Furman 11, Gardner-Webb 2
Furman 3, Gardner-Webb 1
SHELBY, N.C. - The Furman softball team belted a school single-game record eight home runs in game one and extended its winning streak to nine games with an 11-2, 3-1 doubleheader sweep of Gardner-Webb on Wednesday afternoon at Crest High School in Shelby, N.C.
The sweep improved the Paladins to 28-21 overall and gave head coach Kyle Jamieson's team the school's longest winning streak since the 1996 season. Gardner-Webb dropped to 14-33.
In the opener, Ambree Muller led off the game with a solo homer, her first of two on the day, and the Paladins belted a school record eight homers in an 11-2 victory.
Taylor Collins put Furman ahead for good with a solo shot to left field in the second inning and Taylor Jenkins and Emma Ogburn extended the Paladin lead to 6-1 with two-run blasts in the top of the third. Jenkins' roundtripper tied her for the single season school home runs record with nine, while Ogburn's blast was the first of her career.
Lindsey Bert joined the home run parade in the top of the sixth with a two-run blast to the opposite field to up the margin to 8-2. In the top of the seventh inning, Furman established another standard as Katharine Olson, Candace Johnson and Muller went back-to-back-to-back for the final 11-2 margin. Olson, who notched her first career long ball, and Johnson's homers also marked the first time Furman had ever connected on back-to-back pinch-hit homers.
Bert (20-11) allowed just one run on four hits over four innings to become the first Paladin pitcher since 1995 to win 20 games in a season. Her 20 wins tied her for the third most in a single season by a Paladin hurler.
Sieara Bishop totaled three hits in the opener to power Furman's 13-hit attack. Muller, Bert and Ogburn each tallied two safeties.
Sam Harrell took the loss for Gardner-Webb, allowing six runs on seven hits in three and 1/3 innings. She fell to 1-5. Rachel Cumisky homered for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Junior Alex Sappington limited Gardner-Webb to a run on six hits over seven innings in the nightcap to guide Furman to a 3-1 victory.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the fifth inning, Natalie Clemmons and Bishop reached on consecutive singles and Jenkins was hit by a pitch to load the bases. AnnaRose Borrelli broke the deadlock with a sacrifice fly to center field to put Furman in front 2-1.
In the seventh inning, Jenkins lined a two-out single to center field, stole second base and upped the Paladins lead to 3-1 when she scored on Borrelli's base hit to left field.
Sappington walked three batters and struck out three over seven innings while improving to 6-10 in the circle.
Clemmons, Bishop, Jenkins and Courtney Jacobs each collected two hits in the nightcap while Borrelli drove in two of Furman's three runs.
Ashley Wark surrendered three runs on 11 hits in seven innings to fall to 3-14 in the circle for Gardner-Webb.
The Paladins return home to wrap up the regular season on Saturday and Sunday when they host SoCon rival UNCG in a three-game series.
Appalachian State 7, ETSU 6
ETSU 14, Appalachain State 13
BOONE, N.C. - ETSU recorded a season-high 16 hits in Wednesday's doubleheader finale at App State as the Bucs came from behind to best the Mountaineers in non-conference action in Boone, N.C.
Wednesday's twin bill, which ETSU split with App State, marked the Buccaneers (13-30) final regular season road trip of the year. ETSU will conclude the regular season by hosting SoCon opponent Mercer for a three-game series Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3.
While the Mountaineers (14-32) earned a narrow 7-6 victory in Game One Wednesday, ETSU responded with a stellar offensive outing in Game Two, manufacturing 14 runs—matching the team's season-high—on a season-best 16 hits to earn a 14-13 win and series split.
The Bucs got on the board early on in Game Two, scoring three times in their first frame.
Redshirt senior Nicole Fox led off the game with a bunt single to third base before being driven home by a two-out, two-strike double to centerfield by freshman Cassi Pickett. ETSU's very next batter, fellow freshman Kelsey Smith, then belted a two-run homer—her 12th long ball of the year—to right field to push the Bucs' lead to 3-0.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Mountaineers drew three walks and took advantage of three ETSU fielding errors to plate four runs—all unearned—to take assume a 4-3 advantage.
ETSU started off the third inning by loading the bases following a walk by Pickett sandwiched between singles by Malloree Schurr and Smith. A sacrifice fly to right field by senior Alex Everett driving in Schurr—the first of seven runs ETSU would score in the inning.
Casey Horner plated two runs on a single up the middle, giving ETSU a 6-4 lead and setting the table for sophomore Taylor Carter.
With no outs and Horner on second, Carter battled against App State pitcher, Katherine Johnson, stringing together a nine-pitch at-bat that featured four-consecutive, two-strike foul balls before Carter blasted her fifth homer of the season—a two-run shot to right field—to extend the Bucs' lead to 8-4.
Sophomore Kelsey Chernak drew a walk on five pitches, bringing Fox to the plate with no outs. Fox then reached base safely on a fielding error by the first baseman, Heather Josey, before advancing all the way to third following another error by Josey—this time of the throwing variety—and a throwing error by shortstop Cara Parker. Chernak scored on the wacky sequence, pushing ETSU's lead to 9-4.
Pinch-hitting for Jenine Duncan, junior outfielder Bethany Cowart hit an RBI-single to short, scoring Fox and capping ETSU's seven-run inning, allowing the Bucs to take a 10-4 advantage into the bottom of the third.
Keeping with the wild, offensively-oriented theme of the contest, the Mountaineers answered with a seven-run third inning of their own highlighted by five hits, including a two-run double by catcher Sarah Warnock and two-run homers by Josey and Parker. Heading into the fourth inning, App State maintained a narrow, 11-10 lead.
For the next four frames, both teams' bats were quiet, with App State scoring the lone run of the stretch on an RBI-single by second baseman Cynthia Gomez, extending the Mountaineers' lead to 12-10.
ETSU's offense was awoken in the top of the sixth as the Bucs plated four runs on four hits to regain the lead at 14-12.
After grounding out to start the inning, the Buccaneers recorded three consecutive hits, a double by Everett and singles by Horner and Carter, to score one run. Fox then drew a two-out walk to extend the inning.
Brooke Baxter scored the game-tying run on a wild pitch by recently-inserted pitcher Alissa Schoelkopf.
Cowart capped the inning with a nine-pitch at-bat that concluded with a two-RBI, go-ahead single to right field, scoring Fox and Carter and giving the Bucs a 14-12 advantage.
Smith, who pitched a season-high four innings in the contest, allowed just two App State hits the rest of the way—a seventh-inning solo homer by Parker—en route to sealing the victory for ETSU and earning her first collegiate win in the pitcher's circle.
In addition to earning the victory, Smith went 3-for-5 at the plate in the win, driving in a pair of runs and scoring two more.
Carter, Everett, Horner, and Pickett joined Smith in recording multi-hit games. Carter, who batted 3-for-4, and Cowart each led ETSU with three RBI in the victory.
Like Game Two, Fox led off the Game One with a single, however, she was later retired at second base on a fielder's choice in which Schurr reached base safely.
With two outs in the opening inning of Game One, Pickett belted a double to right center, scoring Schurr and giving ETSU an early 1-0 lead.
App State plated three runs on three hits in the third inning to take a 3-1 advantage, but the Bucs responded in the top of the fifth.
Chernak led off the inning with a single through the left side before advancing to second on a ground out by Fox. Chernak was then moved to third on a bunt single by the speedy left fielder, Duncan.
With runners on the corners and out out, Schurr hit a double to left field to score Chernak, cutting ETSU's deficit to 3-2 and driving the Mountaineers' starter, Kaitlin Williford, from the game.
Facing her first batter of the game, Schoelkopf walked Pickett on first pitches to load the bases.
Smith plated two of ETSU's three runners on base with a two-run single up the middle, giving the Bucs a 4-3 lead.
Following a pop up by Everett, Carter then drew a walk on five pitches, loading the bases once more. Still struggling with her command, Schoelkopf walked Horner on four pitches, allowing pinch runner Emma Martindale to score from third.
Vanessa Ciocatto, who would go on to start Game Two, then replaced Schoelkopf in the pitcher's circle for App State and forced Chernak to pop up to second base to end the inning with ETSU maintaining a 5-3 advantage.
App State matched ETSU's four-run fifth with a four-run frame of its own in the bottom of the inning to regain the lead at 7-5.
Josey knotted the game at 5-5 with a two-run homer to left field and, following a walk by Caroline Chambers, Parker plated the eventual game-winning runs on a two-run home run to right center, giving the Mountaineers a 7-5 advantage.
Parker, who entered Wednesday's doubleheader with five home runs on the season, went deep three times Wednesday—once in Game One and twice in Game Two. In all Wednesday, Parker batted 4-of-8 at the plate with six RBI and three runs scored.
ETSU cut its deficit to 7-6 by plating one run in the sixth inning when Pickett scored Schurr on an RBI-single to right field.
Ciocatto retired the Bucs' batters in order in the final inning to clinch the narrow, 7-6 win for App State.
The Buccaneers registered 12 hits in the setback and outhit App State by a 28-21 margin during Wednesday's twin bill.
ETSU will close out the regular season with a three-game home series versus league opponent Mercer Saturday, May 2 and Sunday May 3.