Tuesday's Softball Results

MONMOUTH OUTLASTS LADY PALADINS IN EIGHT INNING SLUGFEST 9-8

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Shortstop Dawn Gilchrist went 3-for-5 with three
doubles and three runs scored, including the game-winning RBI double in
the eighth inning, to lift Monmouth to a 9-8 win over Furman in softball
action Tuesday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.

Monmouth opened the scoring in the top of the first plating one run on a
wild pitch and one on an error by shortstop Lyndy Wilcox.

Furman answered with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the
first. LaKerah Barr led off the inning with a single up the middle. JoDee
Eichelberger reached on an error and Megan Jaudon drew a walk to load the
bases with nobody out. After a Karen Myers pop up to short, Jessica
Matthews reached on an error by Gilchrist allowing Barr to score. Joni
Lockridge grounded out to first to drive home Eichelberger and Jaudon
scored on a wild pitch to lift Furman to a 3-2 lead.

Jaudon increased Furman's lead to 4-2 in the third with a leadoff homer to
left centerfield, her first of her career.
Monmouth regained the lead in the top of the fifth. The Hawks, with the
help of two Lady Paladin errors and an Ashley Dellens two-run double to
center, took a 5-4 lead.

Furman once again answered in the bottom half of the inning. Jaudon led
off with a double and pinch runner Kristen Arnold advanced to third on a
sacrifice bunt by Myers. Matthews followed with a single through the left
side knotting the game at 5-5.

Tiffany Kenney, the ninth hitter in the Hawks' order, pushed Monmouth back
into the lead in the sixth with a two-out solo home run to left. The Lady
Paladins kept pace in the bottom half of the inning as Eichelberger laced
a triple to right-centerfield and scored on a wild pitch.

Gilchrist led off the seventh with a double to left field. After a
fielder's choice and a single loaded the bases with nobody out, Dellens
grounded out to second to drive in the go ahead run.

In the bottom of the seventh, Danielle Franklin drew a two-out walk to get
the Furman rally started. Kristin White followed with a game-tying tripe
to right-center, but was left stranded on third.
Monmouth would go ahead for good in the top half of the eighth. Sue
Micchelli reached on an error by Eichelberger allowing Kenney to score.

Gilchrist followed with a double scoring Micchelli for the eventual
game-winning run.

Monmouth relief pitcher Angela Rand worked her way out of a jam in the
bottom of the seventh to earn the win and improve to 1-0 on the season.

Rand allowed four runs on five hits in five innings of work.

Krstin Wilson and Micchelli each scored two runs for the Hawks (1-2),
while Dellens went 1-for-3 with three RBI.

Rachel Henley suffered the loss for Furman despite tossing a complete game
and striking out ten. Henley (1-8) allowed nine runs, only three earned,
on eight hits in eight innings of work.
Jaudon, a freshman from Blacksburg, Va., went 2-for-2 with a double, homer
and two runs scored to pace Furman.

Game two of the scheduled doubleheader was called due to darkness with
Furman leading 2-0 in the middle of the third inning. The game will not be
completed.

With the loss, Furman falls to 2-19 on the season. The Lady Paladins
return to action at the Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C., March
12-14.


UNC Greensboro Earns Split at UNC Wilmington

WILMINGTON, N.C. - UNC Wilmington sent 12 batters to the plate and scored eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning of the nightcap for a 9-3 victory over UNC Greensboro to salvage a split of a softball doubleheader Tuesday at Boseman Field. The Spartans topped the Seahawks, 7-3, in the opener.

The Seahawks carry an 8-11 record into an appearance this weekend in Winthrop's Ringor Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C. The Spartans, 13-5, travel to Conway, S.C., on Wednesday for a 3 p.m. start against Coastal Carolina's Chanticleers.

Sophomore shortstop Hayley House paced the Seahawks at the plate in the twinbill, going 3-for-7, scoring twice and driving in four runs. Junior outfielder Christina Elmore also went 3-for-7 and scored twice.

For the Spartans, senior second baseman Joni Gomez went 4-for-6, scored three times and drove in one run and freshman first baseman Jennifer Bonilla went 3-for-6 and had four RBI's.

In the opener, Bonilla provided the firepower for the Spartans, going 2-for-3 with four runs batted in. She roped a two-run single in the fourth inning to put the Spartans on top, 2-1, and ripped a two-run double that keyed UNCG's four-run rally in the ninth inning to put the opener out of reach.

Rookie righthander Vanessa Oakes, a local product out of New Hanover High School, went the distance, allowing three runs on nine hits, walking six and striking out four to improve to 6-2 on the season. Freshman righty Jess Luckett (2-5) took the loss for UNCW, pitching four innings and giving up two runs on just one hit, walking three and fanning seven.

In the second game, UNCG, trailing 1-0, scored a pair of runs in the top of the third on an RBI single by Adriane Audley and a solo homer by Gomez over the centerfield fence. But UNCW exploded for an eight-spot in the sixth behind five hits and two UNCG errors.

House had the big hit in UNCW's decisive sixth inning when she delivered a bases-clearing double to go along with a solo homer, UNCW's first of the season, in the bottom of the first inning.


Miley, Meeks Lead Elon Past Mountaineers


ELON, N.C. - Meredith Miley's run in the bottom of the sixth inning
lifted Elon over Appalachian State in the first Southern Conference win
for the Phoenix. Whitney Meeks' nine strikeouts in five innings led the
Phoenix to a second win of the day, 8-0.

Elon moves to 14-4-1 on the year and 2-0 in the conference while
Appalachian State falls to 6-11, 0-2.

The first game was tied at 0-0 going in to the bottom of the sixth
inning. Miley put down a bunt single to lead off the inning. Paige
Goss advanced Miley to second on a sacrifice bunt. Miley then got to
third on a wild pitch before the catcher threw the ball over the head of
the third baseman allowing Miley to cross home plate and put Elon up
1-0. In the top of the seventh inning, the Phoenix tallied three quick
outs to end the game.

Jen Lamb records the win for Elon after pitching a complete game giving
up four hits and no runs. She struck out four batters. Jennifer Hurley
suffers the loss for Appalachian State after pitching six innings,
giving up two hits and one run and striking out nine.

In the second game of the day, Elon started the scoring in the bottom of
the first inning. Goss led off the inning and reached first base on a
single up the middle before stealing second. Dani Concepcion laid down
a sacrifice bunt to move Goss to third. With runners on second and
third, Jen Massey singled up the middle to score Goss and Christina
Melton and put Elon up 2-0.

The Phoenix broke the game open in the second inning scoring six runs on
five hits. With the bases loaded, Concepcion singled in the infield,
but the Mountaineers were unable to get an out at home plate and Jessica
Swearengin scored from third base. With the bases still loaded, Melton
singled to right field to score Miley. Jenny Gustin knocked one to
right center field to score Goss and Concepcion and put Elon up 6-0.
Natalie Layden singled with the bases loaded to drive in Massey and
pinch runner Nicole Ellis and put Elon at the final score of 8-0.

Behind the pitching of Whitney Meeks (6-1), who gave up only one hit and
struck out nine batters in the five inning game,, Elon held Appalachian
for the rest of the game.

Jordan Arnold (2-2) gets the loss for the Mountaineers after pitching
1.1 innings and giving up eight runs on eight hits.

Elon and Appalachian State face off again on Wednesday in a 3:00 p.m.
game at East Field.