Furman 3, Western Carolina 0
Furman 8, Western Carolina 6
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Freshman Lindsey Bert tossed a two-hit shutout in game one and earned a save in game two as Furman completed a 3-0, 8-6 doubleheader sweep of Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Cullowhee, N.C., to extend its winning streak to six games and move into fourth place in the Southern Conference standings.
Bert, who recorded her second consecutive shutout, limited the Catamounts to just a two-out single in the fourth inning and one-out base hit in the fifth to improve to 18-11 in the circle with a 3-0 victory in game one.
The Tallahassee, Fla., product fanned five batters and issued three walks to follow up her 12-0 shutout of ETSU in her last outing on April 18, in Johnson City, Tenn.
Western Carolina's Jordan Garrett matched Bert pitch-for-pitch through the first four innings before Furman's Ambree Muller broke a scoreless tie with a solo blast to right-center field, her fourth of the season, to lead off the top of the fifth. Garrett (14-14) escaped a bases loaded, one-out situation later in the inning to keep the score at 1-0, but Furman added to its lead in the sixth inning. With Muller on second base and two outs against reliever Taylor Sigmon, Furman's Natalie Clemmons lined a base hit to left field that kicked off of left fielder Courtney Price's leg and rolled to the wall allowing Muller and Clemmons to score on the play.
Bert retired the final eight batters she faced to close out the game. Garrett, who worked five and 1/3 innings, took the loss by allowing two runs on four hits. She fanned eight batters and walked four.
Clemmons went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Muller homered and scored two of Furman's three runs.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Bert entered the game in relief of Alex Sappington to record the final four outs as Furman held on for an 8-6 triumph.
Leading 8-4 entering the bottom of the sixth, Sappington retired the first two Catamount batters before Sigmon reached on a dropped fly ball in left field and Amber Kimrey lined a single through the left side. Bert entered the game and uncorked a wild pitch to allow Sigmon to score and Kimrey came home on Karley Harkey's two-out single, but the left-hander retired Victoria Mariscal to end the frame. In the seventh, Bert worked around a single to complete the save.
Sappington, who allowed four earned runs on five hits in five and 2/3 innings, earned the victory to improve to 5-10. She retired the first 12 batters she faced on just 37 pitches before running into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. Singles by Heather Chastain, Kimrey and Harkey set the table for Mariscal who hammered a two-out grand slam to center field to trim Furman's 5-0 lead to a single run.
The Paladins answered in the sixth inning as Taylor Collins greeted WCU reliever Courtney Buchanan with a leadoff homer to left-center before Clemmons followed a Muller base on balls with a two-run blast to right-center.
Furman had grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning as Muller reached on a leadoff double and scored on Taylor Jenkins' bunt single. Elise Smith laced a two-out, two-run double to right field later in the inning and Jenkins added a two-run blast in the top of the fifth for the Paladins.
Garrett suffered her second loss of the day by allowing three runs on five hits in four innings in game two action.
Jenkins went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI for Furman, while Clemmons went 2-for-4 with a two-run roundtripper and two runs.
The Paladins clubbed three homers in the nightcap to give them a school single season record 41 long balls in 2015.
The three-game series concludes with a single game on Sunday at the Catamount Softball Complex at 1 p.m.
UNCG 12, ETSU 10
UNCG 11, ETSU 3 (5 inn.)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG softball team rallied back to win game one 12-10 and finished with a run-rule 11-3 victory in game two to sweep a doubleheader against ETSU Saturday at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
The Spartans improved to 19-19, 4-9 in conference games with the doubleheader sweep. ETSU falls to 12-28 and is 1-13 in SoCon games.
In game one, after a one hour and 40 minute rain delay the Spartans rallied to earn a walk off 12-10 victory against ETSU.
With two outs in the seventh inning, ETSU had a 10-8 advantage before a game-tying two run home run from junior Danielle Vega. Nicole Thomas worked a walk and Lindsay Thomas delivered a walk off two run blast off the foul pole in left field to give UNCG a 12-10 win.
Nicole Thomas went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI to lead the Spartans. Junior Allison Geiner was 2-for-3 with four runs scored at the leadoff spot. Vega had three hits and a home run.
N. Thomas improved to 5-8 after throwing two innings in relief and gave up one earned run off three hits. Whitney Leon took the loss after throwing 6.1 relief innings and allowed eight runs (four earned) off six hits with seven walks.
UNCG jumped ahead with four runs off three hits in the first inning, including a two-run home run from sophomore Tory Wright. Geiner walked to start the inning followed by a single from Vega. Nicole Thomas lined a RBI single to left field and a second run scored off a error ETSU’s leftfielder. With one out, Wright blasted her fifth home run of the season giving the Spartans a 4-0 lead.
In the second inning, Geiner reached off a walk and Nicole Thomas lined a two-run home run to centerfield to push UNCG’s lead to 6-0. N. Thomas hit her team leading ninth home run of the season.
ETSU struck for five runs off four hits in the fourth inning to cut UNCG’s lead to 6-5. Bethany Cowart worked a walk and Cassi Pickett singled to put runners on first and second. Kelsey Smith singled to load the bases with no outs. After a out, Alex Everett lined a RBI single and Casey Horner singled home two runners to make it 6-3. Two unearned runs came home off a UNCG error.
In the fifth inning, the Bucs took a 8-6 lead after scoring three runs off two hits and two UNCG errors. Pickett reached first off a walk to start the frame. A fielding error by the Spartans allowed a run to score tying the game at 6-6. Everett lined a RBI single to give ETSU a 7-6 lead. Danielle Knoetze earned a RBI sacrifice fly to push home ETSU’s eighth run.
The Bucs took a 10-6 lead thanks to a one out two run home run by Taylor Carter in the top of the sixth inning.
The Blue and Gold would start the comeback scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth off two hits. Geiner singled to center and Vega doubled down the right field line. After a wild pitch, N. Thomas lined a RBI groundout and sophomore Emily Lopez scored off another wild pitch to make it 10-8 ETSU.
The Spartans completed the comeback with a four run seventh inning with two home runs by Vega and a walk off by Lindsay Thomas.
In game two, the Spartans pounded out 13 hits and a six run fifth inning helped propel a run-rule 11-3 victory against ETSU.
Lindsay Thomas went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and a grand slam. Vega collected two more hits and a RBI while Wright was 2-for-3.
Nicole Thomas picked up the win improving to 6-8 on the season and allowed just three runs (two earned) in five innings. Taylor Carter was hit for the loss after allowing 10 runs (seven earned) off 12 hits in 4.2 innings.
ETSU took a early 1-0 lead in the second inning off a RBI single up the middle by Kelsey Chernak. Carter reached on a error to open the inning. After two groundouts, Chernak brought home a run off a RBI single.
In the second inning, UNCG took a 3-1 lead after scoring three runs off four hits and a ETSU error. Wright singled to start the inning. Pinch-runner Kendall McKinney moved to second off a groundout and came home after a throwing error by ETSU. Dominique Madruga singled on a bunt and Geiner beat out a RBI infield single to make it 2-1 UNCG. Vega singled home the third run of the inning giving the Spartans a 3-1 advantage.
The Spartans added a couple of insurance runs in the third inning off three hits. L. Thomas singled and Wright lined a single to right center to start the frame. After a out, freshman Alexis Overdiep laced a RBI single up the middle and a wild pitch scored Wright to give UNCG a 5-1 lead.
ETSU kept fighting with two runs in the fifth inning off three hits and a two-run single by Kelsey Smith. The Bucs had the bases loaded twice in the inning but UNCG only allowed two runs to come home making the score 5-3.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Blue and Gold ended the game early with a six run frame thanks to a grand slam walk off by Lindsay Thomas. Senior Tatiana Alcala started the inning with a single. Overdiep reached on a fielder’s choice after Alcala was forced out at second base. Freshman Gabrielle Cubbage singled and pinch-hitter Sidney Grkman walked to load the bases. Overdiep raced home for the Spartans sixth run. After a Vega walk, Nicole Thomas earned a RBI after being hit with the bases still loaded. L. Thomas roped a opposite field grand slam to give UNCG a run-rule 11-3 win in game two.
The series finale against ETSU will conclude Sunday, April 26 at 1 p.m. with Senior Day festivities before first pitch at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
Chattanooga vs. Mercer - Suspended - 1st Inning
MACON, Ga. - Due to thunderstorms in the Macon area, today's softball game with UT Chattanooga at Sikes Field has been postponed until tomorrow, April 26. The two teams will now play a tripleheader and will resume play at 12 p.m.
The Bears will start back a quarter of the way through the top of the first inning, with one out and a Mocs runner on second. Game two and three are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. With the senior recognition taking place between game one and two.