No. 5 Wofford 5, No. 8 ETSU 4
GREENSBORO, N.C. – No. 5 seed Wofford outlasted No. 8 seed ETSU, 5-4, in 10 innings in the opening game of the Southern Conference Softball Championship at UNCG Softball Stadium on Wednesday.
 
The Terriers (23-22) advance to play No. 4 seed Mercer (22-28) later today at 4 p.m. The Buccaneers (11-39) were eliminated from the tournament.


After the first two innings were scoreless, Wofford got on the board first in the third frame. Kate Platte was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Gracie Parker singled to center field to place runners on first and second. Hope Ingle then crushed a three-run homer to left center field, putting the Terriers up 3-0. The home run gave Wofford its first runs scored in school history at the SoCon Championship.
 
ETSU would tie the game in the fifth inning. Maddison Stowell singled to begin the inning and after a fielder’s choice put   Faith Adams on first base, the Bucs sent Leilani Coleman in to pinch run. Tiare Rieger singled up the middle to place runners on first and second, then two batters later, Cameron Young doubled to left field to bring Coleman across home plate. Riley Nayadley doubled on the next pitch to score Rieger and Young, making the contest 3-3.
 
The next four innings were a pitcher’s duel, with each team managing just one hit over that time. The 10th inning began with runners placed on second base for each squad.
 
For ETSU, Rieger singled to left field to get runners on the corners, then stole second to get two runners in scoring position. The next batter was Jasmine Sanchez and she hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Adams, putting ETSU up 4-3, but Rieger got caught in a rundown and was tagged out, giving Wofford a double play. Margaret Axelson forced Young into a ground out on the next at-bat to end the top of the frame.
 
In the bottom of the 10th, Platte began on second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Abbi Campbell drew a walk after that to put runners on first and third, and an RBI single by Parker two pitches later scored Platte, tying the game at 4-4. Ingle hit into a fielder’s choice in the next at-bat, which allowed Campbell to score, ending the game at 5-4.
 
Axelson (9-4), who is a first-team all-conference performer, pitched all 10 innings for Wofford, striking out four batters and surrendering three earned runs on seven hits inside the circle.
 
Sara Muir received the loss in the game. Muir threw four innings, striking out five batters and giving up just two hits.
 
Parker had two hits, two walks, a run scored and one RBI for Wofford, while Ingle accounted for the other four RBIs. Rieger, Stowell and Young each had two hits for ETSU.
 
No. 7 Western Carolina 8, No. 6 Furman 6
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The No. 7 seed Western Carolina Catamounts defeated the No. 6 seed Furman Paladins, 8-6, in the second game of the Southern Conference Softball Championship on Wednesday at UNCG Softball Stadium.
 
Western Carolina (17-33) advances to play No. 3 seed Samford later today at 7 p.m. The Paladins (24-30) were eliminated for the tournament.
 
The Catamounts began the game with a flurry, scoring four runs in the opening frame of the contest. Taylor Waitley singled to left field to score Lily Bell to bring the game’s first run across home plate. After Waitley stole second base, Jeralynn Wells singled to center field, bringing Savannah Baldwin in to score. Sydney Dirks hit an RBI ground out to first base on the next at-bat, scoring Waitley to give the Catamounts their third run of the inning. The final run of the frame was scored by Wells on an error by Furman.
 
Western Carolina pushed its lead to five in the second inning with one swing of the bat. Tessa Juett homered to right field, making the score 5-0 in favor of the Catamounts. Furman would make a pitching change after that at-bat.
 
The Paladins tied the score in the bottom of the second. Chloe Fabio singled to center field to score Kaitlyn Laudick, giving Furman its first run of the game. The Paladins would get singles on each of the next four at-bats, which produced runs scored by Fabio, Ansley Chiang, Ashlee Lykins and Caitlin Goldwait.
 
The Catamounts regained the lead in the top of the third inning. Dirks hit an RBI double to score Wells before Kennedy Stewman singled to left center to bring Dirks across home plate, making the score 7-5. Western Carolina’s strong offense continued in the fourth when Baldwin singled down the right field line to score Bell, putting the Catamounts ahead 8-5.
 
Furman would get a run back in the bottom of the sixth. Chiang scored on an RBI groundout by Charlotte Brooks, bringing the score to 8-6. The Paladins would not produce another base runner in the game following that run.

Makenzie Martin picked up her first win of the season inside the circle for the Catamounts, tossing 5 1/3 innings in relief, giving up just three hits and one run. Baldwin, Bell and Wells each had two hits for Western Carolina, with Bell and Wells also scoring a pair of runs apiece.
 
Chiang finished the game 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored for Furman.
 
No. 4 Mercer 1, No. 5 Wofford 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. – No. 4 seed Mercer won a pitcher’s duel over No. 5 seed Wofford, 1-0, in the third game of the Southern Conference Softball Championship on Wednesday at UNCG Softball Stadium.
 
The Bears (23-28) advance to play No. 1 seed Chattanooga (38-13) on Thursday at 10 a.m. The Terriers (23-23) fall to an elimination contest on Thursday at 7 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.
 
Both teams were able to produce hits throughout the game, but neither was able to capitalize in the first six innings. The game went scoreless until the final frame.
 
Wofford produced a threat in the top of the seventh. Ally Bingham hit a two-out double to right center to put the winning run at second base. Lilly Compton came in to pinch run for Bingham. Kaytlin Greenwood singled to right field in the next at-bat, but Compton was thrown out by Mercer right fielder Laura Vigna at the plate to end the top of the frame.
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Vigna laid down a bunt single to start the frame. A pair of ground outs put Vigna on third base and that was followed by walks from Tori Hedgecock and Kassidy Moore to load the bases. Emma Dorval then singled up the middle, scoring Vigna to produce the lone run of the contest.
 
Hannah Pitts (7-8) threw a complete game for Mercer, striking out three batters and allowing five hits. Avery Barton went 3-for-3 to lead the Bears at the plate.
 
Kate Platte went 2-for-3 and Hope Ingle drew two walks for the Terriers.
 
No. 3 Samford 5, No. 7 Western Carolina 2
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The No. 3 seed Samford Bulldogs topped the No. 7 seed Western Carolina Catamounts, 5-2, in the final game of day one at the Southern Conference Softball Championship on Wednesday at UNCG Softball Stadium.
 
The Bulldogs (22-30) advance to play No. 2 seed UNCG (31-24) on Thursday at 1 p.m. The Catamounts (17-34) fall to an elimination game on Thursday at 4 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.
 
Western Carolina jumped out to an early lead, scoring both of its runs in the opening inning. The Catamounts quickly loaded the bases after a single and two walks. Two batters later, Jeralynn Wells singled through the right side to score Lily Bell and Tessa Juett, giving the squad a 2-0 lead.
 
Samford responded in the bottom of the first inning with a run of its own. Sarah Squillace hit a one-out single and Olivia Shaw drew a walk during the next at-bat, giving the Bulldogs two runners on base. Logan Champion then reached on an error to load the bases and a sacrifice fly by Katie Campbell scored Squillace, making the score 2-1.
 
The Bulldogs took the lead in the third inning. Champion hit a two-run double down the third base line to bring Squillace and McKayla Cothran across home plate. Campbell then singled up the middle to score Champion, making the score 4-2 in favor of Samford. Later in the inning, Addison Smith scored after Lindsey Nelson drew a bases loaded walk.
 
Kennedy Stewman hit a two-out single in the top of the fourth inning for Western Carolina. That would serve as the final hit either team would get for the remainder of the contest.
 
McKenzie Newcomb got her ninth win of the season inside the circle for Samford, throwing seven innings in relief and recording seven strikeouts and zero earned runs. Juett and Makenzie Martin each gave up just two hits for the Catamounts.
 
Squillace was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored, while Champion and Campbell each had two RBIs. Bell, Wells and Stewman recorded the hits for Western Carolina and Savannah Baldwin reached base twice via walk.


2024 SoCon Softball Championship
Greensboro, N.C.
Wednesday, May 8
Game 1: No. 5 Wofford 5, No. 8 ETSU 4
Game 2: No. 7 Western Carolina 8, No. 6 Furman 6
Game 3: No. 4 Mercer 1, No. 5 Wofford 0
Game 4: No. 3 Samford 5, No. 7 Western Carolina 2
 
Thursday, May 9
Game 5: No. 1 Chattanooga vs. No. 4 Mercer, 10 a.m.
Game 6: No. 2 UNCG vs. No. 3 Samford, 1 p.m.
Game 7: No. 7 Western Carolina vs. Game 5 loser, 4 p.m.
Game 8: No. 5 Wofford vs. Game 6 loser, 7 p.m.
 
Friday, May 10
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 10 a.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 11: Game 10 winner vs. Game 9 loser, 4 p.m.
 
Saturday, May 11
Game 12: Game 9 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 13 (if necessary): Game 12 winner vs. Game 12 loser, 4 p.m.