App State Falls to Charlotte in Five Innings, 8-0
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Charlotte scored eight runs on six hits to defeat Appalachian State University softball by way of the run rule in five innings on Wednesday night. The 49ers held the Mountaineers to just one hit that came from Natalie Orcutt on a single in the top of the third.
App State fell to 9-37 overall while Charlotte improved to 27-18 on the spring including 15-7 at home. For the hosts, the top three spots in their order were a combined 0-for-8 and the team's six hits came from the bottom six holes in the lineup incluing two apiece from Grace Beatty (2-of-2) and Meredith Harris (2-for-3).
Thanks to one walk each, Cara Parker, Heather Josey and Ally Walters extended their reached-base streaks to 11, 9 and 4, respectively.
In the circle, Annaleise Kennedy (2-14) was the starter and went four innings with all eight runs given up, six of them earned, on five hits with seven walks and four strikeouts. In relief, Claire Eosso threw 0.2 innings with one hit given up, one punchout and one free pass before the 49ers won it with an RBI single.
Next up, Appalachian State travels to seventh-ranked UL Lafayette for a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 3 p.m. ET and Sunday's finale is set to start at 1 p.m. ET.
----------
USA EDGED BY NO. 4 ALABAMA IN TUSCALOOSA ON WEDNESDAY
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – After a Jaguar fielding error gave No. 4 Alabama two go-ahead runs in the fourth inning, Crimson Tide reliever Alexis Osorio struck out seven of University of South Alabama softball's final nine batters, as USA dropped a 4-2 midweek, non-conference tilt at Rhoads Stadium on Wednesday.
USA (26-13) took a one-run lead in the top of the first, before Leona Lafaele's two-run shot put the hosts ahead, 2-1. Jaguar freshman Dayla Gulledge knotted the game with a solo blast – the first of her career – with two outs in the bottom of the second.
Reagan Dykes and Marisa Runyon led off the bottom of the fourth with singles for Alabama (39-8), and the pair moved into scoring position on Sydney Booker's sacrifice bunt.
Jaguar reliever Destin Vicknair fanned Merris Schroder for out number two, and the runners would've been frozen if not for a throw high of first by USA catcher Stephanie Pilkington on Peyton Grantham's tap three feet in front of the plate. Both Dykes and Runyon scored on the play to put Alabama ahead, 4-2.
Osorio came on with one away in the top of the fifth and allowed only two hits for her fifth save of the year. Starter Sydney Littlejohn picked up the win to improve to 18-3 after striking out four to no walks with four hits allowed in 4 1/3 innings and two runs allowed (both earned).
"When you play a team like this, you want to walk away feeling like you got better," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "I definitely feel like we got better. It was great to see the at-bats we had, especially from some of our younger players, against two of the top pitchers in the nation.
"[Alabama] put a ball in play, and we didn't take care of it, but, to me, that's not the difference in the game," Clark added. "We've got to stand at the plate and drive in some runs."
Vicknair suffered her first loss in over a month for South Alabama, falling to 11-4, after allowing two runs (both unearned) on four hits with three strikeouts and no walks in four innings. Devin Brown started the game and struck out a pair to one walk, while allowing two runs (both earned) on two hits in as many innings.
Alabama outhit South Alabama, 6-5, on the night. Lafaele led the way for the Tide on 2-for-3 hitting with two RBI and a run scored. Haylie McCleney, Dykes and Runyon each went 1-for-3 with a run apiece.
For South Alabama, Emily Messer improved her on-base streak to a school-record-tying 26 consecutive games after going 2-for-3 with a run scored. The multi-hit game was her team-leading 19th on the season. Gulledge finished 1-for-3 with a run and RBI, while Kaleigh Todd and Pilkington recorded a hit apiece.
USA travels to Texas State this weekend for its penultimate Sun Belt Conference series. A Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. precedes Sunday's finale, set for an 11 a.m. start.
----------
No. 21 Baylor Defeats Softball, 3-0
WACO, Texas – After four and a half scoreless innings, the Texas State softball team ultimately fell to No. 21 Baylor Wednesday evening by a score of 3-0 at Getterman Stadium. The Bobcats drop to 27-17 on the year.
It was a pitcher's duel through the first four and a half innings before the Bears took advantage of a Texas State defensive miscue. All three runs in the Baylor half of the fifth inning were unearned as the Bobcat error occurred with two outs in the inning.
The Bobcats drew two walks before registering their first hit in the top of the sixth inning. Baylor finished the day with five hits, two of which happened in the game-changing fifth inning.
Randi Rupp was dealt her ninth loss of the year after putting in 4.2 innings of work. She finished the night with two strikeouts and four hits allowed.
WHO STOOD OUT
Kelli Baker / 2B / Senior / Atascocita, Texas
Baker recorded the first Bobcat hit of the day in the top of the sixth inning. She started a mini rally as Kimberlin Naivar followed suit with a single right after Baker. Baker finished the night going 1-for-3 with an assist.
Kimberlin Naivar / LF / Junior / Mont Belvieu, Texas
Naivar registered the only other Bobcat hit of the inning in the top of the sixth. After Baker hit a single up the middle, Naivar reached base on an infield hit between third and shortstop. Naivar finished the game going 1-for-3 for the Bobcats and is now riding on a four-game hitting streak.
SCORING
Bottom 5th – With two outs and no runners on base, Baylor put four straight batters on base. All of the runs in the inning were unearned as the first Bear to reach base reached on an error. After the error, there was an infield hit and a hit by pitch to load the bases. The first run crossed the plate after a wild pitch. A double right after the wild pitch cleared the bases and gave the Bears a 3-0 advantage. (3 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 left on base)
NOTES
The Bobcats have now dropped the last six meetings against Baylor and are 16-38 all-time against the Bears.
This was the fourth game in the last five where the Bobcat pitching staff did not give up an earned run.
The two errors committed by the Bobcats were the first errors committed since March 26 against UL Monroe.
NEXT UP
Texas State will return to San Marcos for a three-game series against South Alabama this weekend. First pitch against the Jaguars Saturday afternoon is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Bobcat Softball Stadium.
----------
Troy Drops a Close One in Pitcher’s Dual
ATLANTA, Georgia – The Troy softball team dropped a hard-fought game, 2-1, in a true pitcher's dual at Georgia Tech on Wednesday at Shirley Clements Mewborn Field.
Jenna Goodrich (7-14) picked up the win for the Yellow Jackets in the circle. She tossed a complete game, recorded eight strikeouts and gave up only one run on two hits.
Claire Graves (5-4) suffered the hard-luck loss for the Trojans. She allowed only two runs on four hits and walked three batters.
Georgia Tech's (18-27) two runs came in the fourth inning when Colleen Darragh homered to left center, who plated Katie Krzus, who reached earlier on a double.
Troy's (26-18) lone run of the game came in the fifth inning. Allison Moore singled to left field to get things started for the Trojans and then stole second to get herself into scoring position.
Kate Benton was next to the plate and grounded out to the pitcher but moved Moore to third with just one out. Erica Davis followed with a ground out to second to successfully push Moore across the plate to make the score 2-1.
The Trojans had two hits on the day; Hannah Day singled to left field in the first inning and Moore's single in the fifth.
Troy continues conference play this weekend as it plays host to Georgia Southern at the Troy Softball Complex. The doubleheader slated for Saturday will begin at 1 p.m. and the series finale on Sunday is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.
---------
GSU Loses Midweek Game in Athens
ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia State’s softball team saw its five-game win streak snapped Wednesday in an 8-0 loss to No. 12/13 Georgia. The Panthers are back home for a three-game series with UT Arlington this weekend at Panthersville.
Sophomore Ivie Drake reached base twice in the contest and junior Kensey Caldwell logged GSU’s lone hit of the night. Senior Katie Worley was hit with the loss, but only gave up two earned runs in 2.2 innings of work.
Georgia scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch with two outs in the second. Drake recovered the ball quickly and got back to cover home, but the umpire said the runner got under the tag.
The Bulldogs started off the third with a pair of singles and ended up scoring three runs on four hits, including a two-out RBI-double that put UGA up 4-0. Amanda Chance relieved starting pitcher Katie Worley and Chance recorded the final out of the inning with no more harm done.
The Bulldogs put the run rule into effect when UGA’s Tina Iosefa hit a two-out grand slam, her 17th home run of the season.
Up next for the Panthers is a home series with Sun Belt-foe UT Arlington. The Panthers host the Mavericks in a doubleheader Saturday and Game 3 on Sunday at the Bob Heck Softball Complex in Panthersville.