Sunday, March 1, 2015
Eagles Win Twice to Close USF Invitational
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Georgia Southern closed the USF Under Armour Invitational with a pair of wins over Rhode Island and Maine to take back-to-back victories for the first time this season. The Eagles won 7-2 over Rhode Island in the day’s first game, and gutted out a 2-1 win over Maine later in the afternoon. Next weekend the Eagles host Texas State in the opening weekend of Sun Belt play.
“I feel like we did a nice job building on Friday’s games,” said Head Coach Annie Smith. “Brooke (Red) and Kierra (Camp) did a nice job pitching today, and we were solid on defense. We got some timely hitting and got all the hits when we needed them. We had great at bats throughout the lineup, and we really played the kind of softball we need to play going into conference play.”
GAME ONE – GS 7 – RHODE ISLAND 2
Home runs from Alesha Mann, Lindsey Wilcox and AJ Hamilton helped the Eagles snap a three-game slide on Sunday morning in a 7-2 win over Rhode Island. Brooke Red scattered eight hits for Rhode Island and allowed two runs to pick up her third win of the season in the circle.
A first pitch leadoff home run in the second from Wilcox put the Eagles up 2-1 through two. Hamilton smacked a two-run job in the fourth while the Rams clawed a run back in the fifth to make it a 4-2 game midway through the fifth. Mann’s home run in the fifth was part of a three-run inning that extended the lead to 7-2 late.
Red recorded two of her eight strikeouts in the final two frames as she improves to 3-5 on the season.
GAME TWO – GS 2 – MAINE 1
Freshman pitcher Kierra Camp went the distance and held Maine to just three hits as the Eagles dispatched Maine in the final game of the weekend, 2-1. Camp allowed just three hits and struck out two while working around four walks in the game. She earned her first collegiate win on Sunday, improving to 1-3 on the season.
An Emily Snider single up the middle in the third drove in a run to put the Eagles up 1-0. The RBI single was one of two hits for the sophomore who posted the only multi-hit game for the Eagles. Breanna McLendon drove in another run in the fourth to put the Eagles up 2-0 as a double play after the run scored ended the threat.
Maine got a run with an RBI double to punish Georgia Southern for a one-out walk in the sixth inning. Four-straight outs after the run scored ended the contest and gave the Eagles’ back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
Georgia Southern makes its debut in Sun Belt Conference play this weekend as Texas State comes to Eagle Field for the first time in series history. The Bobcats and Eagles square-off for the first time since 1999 with Texas State leading the all-time series 2-0.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by visiting GSEagles.com.
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Thorpe and Worley Lead Panthers to Pair of Wins
CLEARWATER, Fla. – With wins over East Carolina and Villanova on Sunday, the Georgia State softball team finished 4-0 in the USF Under Armour Invitational to improve to 11-2 overall. GSU has won eight straight
“Once again we had two great performances from our starting pitchers,” head coach Roger Kincaid said. “We jumped out to a lead in both games and we were able to do enough to come away with two wins.”
Ivie Drake went 4-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and one RBI. Megan Litumbe finished with three hits, a home run, two runs scored and she drove in three. Kensey Caldwell drove in three against Villanova and Alford homered against East Carolina.
Game 1
Thanks to four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Georgia State held on to defeat East Carolina 4-3 on the final day of the USF Under Armour Invitational.
Taylor Thorpe pitched six innings and allowed three runs on four hits en route to her team-leading fifth win of the season. She also remained undefeated and improved to 5-0 this season. Thorpe opened the game with four-straight 1-2-3 innings.
After three scoreless innings of their own, the Panthers grabbed a 4-0 lead after four. Drake opened the GSU half of the fourth with a single before Alford launched her team-high sixth homer of the season to put Georgia State ahead 2-0. After Luren Coleman walked, Litumbe launched a two-run bomb of her own to give the Panthers a 4-0 cushion.
Thorpe carried a shutout into the final frame after making quick work of the ECU side in both the fifth and sixth inning. In the top of the seventh, the Pirates used three hits in a row to score one and make it a 4-1 game. Chelsea Stanfield then replaced Thorpe. ECU scored two more runs before Stanfield escaped a bases loaded jam to secure the win and earn her first save of the season.
Game 2
The Panthers scored four in the bottom of the first, which proved to be enough to earn the 5-2 win over Villanova to finish the weekend with a perfect 4-0 record.
Katie Worley picked up her second win of the season after scattering four hits and allowed two runs, one earned, over five innings of work. The victory was her second of the weekend and helped her remain unbeaten (2-0).
Taylor Anderson opened the first inning with single and then stole second. Drake then hit a one-out single to left to score Anderson. Alford then drew a walked before Litumbe drove in Drake with a single. Caldwell capped the inning with a two-RBI double to right center to put the Panthers up 4-0 after one.
After a scoreless second, the Wildcats got one run back in the third to cut the GSU lead to 4-1. Neither team scored in the fourth of the fifth frame. In the sixth, Villanova’s first three batters reach and one scored before Thorpe replaced Worley.
Thorpe then forced the Wildcats to strand two to escape the jam. Georgia State added an insurance run in the sixth Caldwell plated Coleman with a sacrifice fly. Thorpe then retired the Villanova side in order in the seventh to secure the 5-2 win and recorded her first save.
GSU returns to the field on Wednesday, March 4 for a doubleheader against Mercer in Macon, Ga. Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GSU_Softball) and Facebook for the latest news. For softball season tickets call 404-403-4020 or click here.
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No. 24 Jag Softball Sweeps Carolina Classic With Wins Over Marshall, Gamecocks
COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 24 University of South Alabama softball completed a four-game sweep at the 2015 Carolina Classic in Columbia, S.C., with Sunday defeats of Marshall and host South Carolina.
Freshman Kristian Foster lifted a two-run home run to center field to supply the Jaguars a 5-3, walk-off win versus Marshall, which propelled the club to an early offensive outburst in the following contest, as USA jumped ahead of the Gamecocks, 3-0, in the top of the first inning before holding on for a 4-1 victory.
"Those were two great team wins today," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "I'm really proud to have seen us step up today and play hard for 14 innings. We competed hard all day, and everyone contributed. Both of those teams were good offensively, and our pitchers combined to do a great job. And then, our batters concentrated on every pitch, and some great results came out of that."
South Alabama (15-3), winners of seven straight, opened the 2015 Carolina Classic with a 3-2 win over Charleston Southern on Friday, thanks to sophomore Chloe Rathburn's walk-off hit, before defeating Tennessee State, 6-3, on Saturday.
Rathburn finished the weekend 6-for-12 (.500) with six RBI and two runs scored, as well as an .833 slugging percentage and .600 on-base percentage. Junior center fielder Stephanie Pilkington was 4-for-10 (.400) with four runs scored, while classmate Emily Messer scored five runs and drove in three.
USA freshmen pitchers Devin Brown (7-2; 1.88 ERA) and Kalen McGill (7-0; 1.85 ERA) each went 2-0 in the circle, with the former striking out 26 to 11 walks and allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits in 18 innings, while the latter struck out 10 to one walk and allowed three runs (all earned) on nine hits in 10 innings.
The Jaguars batted .267 on the weekend, out hitting its four opponents, 28-17, and outscoring them, 18-9. USA slugged .390 and recorded a .391 overall on-base percentage, while also stealing five bases in as many tries.
South Alabama's pitching staff held opposing batters to a .163 average and combined to strike out 36 in 28 total innings.
Game One – No. 24 South Alabama 5, Marshall 3
Marshall (13-5) struck first on Sunday when Kaelynn Greene struck out swinging but reached first on a wild Brown pitch. She stole second and then reached third and home plate on two more wild pitches to put the Herd ahead in the top of the first inning, 1-0.
South Alabama jumped ahead, 2-1, in the bottom of the third on Rathburn's two-out, two-run double to right center, which plated Pilkington, who walked and freshman Kaleigh Todd, who pinch ran for Foster after the latter started the latter with a double of her own.
A pair of Jaguar throwing errors allowed Marshall right fielder Emileigh Cooper to both reach and score, which tied the game at 2-2, before a USA fielding error allowed leadoff Morgan Zerkle to score and put the Herd ahead, 3-2.
USA's three-run seventh inning began when Messer drove in freshman Haleigh Lowe, pinch-running for senior first baseman Amanda Herron, who singled down the left field line, from second to tie the game at three-all. Foster then took a 3-1 pitch deep over the wall in straightaway center for her first career home run and a walk-off Jaguar victory.
Foster was 2-for-4 in the contest with two RBI and a run scored to lead USA at the plate. Messer finished with a hit, RBI and run scored, while Rathburn recorded two RBI and Pilkington scored once and drew a walk.
McGill earned her seventh win after striking out three to no walks in 2 2/3 shutout innings. Brown went 4 1/3, striking out eight to two walks and allowing three runs (one earned) on a pair of hits.
Marshall's Jordan Dixon (12-5) took the loss after giving up five runs (all earned) on as many hits in 6 2/3 innings. She struck out four and walked four.
Game Two – No. 24 South Alabama 4, South Carolina 1
Yet reeling from its walk-off victory versus Marshall, the Jaguars jumped ahead to a 3-0 lead versus South Carolina (14-5), beginning with a Rathburn RBI double that scored Messer, who reached from the leadoff position on a muffed Gamecock throw. Pilkington singled just before and scored on senior left fielder Blair Johnson's groundout to second base, which doubled the Jaguar lead to 2-0.
Senior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith then singled to right field to plate Rathburn.
South Carolina scratched one across in the bottom of the first when center fielder Kristen Struett delivered an RBI single to right field that scored Alaynie Page, who led off with a triple to right center, cutting USA's lead to two runs, 3-1.
The Jaguars added an insurance run in the top of the sixth when Messer's single stretched wide of Gamecock shortstop Krystan White's glove and allowed Herron, who drew a leadoff walk from South Carolina reliever Julie Sarratt, restoring USA's three-run advantage.
Rathburn finished the contest 2-for-3 with a walk, RBI and run scored. Pilkington was 2-for-4 with a run scored, reaching for the 18th straight game this season. Messer had a hit, run and RBI, while Johnson and Griffith each recorded a hit and run. Herron drew two walks with a hit and run scored.
Brown was credited with the win over South Carolina after she struck out eight Gamecock batters to only a pair of walks, while allowing one run (earned) on three hits, in 4 1/3 innings. McGill earned her first career save after throwing 2 2/3 shutout innings, striking out four to no walks and allowing no hits.
Nickie Blue (8-2) took the loss for South Carolina after giving up three runs (none earned) on eight hits, while striking out six to one walk. Sarratt gave up one runs (earned) on three hits and walked three in a pair of relief innings.
South Alabama opens Sun Belt Conference play next weekend when it hosts No. 5 Louisiana-Lafayette for a three-game series at Jaguar Field on March 7-8. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for a noon first pitch, and game three is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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No. 4 Alabama Edges Fifth-Ranked Cajuns In Series Finale, 3-2
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Haylie McCleaney’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning scored pinch-runner Andrea Hawkins and lifted No. 4-ranked Alabama to a 3-2 victory over the fifth-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball team on Sunday at Rhoads Stadium.
Alabama (15-4) built a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Demi Turner and led 2-1 in the top of the seventh until Shellie Landry belted a game-tying, two-out home run off Sydney Littlejohn (7-0).
After Sara Corbello tied the game for Louisiana (15-2) at 1-1 in the sixth with an RBI grounder that scored Meagan Thomas, Alabama took a 2-1 lead in the sixth after Turner reached on an infield single off Jordan Wallace (6-1) and moved to third when Danielle Richard reached on an error by Kelsey Vincent. Jadyn Spencer reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Turner.
“That call was no more significant on a called ball or strike early in the game,” head coach Michael Lotief said about the seventh-inning error. “There’s so many plays that go on in a game and to put your target on one play … it belittles the rest of the game. That play had more consequence, but all of those pitches in the game mattered between two good teams that were going at each other.”
Louisiana collected hits in the first three innings off Alabama starter Leslie Jury but stranded four runners, including two in the third. Haley Hayden, Leandra Maly and Lexie Elkins each collected base hits for the Ragin’ Cajuns before Elkins added singles in the sixth and seventh inning.
Samantha Walsh added a sixth-inning single for the Ragin’ Cajuns that chased Jury for Littlejohn and the freshman right-hander allowed Corbello’s two-out grounder that tied the game at 1-1.
After Alabama took the lead in the sixth, Littlejohn got Kelli Martinez to pop out to third for the first out in the seventh before catching Hayden on a called third strike. Landry then tied the game after belting a 3-and-1 pitch from Littlejohn over the left-field fence for her team-leading eighth home run of the season.
Elkins led Louisiana at the plate going 3-for-4. Wallace allowed six hits and two earned runs for the Ragin’ Cajuns, fanning three batters in the contest.
Chandler Dare went 2-for-2 to lead Alabama at the plate with Turner and Hays adding one hit each. Littlejohn pitched two innings in relief for the Crimson Tide, allowing two hits and fanning four.
Louisiana will return to action on Saturday when it opens Sun Belt Conference play at No. 24 South Alabama in a three-game series in Mobile.
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Troy Falls to Stetson in Stetson Invitational Championship, Game Wednesday Moved Up to Tuesday
DeLAND, Florida – The Troy softball team fell to Stetson, 9-3, in the championship game at the Stetson Invitational on Sunday afternoon at Patricia Wilson Field. Troy's game against Georgia Tech at Troy Softball Complex, originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, at 5 p.m., has been moved up to Tuesday, March 3, at 5 p.m., due to inclement weather.
Troy (12-8) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning in thanks to solo home run by Amanda Winters. In the fourth inning, Jaycee Affeldt extended the Trojans' lead to 2-0 as she hit her first home run of the season to right center field.
Stetson (10-3) came out in the fifth inning on fire as it scored eight runs on seven hits. Back-to-back singles for the Hatters to lead off the inning put runners at second and third. After a fly out to center, a pop up to the shortstop and a walk, Stetson's Jessica Griffin hit a two-run single to tie the game at two and advanced to second on the throw. A walk loaded the bases again for the Hatters and then a double by Courtney Brandt cleared the bases and made the score 5-2. Two more doubles by Stetson batters added two more runs to the board. The final run in the inning came on a one-run double.
Becca Hartley hit her second home run of the tournament, her third of the year, in the sixth inning to cut the Hatter's lead to five runs at 8-3. Stetson responded as it added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a solo home run by Griffin to claim the win, 9-3.
The Trojans tallied seven hits in the loss and gave up 11. All three of Troy's runs in the game came off solo home runs.
Affeldt (6-3) suffered the loss for the Trojans as she pitched 4.2 innings, as she gave up four earned runs on six hits and struck out one.
Khadija Neely and Benton made the all-tournament team for the Trojans this weekend.
Neely went 6-for-12 on the weekend with three doubles and one home run, which earned her six RBIs. Benton hit .412 (7-for-17) with one RBI and three stolen bases in the tournament.
The Trojans return home to face Georgia Tech on Tuesday, March 3, at 5 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday at 5 p.m., but has been bumped up due to inclement weather.
For more information on Troy softball visit TroyTrojans.com or follow us on Twitter at @TroyTrojansSB.
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Rams Hold Off Mavs to End Wildcat Classic
TUCSON, Ariz. – UT Arlington left runners on the corners to end the game, and its time in the Wildcat Classic, as the Mavericks lost to Colorado State 7-6 on Sunday.
The Mavericks (11-8) trailed by four runs in the final inning before making a late charge to attempt to tie the game. UTA was able to bring home three in the seventh before a groundout to the pitcher by Kacey Everett ended the game. The Mavs concluded the tournament 2-3 after dropping the last three games.
Mya Anderson and Haley Henson each led the Mavs with three hits, while Anderson crossed the plate for two runs. Shelbi Sikes was 2-for-2 with three RBI and Meagan Michele finished with a hit and two RBI.
UTA returns to action to end its five-tournament preseason on Friday in Lubbock at the Texas Tech Invitational. The Mavs face Utah Valley and UT Martin on the opening day.
Colorado State opened the game in the first with a pair of singles on two outs for a 2-0 lead. The Rams added to the lead in the following inning with a solo home run.
After CSU added a fourth run in the third, UTA was able to answer in the next frame after picking up its first hit of the game. Anderson singled and advanced to third on two throwing errors before Sikes brought her home with a hit up the middle.
Michele continued the comeback trend with a two-run homer in the next at-bat to cut the lead to 4-3 after five innings.
The Rams built their lead right back up to four runs in the top of the sixth as they pushed three runs across the plate on four hits.
Two singles and a walk set the stage for UTA's comeback attempt in the seventh. Sikes doubles to center to score Anderson and Nina Villanueva. After Michele lined out to left, Haley Henson had an RBI single to center, however, due to the ball hanging up in the air, UTA's runner at first was thrown out at second.
Everett was unable to produce the tying hit in the game, grounding out the pitcher. Overall UTA left nine on base.
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Warhawks Drop Alexis Park Resort Classic Finale
LAS VEGAS – After picking up the most wins in the month of February in program history, the Warhawks (14-6) begin March dropping a 2-4 decision to the Bengals of Idaho State (9-10) in the finale of the Alexis Park Resort Classic at Eller Media Stadium.
Freshman Cheyanne Lyon handle the offensive production for the Warhawks picking up a two-RBI triple, her second of the season. Lyon moves her RBI total to 14 on the year.
Senior Haylie Wilson made the start going four innings, scattering three hits and giving up two runs. Senior Jessica Colliver pitch three innings of relief picking up the loss to move to 3-2 on the season.
After three scoreless innings that saw the Bengals and Warhawks combine for one lone hit, ISU struck first in the top of the fourth. Bengals put runners on the corners with one-out with help of a walk and single through the left side.
ISU would push one across with an ULM throwing error to take a 0-1 lead and put runners on second and third with one out. Wilson answered back with a strike out, but ISU loaded the bases drawing a walk.
The Warhawks picked up a fly out to center to keep the game to a 0-1 Bengals lead.
ULM led off the bottom of the fourth with its first hits of the night with back-to-back singles from sophomore Rochelle Roberts and senior Alexis Cacioppo. Sophomore Vanessa Garcia played the sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position.
After an infield grounder picked up the second out and held the runners, Lyon knocked a two-out triple to clear the bases and put the Warhawks up 2-1 after four.
ISU led off the fifth inning with a single to center field, causing the Warhawks to head to the pen and bring Colliver to the circle.
Back-to-back ground outs picked up two outs, the Bengals would single through the right field to score and lock the game at 2-2.
After a scoreless sixth inning, ISU’s Vicky Galasso knocked a two-out, two-run homer to take the definitive 2-4 advantage.
The Warhawks return home on Wednesday, March 4 to face Louisiana Tech at the ULM Softball Complex at 6 p.m. before traveling to Appalachian State to open Sun Belt play.
For the latest on ULM softball, visit ULMWarhawks.com and follow the team on Twitter (@ULM_Softball) and Facebook (facebook.com/ULMSoftball).