No. 4 Furman 4, No. 5 Mercer 3
GREENSBORO, N.C. – No. 4 seed Furman took advantage of four errors in the second inning to plate four unearned runs to claim a 4-3 win over No. 5 seed Mercer in the opening game of the Southern Conference Softball Championship at UNCG Softball Stadium on Wednesday.
 
The Paladins (21-31) advance to play No. 1 seed UNCG (37-16) on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. The Bears (16-39) fall to an elimination contest on Thursday at 8 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.
 
Furman got all the offense it would need in the second, getting a pair of hits and a disastrous defensive inning from Mercer. After Emily Bartlett led off with a single up the middle, she went to third on Mercer’s first error, on a Caitlin Goldwait sacrifice attempt. Bartlett would then be awarded home on a wild rundown play that also involved Goldwait getting hung up between first and second, with Bartlett scoring on an obstruction call at the plate.
 
After a strikeout, Goldwait came in to score when Marina Griffin’s sacrifice attempt was mishandled, and Chrissy Fleming followed with an RBI double down the left field line. One out later, Fleming, who stole third, would score on a dropped fly to make it a 4-0 game.
 
The Bears got two runs back in the fourth, getting consecutive singles from Alyssa Woods and Diamond Williams to lead off the inning. Furman starter Sierra Tufts induced a pair of groundouts as the Paladins threatened to get out of the inning unscathed, but Tori Hedgecock doubled to right to score both runners and halve Mercer’s deficit.
 
Mercer pulled within a run in the seventh, with Hedgecock again in the middle of the action. The freshman shortstop led off the frame with a single down the left field line before pinch-runner Elisa Rosado stole second. After a strikeout, Rosado advanced to third on a groundout, setting the stage for Madison Headley’s RBI single up the middle.
 
Tufts (10-15) induced a foul out to left to end the game. She allowed three runs on seven hits, striking out five and not issuing a walk.
 
Hanna Pitts (6-15) allowed four unearned runs on just two hits in six innings, though she was charged with two of Mercer’s errors.
 
Headley was 3-for-3 at the bottom of the Mercer lineup, while Hedgecock went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Fleming and Bartlett accounted for Furman’s two hits.
 
No. 2 Samford 4, No. 7 ETSU 3 (9 inn.)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The No. 2 seed Samford Bulldogs outlasted the No. 7 seed ETSU Buccaneers in extra innings to grab a 4-3 win after Amanda Briskin scored the winning run in the second game of the Southern Conference Championship on Wednesday at UNCG Softball Stadium.
 
Samford advances to play Thursday at 3 p.m. against the winner of the No. 3 seed Chattanooga and No. 6 seed Western Carolina game. ETSU will play at 10 a.m. versus the loser of the UTC/WCU contest.
 
Both teams got their first runs of the game in the second inning. Cameron Young scored the first run of the game in the top of the frame for the Bucs after her teammate Carolina Davis laid down a fielder’s choice bunt. ETSU would get another run from Amber Atkins as Young stole second and the Bulldogs defense could not get Atkins at the plate.
 
Merritt Cahoon scored the lone Samford run in the second on a fielder’s choice to second base off the bat of Briskin. ETSU got another run one inning later after Andrea Sarhatt hit an RBI double to left center to score Kelly Warren.
 
Gwynnie Hornibrook hit a solo home run for Samford in the bottom of the fourth to close the Bucs’ lead to 3-2. Two innings later, the Bulldogs would tie the score after an error by ETSU allowed pinch runner Lindsey Nelson to come across home plate and tie the game at 3-3.
 
The Bulldogs would get their bats working again in the ninth as Briskin and Sarah Squillace hit back-to-back singles to begin the bottom of the frame. McKayla Cothran came up next and singled on a bunt, but in an attempt to throw her out at first, the Bucs committed their third error of the game as the ball traveled into right field and Briskin would come in to score.
 
ETSU had nine hits to Samford’s six in the game. Atkins led the way going 3-for-4 with a run scored. Whitley Arnott (1-16) threw six innings of relief inside the circle for the Buccaneers as she struck out four batters and gave up just one earned run.
 
SoCon Freshman of the Year and first team all-conference member McKenzie Newcomb tossed eight innings for Samford as she had nine strikeouts and zero walks. Cothran went 2-for-4 with a double and Briskin had a hit and an RBI to go along with scoring the decisive run.
 
Jordyn Partain (10-7) picked up the win for Samford with an inning of scoreless, one-hit relief.
 
No. 3 Chattanooga 3, No. 6 Western Carolina 2 (10 inn.)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Emily Coltharp’s RBI single up the middle capped a two-run rally in the bottom of the 10^th inning as No. 3 seed Chattanooga downed upset-minded No. 6 seed Western Carolina 3-2 on Wednesday at the Southern Conference Softball Championship at UNCG Softball Stadium.
 
The Mocs (26-25), who won their fourth game in five days against the Catamounts (18-33), advance to face No. 2 seed Samford (32-17) on Thursday at 3 p.m. Western Carolina will take on No. 7 seed ETSU (8-47) on Thursday in an elimination game at 10 a.m.
 
All of the scoring came in extra innings as starting pitchers Brooke Parrott of Chattanooga and Savannah Rice of Western Carolina were both magnificent on the afternoon, each going the distance.
 
After eight scoreless innings, Western Carolina finally broke through in the top of the ninth, getting consecutive two-out doubles from Myra Twitty and Savannah Rice to get on the board.
 
The Mocs had the answer in the bottom half, with Reagan Armour leading off with a double and Acelynn Sellers singling sharply to right center to bring her home.
 
The Catamounts went back on top in the 10^th, with Brooklynn Brewington stroking a two-out single to left to score Addie Pate, who had been placed on second via the international tiebreaker rule.
 
Chattanooga once again had the answer in the bottom half, with Gracey Kruse hitting a leadoff double to score Presley Williamson, who started the inning on second. A sacrifice bunt moved Kruse to third, and Coltharp bounced a single up the middle past a drawn-in infield to send the Mocs through to the winners’ bracket.
 
Parrott (12-7) and Rice (10-15) were masterful in the circle, as neither team had a runner reach third base until the seventh inning and both pitchers faced just two batters over the minimum through six.
 
Parrott finished with four strikeouts and allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits in 10 innings of work. Rice was charged with three runs (two earned) on 10 hits in 9 1/3 innings, striking out five.
 
Armour and Coltharp both collected three hits on the afternoon to pace the Mocs. Twitty and Pate had two hits apiece to lead Western Carolina.
 
2022 SoCon Softball Championship (all games on ESPN+)
Greensboro, N.C.
Wednesday, May 11
Game 1: No. 4 Furman 4, No. 5 Mercer 3
Game 2: No. 2 Samford 4, No. 7 ETSU 3 (9 inn.)
Game 3: No. 3 Chattanooga 3, No. 6 Western Carolina 2 (10 inn.)
 
Thursday, May 12
Game 4: No. 7 ETSU vs. No. 6 Western Carolina, 10 a.m.
Game 5: No. 1 UNCG vs. No. 4 Furman, 12:30 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 Samford vs. No. 3 Chattanooga, 3 p.m.
Game 7: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 loser, 5:30 p.m.
Game 8: No. 5 Mercer vs. Game 6 loser, 8 p.m.
 
Friday, May 13
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 12:30 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 3 p.m.
Game 11: Game 10 winner vs. Game 9 loser, 5:30 p.m.
 
Saturday, May 14
Game 12: Game 9 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 13 (if necessary): Game 12 winner vs. Game 12 loser, 3 p.m.