Sunday, March 22, 2015
Georgia Southern Softball Takes First Sun Belt Win in 13-10 Slugfest
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – Georgia Southern Softball got back to winning ways on Sunday with a 13-10 win at UT Arlington to close the spring break trip and the series against the Mavs. The Eagles took their first Sun Belt win thanks to a five-run sixth inning which featured a three-run home run from Lexi Allen, and a solo job from Michelle Mazur. The Eagles fly home on Sunday night, and play Georgia on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m.
“I thought we did a great job at the plate today,” said Head Coach Annie Smith. “ We had a lot of players come in, look at film last night and made adjustments at the plate so I’m really happy for them. We had some big home runs up and down the lineup, and our relief pitchers came in and kept us in the game today. Marla (Thompson) pitched well, and Heather (Felt) settled down to pitch great in the final two innings.”
Georgia Southern was in early control of the game, sprinting out to a 5-1 lead in the middle of the second. Arlington answered with five in the second, followed by another run in the third to take a 7-5 lead through three frames.
Alesha Mann hit a solo home run in the fourth as part of a 3-for-4 day. A two-RBI single by Mann in the fifth put the Eagles back up 8-7. Three more runs for UTA in the home half of the fifth staked the hosts to a 10-8 lead.
An Emily Snider double opened the sixth inning which saw the Eagles take a 13-10 lead. Kaitlyn Johnson singled to the gap in right to plate Snider, while a three-run home run from Allen put the Eagles back on top. Mazur followed suit two pitches later as the Eagles added an insurance run.
Relief pitcher Heather Felt got credit for the win, working the final three innings. She allowed three runs in the fifth, but settled down to strike out four, and hold the Mavs scoreless over the final two frames. The win for Felt was her first collegiate victory in the pitching circle.
All nine Eagles produced a hit in the game with Mann and Snyder each tallying three. The 17 hits was the most for Georgia Southern since recording 18 in the 21-12 win over Binghamton back on February 13th. Of those 18 hits, eight were of the extra base variety.
Georgia Southern returns to the Peach State on Sunday evening. The Eagles have one more contest to close the 10-straight games away from the friendly confines on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Georgia. That game can be seen live on SEC Network + at WatchESPN.com.
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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Jaguar Softball Completes League Sweep of Appalachian State on Sunday
MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball freshmen Haleigh Lowe and Kristian Foster combined for five RBI to lead the Jaguars to an 8-0, run-rule victory over Appalachian State on Sunday, as USA completed a Sun Belt Conference series sweep of the Mountaineers at Jaguar Field.
Lowe supplied a three-run home run, the first of her career, as part of a five-run Jaguar first inning, and Foster lifted a bases-loaded double to left center in the bottom of the fifth that scored a pair, before an Appalachian State throwing error allowed a third run to score to enact the mercy rule, USA's sixth of the abbreviated variety this year.
USA (21-6, 5-3 SBC) outhit Appalachian State (9-16, 0-9 SBC), 9-2, on the day and took advantage of a pair of Mountaineer errors. USA left six runners on base, while App State stranded four.
Lowe finished 2-for-2 with three RBI and a run scored in the contest, including a sacrifice bunt that put a pair of Jaguar runners in scoring position in the final frame. Foster came on as pinch-hitter to deliver the final blow.
Senior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith and sophomore catcher Chloe Rathburn recorded an RBI and run scored apiece. Junior third baseman Emily Messer was1-for-1 with two walks and a run scored.
Senior right-hander Farish Beard earned her fourth victory in as many appearances since her return a week ago, moving to 4-1 after striking out five to two walks. Beard carried a no-hitter into the top of the fourth inning, before giving up two hits, but answered by retiring six of the final seven batters she faced.
Vanessa Ciocatto (3-6) suffered her second loss of the weekend on Sunday after giving up five runs (two earned) on three hits in one inning pitched. Katherine Johnson threw one inning of scoreless relief, giving up a hit and a walk, while Alissa Schoelkopf gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits over the final 2 1/3 innings.
South Alabama wasted no time offensively in the series finale, placing five runs on the board in the opening frame. Messer struck first, coming around on Rathburn's RBI single after leading off with an infield base hit. Griffith plated Pilkington with a sacrifice fly a batter later after the latter reached on a fielder's choice prior to Rathburn's hit.
Lowe then roped a two-out bomb to right field to score Rathburn and Johnson, who reached via Mountaineer error, for a 5-0 USA lead.
The Jaguars stranded five runners over the next three innings on three hits and a pair of walks before loading the bases in the bottom of the fifth on singles from Johnson and Griffith and senior first baseman Amanda Herron's walk. Foster, pinch-hitting for classmate Kaleigh Todd, lined to the gap in left center to easily score Griffith and senior Gwen Jones, who pinch-ran for Johnson.
Appalachian State shortstop Cara Parker then mishandled a throwing attempt during the relay from the outfield, which allowed Herron time to cross home plate.
South Alabama travels to face top-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge, La., on Tuesday, March 24. The game will be broadcast by SEC Network+. Links to live stats, ticket information and live video can be found by accessing the Jaguar softball schedule page. In-game Twitter updates are provided via the program's official handle, @USAJagsSoftball.
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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Big First Inning Carries Cajuns Past Troy, 12-2
LAFAYETTE – Freshman Kelli Martinez sparked a seven-run first inning with a two-run triple and the No. 7-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns pounded out 10 hits off three Troy pitchers in a 12-2 five-inning victory in the Sun Belt Conference series finale for both teams on Sunday at Lamson Park.
DJ Sanders and Haley Hayden each went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Christina Hamilton tossed a three-hitter as Louisiana (25-4, 10-2 SBC) added two runs in the third inning and three in the fourth to claim its 17th straight Sun Belt Conference series dating back to 2013.
Louisiana quickly loaded the bases in the first inning off Troy starter Sara Mock (3-8) as Hayden and Shellie Landry each drew walks before Lexie Elkins hit a single to left field. After Samantha Walsh drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 1-0 lead, Leandra Maly lifted a one-out RBI single to center and Aleah Craighton followed with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Elkins.
Sanders then singled through the right side to drive in Walsh and Martinez followed with her first career triple, scoring Maly and Sanders for a 6-0 lead.
That was enough for Hamilton (8-1), who fanned two and scattered three hits in capture her 19th consecutive Sun Belt Conference victory. The senior allowed a leadoff single to Troy's Kate Benton before giving up solo home runs to Ashley Rainey in the fourth and Amanda Winters in the fifth.
The Ragin' Cajuns upped their lead to 9-0 in the third inning after Sanders and Martinez reached on singles to lead off the inning before Landry hit a one-out RBI single to drive in Martinez and Elkins hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Hayden.
Louisiana added three unearned runs in the fourth to take a 12-1 lead after capitalizing on a pair of Trojan errors. Maly reached on a throwing error by Jaycee Affeldt, that scored pinch-runner Cassidy White from first and moved Maly to third. Sanders reached two batters later on an error by Becca Hartley that drove in Maly before Hayden doubled to right-center to drive in Sanders.
Walsh drove in two runs for the Ragin' Cajuns, who have outscored their opponents, 203-24, at Lamson Park this season. Hayden extended her streak of consecutive games to reach base to a career-high 18 games.
Louisiana will return to action on Saturday, March 28 when it visits Sun Belt Conference foe Texas State in a three-game series in San Marcos, Texas.
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Christy, Coleman Homer; GSU Falls 5-4 at No. 22 Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Ashley Christy hit her first home run of the season and Lauren Coleman launched her fifth but it was not enough as Georgia State fell short, 5-4, against No. 22 Kansas in GSU’s final game of the Rock Chalk Challenge.
Christy finished 2-for-3 at the plate with one RBI and one run scored. Coleman finished 1-for-1 with two RBI and two walks. Kensey Caldwell also had one RBI and two walks while Megan Litumbe finished with two hits.
Kansas jumped in front early with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first. Georgia State responded with two runs in the top of the second on Coleman’s two-run homer. In the top of the third, two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Caldwell, who drew a walk to drive in Drake and tie the game 3-3. The Jayhawks scored one in the bottom of the third to go back in front 4-3.
Georgia State tied it again, 4-4, in the top of the fourth on Christy’s solo homer to left. Katie Worley retired the Kansas side in order to keep the game tied after four complete. The Jayhawks retook a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth on Maddie Stein’s lead-off homer to center.
After a scoreless sixth, Christy led off the top of the seventh with a single. After a pop fly, she stole second to put a runner in scoring position. However, the next two GSU batters were retired to end the threat and give Kansas the 5-4 win.
The Panthers are now 21-7 overall after going 2-3 over the weekend, while the Jayhawks improved to 29-2. Georgia State now returns to Atlanta for a seven-game home stand beginning against Georgia Tech on Tuesday, March 24 at 6 p.m.
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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Sunday’s Game Washed Out; Doubleheader Monday
MONROE, La. – Due to field conditions resulting from the weekend weather, Sunday’s series opener with Texas State has been canceled. The teams will play a doubleheader on Monday, March 23 with games scheduled for 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Any additional adjustments to the schedule will be announced if made.
For the latest on ULM softball, visit ULMWarhawks.com and follow the team on Twitter (@ULM_Softball) and Facebook (facebook.com/ULMSoftball).