SoCon Softball Results from Saturday and Sunday, March 13-14

ELON EDGES APPALACHIAN STATE IN CLASSIC

BURLINGTON, N.C. - Megan Borgaard threw a one-hitter as Elon blanked Appalachian State 2-0 to conclude round-robin play at the 2004 Elon Phoenix Classic softball tournament Saturday afternoon at Burlington City Park. With the win, Elon enters bracket play as the number two seed later in the afternoon.

Borgaard (2-1) struck out six Mountaineers (7-14) in seven innings while only walking two as the Phoenix (17-5-1) emerged victorious for the 12th time in 14 games. Appalachian starter Marie Watson (2-4) worked the contest's first three and 1/3 innings and was charged with just two hits and one free pass.

In the fourth inning, Dani Concepcion reached base on an error by second baseman Beth McSwain, sending Suzanne Speed home from third for the game's first run. The Phoenix scored an insurance run in the sixth when Concepcion hit a one-out sacrifice fly to left field to plate Jenny Gustin from third.

Elon edged the Mountaineers 3-1 in the hits category and left five runners on base to four stranded by ASU, which committed the contest's lone two errors. For the Phoenix, Gustin (2-for-3, run, two doubles) and Christina Melton (1-for-2, SH) recorded hits and Concepcion registered both RBIs without a hit. Amber Handy singled to the pitcher's circle in the third for the sole base hit for the Mountaineers.

Meanwhile, Seton Hall (12-4) used a sixth-inning triple play and a solid pitching performance by Casey McDevitt (1-3) to stave off Stony Brook 1-0 Saturday afternoon and claim the number one seed. Each team rapped four hits and the Seawolves (3-10) made the lone error of the game.

Second-seeded Elon now faces third-seeded Stony Brook while top-seeded Seton Hall battles fourth-seeded Appalachian State in the tournament semi-finals Saturday afternoon. Both the championship game and the consolation contest will take place at noon Sunday.


Cougars Break Even on Day Two of Cougar Classic

Mt. Pleasant, S.C.- On the second day of the Cougar Classic at Patriots Point the College of Charleston softball team downed Bowling Green 5-0 and fell to UAB 4-3.

The Cougars tangle with East Carolina at 9:00 on Sunday in double elimination bracket play.

The Cougars held a three run lead with two outs in the top of the seventh but the Blazers rallied to score four runs in the inning to claim the win. Beth Mullins drove in a pair of runs and Sara Christophel scored the fourth and final run of the game. Katie Ballard provided much of the Cougars offense by going two-for-three with a run scored and a RBI. Charleston sits at 14-9 on the season.

In the first game of the day, Rachel Stern pitched a complete game shutout to lead the College of Charleston softball team to a 5-0 win over Bowling Green in the second day of the Cougar Classic. Katie Ballard led the way offensively for the Cougars with a pair of RBI and Amanda Cone scored two runs.

Charleston head coach Chandelle Schulte won her 200th career game as a head coach with the victory over the Falcons. Schulte is 81-49 as mentor of the Cougars.

I hope that this is the first of many milestones at the College of Charleston for our program said Shulte. I am very proud of the kids who have been a part of this success.


Furman Softball Downs North Carolina A&T 9-0, Falls to Ohio State 3-0

ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Megan Jaudon went 3-for-3 with three RBI and Rachel
Henley worked 4.2 innings of hitless relief to lead Furman to a 9-0
victory over North Carolina A&T Saturday afternoon at the Ringor
Invitational at Winthrop University. Ohio State shutout the Lady Paladins
3-0 in the nightcap.

Furman opened the scoring in the top of the first inning against North
Carolina A&T. Jaudon laced a two-out double over the right fielder's head
and scored on a single to center off of the bat of Jessica Matthews.
In the third, LaKerah Barr tripled to center and scored a on a single from
Jaudon. With two outs, Matthews increased the lead to 3-0 scoring on a
throwing error by the Aggies.

After increasing its lead to 5-0 on a pair of bases loaded walks in the
fourth, Furman exploded for four runs in the fifth inning. Valerie Cross
singled to start the inning followed by a Kristin White walk. Barr upped
the lead to 6-0 with a single to center. Cross came home to score and
White and Barr advanced an extra base on a throwing error.

Joni Lockridge's single allowed White to score and Jaudon's third hit of
the day, a bunt single, plated Barr. Matthews capped the inning with a
single scoring Lockridge for the final 9-0 margin.
Henley (3-8) picked up the victory after entering the game in relief of
Erica Nesselroad with one out in the first. Henley struck out six Aggies
while allowing just one walk.

Barr, Cross and Matthews all collected two hits while Lockridge drove home
two runs.

Latronda Anderson suffered the loss for North Carolina A&T. Anderson
allowed eight hits and five runs in only three innings in the circle.

In the nightcap, Chelsea Baker limited Furman to only one hit, a Barr
single, while tossing a complete-game shutout in a 3-0 victory for the
Buckeyes.

Ohio State got all the offense it would need in the bottom of the first
inning. Nycole Koyano singled, stole second and scored on Karissa Evans'
single to put the Buckeyes ahead 1-0.

Ohio State added one run in the third and one in the fourth on their way
to victory. Meghan Rowlands went 1-for-2 with a triple, run scored and RBI
to pace Ohio State.

Nesselroad (0-7) was handed the loss after allowing two runs in 2.1
innings of work. The sophomore struck out five Buckeyes, but issued four
walks.

Furman finishes pool play with a 2-2 mark and will participate in bracket
play Sunday morning. The Lady Paladins opponent will be determined after
all of Saturday's games are completed.


Elon Falls to Seton Hall in Phoenix Classic Championship

BURLINGTON, N.C.. - The Elon University softball team fell to the Seton Hall Pirates 3-1 on Sunday afternoon in the championship game of the Elon Phoenix Classic. The Phoenix scored only one run on nine hits to come up short against the Pirates.

Seton Hall (13-4) started the scoring in the top of the first inning when a D'arcy Djakalovic single to right center scored Katie Pierce from third base. In the top of the third inning, Laura Taylor knocked a double to center field to score McKenzie Richards from second base and put the Pirates up 2-0. Seton Hall score its final run in the top of the fifth inning when Mary Carroll Smith knocked a solo homer over the right field fence to put the Pirates ahead by three, 3-0.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, with the bases loaded, Jessica Swearengin notched an infield single to score pinch runner Suzanne Speed from third base and give Elon its lone run of the game.

Elon (18-6-1) threatened the Pirates on three occasions with the bases loaded, but were unable to drive the runners home.

For the Phoenix, Swearengin (2-for-2; RBI), Jenny Gustin (2-for-4) and Dani Concepcion (2-for-4) led the offensive attack. Christina Melton, Natalie Layden and Laurin Smith also registered hits for Elon.

Laura Taylor's two hits led the offense for the Pirates, who tallied seven hits in the game.

Megan Meyer (9-0) earns the win for Seton Hall, pitching four innings with six strikeouts, three walks and giving up one run on six hits. Casey McDevitt notches a save for the Pirates after pitching one and 2/3 innings with one strikeout.

Jen Lamb (6-1) suffers the loss for Elon after striking out three batters and giving up three runs on six hits in four and 1/3 innings of work. Meredith Gay finished the game for the Phoenix, pitching two and 2/3 innings and striking out two batters.

In the consolation game, Appalachian State downed Stony Brook 2-0 to finish third in the tournament.


Cougars Fall to ECU, Pirates Take Cougar Classic

Mt. Pleasant, S.C.- East Carolina took down the host College of Charleston softball team en route to the Cougar Classic tournament title at Patriots Point. Amanda Cone went two-for-three with an RBI to lead the Cougars but Charleston fell to ECU 3-2 to be eliminated from the tournament.

The Cougars scored a pair of runs in the first inning of the game with Cone and Brooke Flowers crossing the plate. Candice Wilburn gave up only two hits and a run in two and a third inning but was credited with the loss and Charleston falls to 14-10. The Pirates came back to score a run in the bottom of the first, bottom of the third and scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth.

East Carolina defeated UAB 4-3 in the championship game of the tournament to go 6-1 for the weekend. Christine Sheridan drove in a pair of runs for the Pirates in the win.

Charleston hosts Savannah State on Tuesday at 1:00 at Patriots Point field in non-conference action.


Georgia Southern Edges UNCG Softball, 1-0
Charlotte, NC