Saturday's SoCon Softball Results

CofC Takes Two from Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ? College of Charleston hit three home runs and took both games of a Southern Conference softball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Frost Stadium 3-2 and 6-1 over the Chattanooga Lady Mocs.

The Cougars? Amanda Cone, Bridgett Loudermilk and Darcy Johnson each blasted solo homers to highlight the Cougars? 18 total hits. The win assured College of Charleston (39-21 overall, 13-6 SoCon) of second place in the standings. Chattanooga (41-22, 16-3) has already locked down the regular-season championship and No. 1 seed for next week?s SoCon Tournament.

The Lady Mocs collected nine hits on the day as Teri Herbert extended her hitting streak to seven games. UTC had won 17 consecutive games heading into the twinbill, which tied for the longest streak in school history.

Cone?s homer, her 16th on the season, gave CofC a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the first game. UTC came back to take a 2-1 lead on Herbert?s two-run triple. That lead held up until the seventh. Natalie Smith delivered a RBI single to tie the game and Jacquie Rothey picked up the game-winning hit on a RBI single.

Chattanooga got the tying run to third with just one out in the home half of the seventh, but could not score. College of Charleston pitcher Rachael Stern (19-9) went the distance with four hits, four strikeouts and three walks. UTC?s Lacey Swarthout had her personal 11-game winning streak snapped, but she had eight strikeouts in the process.

Loudermilk and Johnson both hit their home runs in the second inning of game two and UTC got one run back in the third on Jeannie Cochran?s run-scoring, infield single. It stayed that way until the Cougars had another productive seventh inning.

The Cougars batted around in the seventh and broke it open with four runs on five hits and a pair of bases-loaded walks. Rothey and Johnson both had RBI singles, sandwiching RBI walks to Loudermilk and Brittany Pohlen.

Natalie Smith (12-8) scattered five hits with four strikeouts and no walks for the win. UTC?s Brittney Whittier (15-3) had a nine-game winning streak stopped.

The two teams play the final game of the regular season Sunday at 2 p.m. at Frost Stadium. It will be Senior Day for the Lady Mocs and Chattanooga will honor seniors Bryn Favor, Grace Pickett and Teri Herbert with a brief ceremony prior to the game.


Late Inning Heroics Give UNCG Softball A Doubleheader Split With Elon
Greensboro, NC - Sophomore Kelly Allen blasted a two out home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to propel UNCG to a 7-5 victory over Elon University in game one of a doubleheader, Saturday afternoon, at Campus Field. Elon responded with a 5-4 win in game two to earn a split of the series? first two games.

In game one, Elon (30-21-1, 10-10 SoCon) jumped out to an early 1-0 advantage in the first inning. Jessica Swearengin opened the inning with a walk and then advanced to third following a wild pitch and sacrifice bunt. Jamie Dupont then plated Swearengin with a sacrifice fly to right field.

UNCG (30-27, 8-11) answered with two runs of their own in the home half of the inning. Joni Gomez opened the scoring rally with a double down the left field line. Allen then drove in Gomez with a mammoth home run to left center.

After scoring a single run in the third inning, Elon tacked on three runs in the fourth to push out to a 5-2 advantage. In the fourth inning with the bases loaded, Jenny Gustin doubled, scoring Dani Concepcion and Paige Goss. Swearengin would then score the final run of the inning on a fielding error by the Spartan defense.

Trailing 5-2 UNCG rallied to post five runs over the final two innings. Vanessa Massie highlighted the sixth inning with a two run home run to left center, pulling UNCG within one at 5-4. Following a fly out by Christina Montana in the bottom of the seventh, Jennifer Hubbard doubled and advanced to third on fly ball from Joni Gomez. Jennifer Bonilla then drove in Hubbard with a double to right field, knotting the score at 5-5. On the very next pitch Allen drilled a two-run home run right center to give UNCG the victory.

Danielle Byrne tossed all seven innings for UNCG, allowing four earned runs on eight hits, while striking out two. Allen paced the Spartans offensively going 2-for-4 with four runs batted in and two runs scored. Massie went 1-for-3 with two runs batted in and one run scored.

Whitney Meeks took the loss for Elon after giving up seven earned runs in 6.2 innings. Swearengin and Gustin each posted two hits to lead the Phoenix offense.

In game two, Elon held off a late UNCG rally for a 5-4 victory. Megan Borgaard took the win for Elon, allowing four earned runs on five hits in 6.2 innings, while Jennifer Lamb recorded the final out to earn her fifth save of the season.

Elon built a small 2-0 lead over the first five innings. Concepcion singled home Jennifer Massey in the second inning, as Melton notched the run scoring hit in the fifth inning with a single to left field.

The Phoenix then scored three runs in the sixth inning, seemingly putting the game out of reach, as Melton delivered a two run double to right center to cap the inning. However, UNCG broke into the scoring column in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run by Massie.

In the bottom of the seventh, Montana singled to leadoff the inning before advancing to second as Jennifer Hubbard was hit by a pitch. After Gomez grounded into a double play, Allen homered to right center to pull UNCG within one 5-4. The Spartans though were unable to push across another run as Elon held on for the victory.

Jennifer Bonilla, Allen and Massie each tallied hits for the Spartans and at least one RBI. Vanessa Oakes took the loss on the mound, giving up four earned runs on 14 hits, while striking out four.

Melton went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in to lead the Phoenix in game two.

UNCG and Elon will conclude their three-game series on Sunday at 1 pm.



Lady Paladins Rally For 3-1 Win, Earn Doubleheader Split With East Tennessee State

Johnson City, Tenn. -- With a 2-2 count and two outs in the top of the seventh inning of game one, Furman's Sarah Scott delivered a pinch-hit RBI double to left to spark a three run rally as the Lady Paladins took a 3-1 victory on their way to a doubleheader split with East Tennessee State Saturday in Johnson City, Tenn. The Lady Bucs downed Furman in game two 6-5.

In front of a gathered crowd for senior day festivities, the Lady Bucs and Lady Paladins were scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning when ETSU's Tiffany McVay reached first on an error by the Furman second baseman. After a Sheryl Clark sacrifice bunt, senior Julia Chance sent a ball to the center field fence scoring McVay with the double.

ETSU pitcher McVay kept the Furman bats quiet until the top of the seventh when after a Joni Lockridge walk, and advance to second, Sarah Scott stepped to the plate blasting the game-tying double. With two outs in the top half the Lady Paladins forced an ETSU error causing two runs to score as Furman took the 3-1 lead and the win for the first game of the afternoon.

The Lady Bucs Lindsay Lane managed two hits for game one, while Kristin White had two hits for the Lady Paladins. Lockridge went 1-1 adding a walk and scored one run in the top of the seventh to tie the contest.

McVay (13-10) allowed six hits in the complete game loss while Paladin pitcher Rachel Henley (12-21) allowed just four hits and one walk in the win. The Lady Bucs exploded for five runs in the first two innings to take control of game two.

Dani Spetar reached first on a fielder's choice then found herself in scoring position after a Lane single. Miranda Byerly stepped to the plate and delivered an RBI single for ETSU's first run while senior Rhea Holler sent a two-run double into the outfield fence as ETSU took the early 3-0 lead.

After a two-run effort for ETSU in the bottom of the second, the Lady Paladins answered in the top of the third scoring three runs to trim the Lady Bucs lead to 5-3. Catcher Jessica Matthews keyed the Lady Paladin rally with a two-run single to left.

After ETSU scored a run in the third, the Lady Paladins (15-45, 7-11 SoCon) added two runs in the top of the fourth when Megan Jaudon singled scoring White from third. Jessica Matthews faced ETSU pitcher Belinda Barrera hitting a single scoring Scott for the fifth Furman run.

The Lady Bucs (27-32, 7-12 SoCon) managed to hold the one-run lead winning the second game of the day 6-5. Both teams will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as they play the final game of the 2004 regular season. Game time is set for 1:00 pm at Metro-Kiwanis Park.