Wednesday's SoCon Softball Action

UNCG Softball Falls To NC State In Doubleheader

Greensboro, NC - The UNC Greensboro softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader against NC State, Wednesday afternoon, in nonconference softball action from Campus Field. The Wolpack took game one 7-2, before downing the Spartans 7-4 in game two.

In game two, NC State (27-17) surged out to a 3-0 lead after posting a pair of runs in the second inning and a single run in the third. Abbie Sims and Shaina Ervin opened the second inning with singles and later scored on RBI hits by Heather Jedrey and Heather Gelbard. Jen Chamberlin?s solo home run in the third inning gave the Wolfpack their third run of the game.
UNCG (20-18) responded with three runs on five hits in the bottom of the third to knot the score, 3-3. Jennifer Hubbard and Joni Gomez led off the inning with singles, before Jennifer Bonilla reached on a fielder?s choice. With two runners on, Adriane Audley blasted a home run to left field, pulling the Spartans back into the contest.

After NC State capitalized on three Spartans errors for three runs in the fifth inning, UNCG answered with a single run in the bottom half of the inning. Audley doubled to center to open the inning and would later score on a fielder?s choice, but it was not enough as the Wolpack tacked on an insurance run in the seventh and managed to hang on for the victory.

Audley went 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs batted in to pace the Spartans offensively. Jennifer Hubbard chipped in with two hits and Danielle Byrne went 1-for-4 with one RBI. Vanessa Oakes took the loss, allowing four earned runs in seven innings of work.
Shaina Ervin tallied four hits for NC State and gave up three earned runs in 6.1 innings to earn the victory. Abbie Sims closed out the game for her first save of the season.

In game one, Jennifer Bonilla went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs batted in, but NC State?s Abbie Sims tossed a complete game five-hitter to lead the Wolfpack to victory.
NC State pushed out to a 3-0 advantage, capped by a two-run home run by Miranda Ervin. UNCG answered with a single run in the fourth inning. Joni Gomez led off the inning with a walk before stealing second base. Bonilla then plated Gomez with a double to left field making the score 3-1.
The Wolfpack went on to post a combined four runs in the fifth and sixth innings to seal the victory. The Spartans, however, would tack on an additional run in the bottom of the sixth inning. After smashing a single and advancing to third, Gomez scored on a Bonilla single.
Gomez, Audley and Byrne all posted one hit each for the Spartans, while Byrne was saddled with the loss, giving up seven earned runs in 7.0 innings.
Heather Jedrey and Miranda Ervin paced the Wolfpack offense with a combined five hits.
UNCG will return to action on Friday, April 9, with a doubleheader against East Tennessee State. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm.


ELON SOFTBALL SPLITS WITH GARDNER-WEBB

ELON, N.C.- The Elon University softball team split a doubleheader with Gardner-Webb University in non-conference action Wednesday afternoon at East Field. The Runnin' Bulldogs produced a three-run sixth inning to defeat the Phoenix 4-3 in the first game of the day. But Elon held Gardner-Webb scoreless in the second game to win 4-0.

In the first game, Elon opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Megan Borgaard and Meredith Miley each notched a single before advancing on a wild pitch to put runners on second and third base. Christina Melton knocked a sacrifice fly to left field to score Borgaard and put Elon up 1-0.

In the top of the fourth inning, Gardner-Webb's Rachel Riopel reached first base on an error before Lani Shaffer advanced her to second on a single. With runners on first and second, Jennifer Wallace singled through the left side to score Riopel and tie the game, 1-1.

The Phoenix got on base quickly in the bottom of the fourth inning as Jamie Dupont walked to lead off. Pinch runner Suzanne Speed advanced to second on a single from Borgaard. A sacrifice bunt from Miley moved the runners to second and third before a single down the left field line by Natalie Layden scored Speed and Borgaard and put Elon back on top 3-1.

Shaffer opened up the top of the sixth inning for Gardner-Webb with a single and a stolen base. Allison Murphy reached base on an error before Christie Barlow singled to score Shaffer and cut the lead to one, 3-2. Wallace laid down a sacrifice bunt, but reached first base on an error while Barlow and Murphy crossed home plate to give the Bulldogs the lead at 4-3.

Whitney Meeks (10-5) suffers the loss for the Phoenix after going the distance, striking out six and giving up one earned run on four hits. Stacie Reichert (13-15) picked up the win for Gardner-Webb after pitching five innings, striking out three and giving up three earned runs on three hits. Andrea Lewis notched her first save of the season after pitching two innings to close the game.

In the second game of the day, Elon scored the decisive run in the top of the third inning when Dani Concepcion, who reached base on a walk, crossed home plate off of a Jamie Dupont single up the middle.

Elon added a run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Paige Goss reach on a base hit to left field before Concepcion knocked a double to right center to score Goss and put Elon ahead 2-0. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Jenny Gustin singled through the right side to get on base before Dupont blasted her fifth home run of the season over the left field fence to extend Elon's lead to four at 4-0.

Meredith Gay (4-3) notches the win for the Phoenix after throwing a complete game, fanning five batters and giving up only two hits. Stephanie Taylor (5-8) suffers the loss for the Runnin' Bulldogs after pitching four innings, striking out five and giving up four runs off of nine hits.

Dupont led Elon's offense, going three-for-three while Gustin and Borgaard each added two hits. Borgaard was a consistent offensive contributor for the day, going four-for-six.

Elon travels to Georgia Southern for a three-game conference series beginning Friday, April 9 at 1:00 p.m.


Winthrop Softball Sweeps Lady Paladins 6-2, 5-4

Greenville, S.C. -- Winthrop's Kjersti Johnson blasted two solo homers and scored five runs to lead the Eagles to a doubleheader sweep of Furman 6-2, 5-4 Wednesday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.

In game one, Winthrop used a a three-run third inning to break open a 2-2 tie on its way to a 6-2 victory.

Catherine Cashion keyed the Eagle third with a two-run double to right center as Winthrop plated three unearned runs.

Kelli Johnson improved to 16-5 on the season allowing one earned run on six hits while tossing a complete game.

Rachel Henley suffered the loss for Furman surrendering only two earned runs on eight hits in seven innings. Johnson's second inning homer snapped Henley's streak of 33.1 innings without allowing an earned run. Jessica Matthews wnt 1-for-3 with an RBI single to lead the Furman offense.

In game two, WInthrop snapped a 4-4 tie in the top of the eighth when Johnson scored on a Joni Lockridge error to take a 5-4 victory.

The Eagles grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top half of the first inning behind four walks and Stephanie Turney's two-run single.

Furman scratched a run accross in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Megan Jaudon reached on a single and scored from first on Matthews double down the left field line.

After Winthrop upped its lead to 4-1 on Johnson's second homer of the day, the Lady Paladins mounted a comeback. Matthews delivered an RBI single with two outs scoring JoDee Eichelberger.

Furman evened the game in the sixth at 4-4 as Danielle Franklin and Eichelberger delivered RBI singles scoring Karen Myers and Franklin.

After Winthrop took a 5-4 lead in the eighth, Furman advanced Myers to third with a Lyndy Wilcox sacrifice bunt, but relief pitcher Shahna Ashard got Kristin White and Franklin to strike out to end the threat.

Ashard, 10-5, picked up up the win after holding Furman hitless over 2.1 innings of work. Turney paced the Winthrop attack going 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Kristy Goodrich (2-8) who worked 7.2 innings of relief , suffered the loss. She surrendered just one earned run while allowing five hits. Eichelberger, Jaudon, Matthews and Lockridge each contributed two hits to the Furman effort.

The Lady Paladins, 9-32 on the season, return to action Saturday when they travel to the College of Charleston for a three-game Southern Conference series.


Appalachian State 5, Radford 1
Radford 4, Appalachian State 3 (8)

Radford, Va. ? Appalachian State University's softball squad split a non-league doubleheader Wednesday afternoon, 5-1 and 4-3 in eight innings.

Behind another strong performance from starting pitcher Jordan Arnold, Appalachian claimed Game One by a count of 5-1. Arnold allowed one run on four hits and struck out three while walking one. The senior hurler allowed back-to-back hits with two outs, in the bottom of the seventh, to give up her shutout bid.

Appalachian (13-23) put a pair of runs on the board in the second inning on solo home runs by Lindsay Glover and Kristyn Hurt. It marked the first roundtrippers of the season for each and only the second and third dingers of the season for the Mountaineers.

The Apps made it 3-0 in the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Diana Cook that drove Amber Handy home from second base. They added two insurance runs in the seventh on a Highlaner throwing error and a fielder?s choice to plate Wendy Lewis and Handy to stretch the lead to 5-0.

Radford posted its only run of the game on a RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.

Handy and Glover each had a pair of hits for the Mountaineers. Peck, who came on in relief in the first game, allowed three runs, two earned, struck out eight in five and two-thirds innings of work.

Lara Wohlgemuth scored the game-winner for Radford (23-24) in Game Two. After being sacrificed to third, Wohlgemuth scooted home with the winning run when the ball was not returned to the pitching circle.

The Mountaineers opened the second game scoring one run in the third inning. Mary Lutz came home to score from first base on a RBI double by Christa Hicks to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead.

Radford's Sara Beth Clayton tied the game in the fourth on a solo home run, her third of the season.

Appalachian regained the lead in the fifth when Handy scored on an error following an infield single by Lutz.

The Highlanders went up 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth. After Kat Peck tripled with one out, Amanda Walling executed a squeeze bunt to tie the game, at 2-2. Clayton put the Highlanders up, 3-2, when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home a run.

Not going home satisfied with a split, the Mountaineeers tied the game, at 3-3, in the seventh. A clutch hitter all season long, the rookie Cook delivered an RBI single up the middle that allowed Handy to score.

Breanna Felix earned the win for Radford. Felix allowed two earned runs, struck out seven and walked one.

Appalachian, which pounded out 11 hits, got a 3-for-4 performance from Handy and also got two hits from Lutz, Hicks, and Cook. Marie Watson worked the final two and two-thirds innings,and did not allow any hits or runs, while striking out one.

Appalachian hosts Chattanooga in a Southern Conference series this weekend. The three-game set begins on Friday, with a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. Saturday's single game is set for 1 p.m.