Western Carolina 2, Samford 1
Western Carolina 6, Samford 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Brilliant pitching performances by Jordan Garrett and Taylor Sigmon, along with timely hitting, gave way to Western Carolina softball clinching the doubleheader Southern Conference sweep of Samford Saturday at the Catamount Softball Complex.
The pair of victories is the first doubleheader conference sweep of the season for the Catamounts and the third conference series WCU has collected on the year. Western Carolina improves to 18-23 on the season and 7-4 in SoCon play. Samford falls to 27-16 and 8-3.
In the last 34 innings Western Carolina has given up just four runs and scored 18 with a record of 4-1.
Western Carolina scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and then buckled down defensively to take the first game of the three-game series with Samford.
The two-out Catamount scoring rally began when sophomore third baseman Kara Salvo was hit by Samford starting pitcher Mollie Hanson. Back-to-back singles by Courtney Price and Crystal Cyr set up the first run for Western Carolina when Cyr’s RBI single plated Salvo. Price scored on a wild pitch by Hanson.
The Bulldogs sliced the Catamount lead in half in the top of the second inning with the only true miscue by Garrett. Samford’s Abby Adams hit a one-out homerun to left center to put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard.
Though Samford would threaten in the ensuing innings, Garrett and the Catamount defense had an answer at almost every turn. One of the biggest Catamount defensive plays of the game came in the third inning when left fielder Price threw a laser to the waiting Catamount catcher Heather Chastain to get Caitlin Bice out at home and end the inning.
Garrett also got strikeouts to end two of the six innings she saw action. In the seventh inning Taylor Sigmon was called on to close out the game did so with the finesse of a Rembrandt painting. Sigmon notched a pair of strikeouts and forced a ground out to end the inning and the game.
In six innings of work, Garrett allowed one run on six hits with five strikeouts to earn the win. Sigmon picked up the save. Price and Cyr each had a pair of hits.
Samford pitcher Grey Adams gave up a run to Western Carolina in the bottom of the first. The Catamounts were held scoreless for the ensuing three innings before the WCU offense kicked into high gear.
Adams’ lone run yielded was set up by a lead-off walk by Western Carolina’s Emily Helton who scored from an RBI single to left center by Price.
Garrett again got the call for Western Carolina as the starting pitcher and was relentless in her four innings of work. She faced 18 batters and allowed just three hits. Sigmon threw three innings of work, coming in when the Catamounts were holding onto a tenuous 1-0 lead.
Cyr gave Sigmon some breathing room when she launched a three-run homerun over centerfield to put the Catamounts up 4-0. It was Cyr’s team-leading seventh long ball of the season.
Samford made things interesting in the sixth when with two outs a Catamount error, a single and a walk loaded the bases with Bulldogs. Sigmon was ice cold staring down the Bulldog batter, pinch hitter Bice, striking her out to end the Samford threat.
The Catamounts padded its lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. A Samford error put lead-off hitter Abigail Daniels, who came in to pinch hit, on first base. With one out, Brooke Coggins hit the first homerun of her Catamount career, a shot to left field, scoring a pair of runs and giving WCU a 6-0 lead.
Garrett got the win in both games and improves to 12-10 on the season. Sigmon picked up a pair of saves and now has five on the season.
Western Carolina will go for the SoCon sweep over Samford on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Chattanooga 7, Furman 5
Chattanooga 7, Furman 5
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Chattanooga Softball Head Coach Frank Reed became the 28th coach in the nation to reach 1,000 careers wins as the Mocs defeated the Furman Paladins in consecutive 7-5 wins on Saturday in Pepsi Stadium. As the 10th winningest active coach, Reed now holds a 1,001-374 overall record and a 525-307 record at UTC.
Extending to a 10-game winning streak, with an spotless record in league play, Chattanooga (27-8, 8-0 SoCon) had six players with multi-hits. Junior Anyssa Robles and Freshman J.J. Hamil both registered three-run hits and senior Sarah Beth Roberts posted a 3-for-4 outing, to power Chattanooga to a 14-hit performance.
Pacing the pen, was Kailey Palazzolo as the freshman picked up a save in game one and went the distance in game two to earn the victory and remain undefeated this season.
In the victory that marked the 1,000 career win for Reed, the Mocs lead off with a 2-0 lead as Criket Blanco homered over the right field wall in the second inning and Sarah Beth Roberts drove home off a Furman throwing error in the third inning.
Furman rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the third as the Paladins loaded the bases for a two-run single to the right field.
The Paladins took the lead in the bottom of the fourth as a hit off the third base bag and an overextended pickoff throw plated two runs.
Persistent, Chattanooga responded with a final rally of four runs in the top of the fifth inning. Sam Taylor steered the momentum of the frame with a triple to left center. With the outfielder in scoring position, Hamill blasted a sac fly to center field driving Taylor home.
Only behind Furman by one at 4-3, Roberts singled and Nicole Osterman and Blanco were hit by pitches from Furman starter Lindsey Bert to load the bases with two outs. Anyssa Robles cashed in the free bases by lining a three-run double inside the first base bag to give Chattanooga a 6-4 lead.
The Paladins looked to threaten with a hit in the bottom of the fifth, and consecutive walks in the bottom of the sixth, but Palazzolo retired the next three batters and stranded two more runners in the seventh with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
Palazzolo allowed just one hit and fanned four batters in two innings to earn her first save of the season. Taylor Deason (11-3), who came on in relief of Jennings in the fourth inning, took the victory after allowing one run on two hits in one and 2/3 innings of work.
Once again the Mocs opened with the advantage as Sarah Beth Roberts singled through the left side to drive in lead-off batter Sam Taylor in the opening frame. Taylor then doubled the lead with an RBI single in the top of the second.
Chattanooga shutdown the Paladins’ offensive efforts until the bottom of the third inning as Furman's Hope Smith lined a two-run triple to the wall in right-center to even the game at 2-2.
UTC used a four-run fourth inning to break the 2-2 tie. Kailey Palazzolo and Marina Wilkerson opened the top of the frame with singles and J.J Hamill blasted a three-run homer to left field with one out in the inning to put the Mocs back in front. Chattanooga tacked on one more insurance run as Roberts doubled off of Furman starter Alex Sappington and scored on Blanco's infield single off of reliever Elise Smith to up Chattanooga’s lead to 6-2.
The Mocs maintained their offensive momentum and cashed in one more run with a RBI single from Robles to left center.
Chattanooga kept Furman unproductive until consecutive walks in the bottom of the seventh gave the Paladins a look to rally. Bases loaded Furman’s Bishop singled to right field to drive in two more runs, but Palazzolo got Johnson swinging to end the threat.
Palazzolo improved to 5-0 in the circle after allowing five runs on eight hits in seven innings. She walked two Paladins and struck out five.
The Mocs look to sustain their success in the series finale against the Paladins at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Mercer 7, UNCG 2
UNCG 8, Mercer 5
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University softball team split a pair of games against the UNC Greensboro Spartans in double-header action. The Bears took game one 7-2, but fell 8-5 in the second game of the day. Mercer moves to 29-16 on the year and 5-2 in conference play.
The Bears started the game hot scoring one run on two hits in the first inning to take an early lead. Caroline Taylor picked up the first RBI of the day with a single up the middle to score Taylor Miller, giving Mercer the 1-0 lead. After a scoreless second the Spartans answered with a solo-home run to tie the game at one, where the score would remain until the fifth inning.
Mercer would retake the lead in the fifth, adding three runs on three hits, pushing the Bears lead to 4-1. With two outs, Riley Carter tripled to right field, scoring Emma Andrew to start the scoring. On the next at bat Taylor picked up her tenth home run of the season with a two run blast off the Sikes Field scoreboard.
Mercer got back to work in the sixth adding another three runs on three hits to extend their lead to six. Miller picked up an RBI on a single to the pitcher scoring Kaylynn Sloat. Meghan Rud added a pair of RBIs with a single up the middle to push across Miller and Andrew for the final two Mercer scores of the day. UNCG's comeback fell short as they added one run in the seventh making the final score 7-2.
Kirsten Stevens recorded her 19th win of the 2015 campaign in her 19th complete game. Stevens recorded three strikeouts in seven innings of work while allowing three walks and two runs en route to the win.
The Bears did not fair as well in game two as they fell to the Spartans 8-5 in seven innings. Mercer found their selves in a whole early as UNCG opened the game with a two run homer in the first. Mercer answered with a run of their own in the second, scoring on one hit. Quarisa Mauga recorded a RBI on a sacrifice fly to score Shayla Kicklighter, making the score 2-1 heading into the third.
The Spartans padded their lead in the fourth, this time on a two run blast to center field to give UNCG the 4-1 lead. Mercer fought their way back into the game again in the fifth adding three runs on two hits to tie the game at four apiece. Rud pushed across the first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to score Molly Garmany. Carter added the final two runs of the inning, picking up a pair of RBIs with a double to right center, scoring Miller and Sloat.
Heading into the sixth the Spartans would not go away as they added their final four runs of the game on a gland slam to take an 8-5 lead heading into the seventh. The Bears tried to rally but the comeback fell short. Carter picked up her third RBI of the game scoring Miller to give the final score of 8-5.
Anna O'Neill picked up her sixth loss of the season pitching five innings and recording four strikeouts. Rachael Hugghins added two innings worth of work in relief allowing only one hit.
Mercer will be back in action tomorrow, Sunday, April 12th to decide the series against UNC Greensboro. Looking ahead, the Bears will travel to Samford to take on the Bulldogs on the weekend of April 18th.