits in five innings. She walked four batters and fanned three.
Furman returns to action at the Winthrop Invitational on Sunday morning when it faces Albany again at 10 a.m. The Paladins cap tournament play with a 12:00 p.m. contest against Belmont.
Samford 2, Missouri State 1
Oklahoma 9, Samford 0
NORMAN, Okla. - The Samford University softball team spit a pair of games against two highly talented teams on Saturday, March 7, at Marita Hynes Field on the campus of the University of Oklahoma. The Bulldogs down Missouri State University 2-1 in walk-off fashion before it dropped a 9-0 decision in six innings to Oklahoma.
Samford opened up play in the Courtyard by Marriott Tournament against Missouri State (8-8) and walked away with its fifth walk-off victory of the season in a 2-1 decision.
With a 3-2 count, freshman Karsin Spinks drove home pinch runner Rebecca Leonard on a sacrifice fly out to left field to clinch the game for the Bulldogs.
Leonard replaced junior Callie Brister after she doubled out to right center to lead off the inning. Caitlin Bice then singled up the middle putting runners on the corners for Spinks' deciding hit.
The Bulldogs scored its' first run of the game in the bottom of the third on a single from freshman Shelby Maze. The ball was bobbled by center fielder Erika Zimmer which allowed Caroline Wilder to score from second base.
Sophomore Jessica Stone pitched an excellent six innings against the Bears and limited their potent offense to just one run which they scored late in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game. Stone was relieved by fellow sophomore Grey Adams (5-1) who finished out the game and picked up her fifth win of the season.
Samford dropped its nightcap against the No. 6 Sooners 9-0 in six innings of play. Redshirt junior Mollie Hanson (7-3) fended off the talented Oklahoma hitters but the duo of Lauren Chamberlain and Erin Miller pushed OU out ahead with a combined total of eight RBIs.
Despite giving up 12 strikeouts to Sooner pitcher Kelsey Stevens (6-0)the Bulldogs had opportunities to put pressure on the team from Norman.
Junior Megan Dowdy went 2 of 3 from the plate and was inches away from going a perfect 3 for 3 but Stevens caught a hard hit line drive right back at her in Dowdy's first at-bat of the game.
Down 4-0 going into the top of the fifth inning Samford loaded the bases with two out after Bice drew a leadoff walk and a pair of singles from Abbie Miranda and Dowdy. Senior Shelby Scott worked a 2-2 count before being retired by Stevens.
Miller put the game away in the bottom of the sixth inning with a three-run home run to straight away center field.
Dowdy finished the day as the Bulldogs most consistent hitter going 3 for 6 at the plate from her leadoff position.
Samford will be back in action tomorrow to play another pair of games against Missouri State and Oklahoma. The Bulldogs will first take on the Bears at 10 a.m. then will cap off the tournament against the Sooners at 12:15 p.m.
Loyola Marymount 10, UNCG 2
UNCG 12, Loyola Marymount 3
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The UNCG softball lost game one against LMU, 10-2, before coming back with a 12-3 run-rule win in six innings Saturday on Day Two of the Highlander Classic at Amy S. Harrison field.
The Spartans sit at 11-5 on the season and LMU is 8-13 with the doubleheader split.
In game one, LMU scored seven of its 10 runs with two outs to defeat UNCG, 10-2. Senior Tatiana Alcala had a RBI single and junior Nicole Thomas was 2-for-3 at the plate in the loss. Classmate Lacey Leary had two hits at the designated player spot.
Junior Danica Bishop took the loss falling to 2-1 on the season. Bishop threw six innings and allowed six earned runs off seven hits. Rachael Farrington threw a complete game (5-6) allowing two earned runs off 11 hits and had four strikeouts.
The Spartans took a early 1-0 lead in the second inning. Nicole Thomas doubled to left and Leary singled to right field to start the inning. After a out, Alcala roped a RBI single up the middle to give UNCG a 1-0 lead.
LMU answered with two runs in the third inning off two hits and two UNCG errors. Meghan von Behren reached on a error and moved to second after a passed ball. Rachael Williams laid down a sacrifice bunt but von Behren scored after a UNCG throwing error. Stephanie Maciel doubled and scored on a RBI single from Alex Finie to give LMU a 2-1 lead.
The Lions added two insurance runs in the fifth inning off a two-out two run single from Finie. LMU used a walk and a hit by pitch to put runners on and got the two-hit from Finie to make the score 4-1
In the sixth inning, LMU scored four more runs all with two outs to take a commanding 8-1 lead against the Spartans. Williams lined a RBI double just over the glove of shortstop Gabrielle Cubbage. Amanda Dirks followed with a three-run home run to right center to give LMU a 8-1 lead.
Alicia Brown hit a two-run home run for the Lions in the seventh inning as the Spartans fell behind 10-1.
UNCG loaded the bases in the seventh inning but only scored one run off a RBI groundout by Lindsay Thomas to make the final score 10-2. Senior Dominique Madruga picked up her second hit of the game in the inning. Cubbage also had her second hit in the frame.
In game two, UNCG finished with 12 runs off 14 hits to run-rule Loyola-Marymount, 12-3, in six innings.
Freshman pitcher Alicia Bazonski improved to 4-0 with a complete game, allowing three earned runs off six hits with one strikeout.
Madruga helped set the pace with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored. The four hits are tied for the second most in a single game in UNCG softball history.
Junior Danielle Vega was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Leary picked up two hits with a RBI.
The Spartans came out swinging from the start as Madruga doubled to right center in the first inning. Junior Lindsay Thomas lined a RBI single to left field to give UNCG a 1-0 lead. Vega followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Nicole Thomas earned a RBI sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Spartans.
In the third inning, Nicole Thomas blasted a three-run home run to centerfield giving UNCG a 5-0 lead. Vega and Leary came through with singles to setup the home run.
LMU cut the lead to 5-3 after a three-run home run from Amanda Dirks with two outs in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs, the Lions had back-to-back singles and Dirks hit her second home run of the doubleheader.
The Blue and Gold plated two insurance runs in the fourth inning after a two out run scored off a error from LMU. Leary singled to keep the inning alive and Alcala lined a RBI single to centerfield giving UNCG a 7-3 lead.
The Spartans put the game out of reach with a five-run sixth inning to take a commanding 12-3 lead.
Bazonski completed the run-rule win with a clean sixth inning not allowing LMU to score.
The final day at the Highlander Classic concludes Sunday with the Spartans getting a rematch against host UC Riverside at 5 p.m. eastern time.
Western Carolina 4, Belmont 1
Albany 4, Western Carolina 0
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Western Carolina softball (5-9) split day two action at the Winthrop Invitational defeating Belmont 4-1 and dropping the second game of the day 4-0 to Albany.
Western Carolina hit a pair of homeruns and the Catamount pitching staff shut down the Bruins to get the win. The Catamounts had nine hits in the game and didn't commit an error.
Senior pitcher Jordan Garrett got the starting nod and the win improving to 5-4 on the season. Garrett went four innings giving up one run on four hits and struck out five. Junior Mallory Broome tossed two shutout innings allowing one hit and striking out two.
Catamount closer Taylor Sigmon tossed the seventh inning with a three up and three down earning her second save on the season. Sigmon is the Catamount career saves' leader and now has eight in her career.
The Catamounts got on the board first scoring a run second inning. Freshman Emily Helton hit a lead-off tripper, the first in her career. Junior Crystal Cyr's RBI single to center field scored Helton.
It was a double scoring whammy for Western Carolina in the third inning. It all began with a double by sophomore Kara Salvo. Sigmon followed hitting her second homerun on the season, a shot over the left field wall, for the two run shot. It was back-to-back homeruns for the Catamounts' when sophomore Courtney Price followed up Sigmon's homerun with one of her own.
Belmont avoided the shutout when the Bruins' Jessica Wilson hit a homerun in the top of the fourth.
Abigail Daniels and Price each had a pair of hits in the game.
Western Carolina was shut out by Albany in game two of the day. Though both teams ended the game with six hits a-piece, the Great Danes capitalized on scoring chances in the third and fifth innings for the win.
Albany plated a run in the third inning and three in the fifth.
Sophomore pitcher Courtney Buchanan got the starting nod tossing a complete game. She allowed four runs on six hits and struck out five falling to 0-2 on the season.
Western Carolina had its best scoring chance of the game in the sixth inning. Victoria Mariscal picked up a one-out single and moved to second when Salvo was hit by a pitch. After Salvo was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice, Western Carolina had Mariscal at third and Sigmon at first. Price singled down the left field line but Mariscal was thrown out at home to end the Catamount scoring threat.
Western Carolina returns to action Sunday in the final day of the Winthrop Invitational facing Belmont at 9 a.m. and host Winthrop at 2 p.m.
Mercer 14, Portland State 4
USF 5, Mercer 3