Sunday, March 29, 2015
No. 24 Jag Softball Completes Series Sweep of Georgia State Sunday
ATLANTA, Ga. – No. 24 University of South Alabama softball responded to a one-run, first-inning deficit by scoring eight straight over four innings and staving off a late Georgia State rally to win Sunday's Sun Belt Conference series finale, 8-3.
USA (24-7, 8-3 SBC) took games one and two, 8-7 and 13-11, respectively, in Saturday's doubleheader. The Jaguars secure their second straight SBC series sweep, having now reeled off seven straight league victories.
South Alabama got seven total runs from its 7-8-9 hitters, senior Kaitlyn Griffith, freshman Haleigh Lowe and senior Amanda Herron, while freshman Kristian Foster and sophomore Amanda Minahan combined for five RBI.
Freshman right-hander Kalen McGill recorded her first career complete-game victory after limiting the Panthers to three runs (all earned) on nine hits with a walk and a strikeout in seven innings pitched. McGill improved to 10-1 after being credited with all three wins on the weekend.
"I'm really proud of our effort. The biggest thing about this weekend is how we stood up and fought," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "I love this about our kids; we know it's there, and we finally got it consistently from them all three games.
"I can't say enough about what [Kalen McGill] did, giving us every opportunity on the mound," Clark continued. "The bottom of our order was huge. I thought we had great at bats all weekend long."
Minahan led USA at the plate on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored, including a solo homer that put USA ahead, 6-1, in the top of the fourth. Lowe and Herron each batted 2-for-2 with three runs scored, one RBI and two walks. Foster went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles. Griffith chipped in with a run and junior third baseman Emily Messer recorded one RBI.
Taylor Anderson put GSU (23-10, 5-4 SBC) ahead, 1-0, in the bottom of the first with a leadoff home run.
Panther starter Katie Worley retired two Jaguars in order in the top of the second before issuing three straight walks to Lowe, Herron and Messer. Freshman Kaleigh Todd, who struck out in her first plate appearance in the leadoff position, was replaced by Kristian Foster, and the decision paid dividends, as the pinch-hitter singled to plate USA's first run.
Minahan was then hit by a pitch to send Herron across, as USA took a 2-1 lead.
McGill issued a leadoff walk to Kensey Caldwell in the bottom of the second before a fielder's choice off the bat of Mandy Blackwell led to a force out at second. Griffith then supplied an unassisted double play to end the inning, as USA would keep the Panthers scoreless over the second, third and fourth frames.
The Jaguars tacked on three to go up, 5-1, in the top of the third inning, beginning with Lowe's two-out double to right center, which scored Griffith, who walked just before. Herron followed with a double of her own to score Lowe from second, and Messer singled to the outfield to drive Herron home.
USA tallied a pair of insurance runs in the top of the fifth when Foster singled to score Lowe, who drew a leadoff walk, and Minahan hit through the right side to plate Herron, who got on with a program-record-tying second double of the game, for a seven-run Jaguar lead.
Blackwell's leadoff home run to center field in the bottom of the fifth inning drew the Panthers to a six-run deficit, and Ivie Drake's two-out single through the left side scored Anderson, who reached on a fielder's choice, to draw the score to 8-3. A grounder to McGill ended the spurt.
USA could've provided itself more breathing room after loading the bags in the top of the sixth on singles from Griffith and Lowe and a Herron base on balls, but Messer grounded into a fielder's choice that resulted in a force out at home, and Foster went down swinging.
Megan Litumbe lead off the bottom of the sixth with a double to left center for GSU, and pinch-runner Brenna Skalski moved to third on Coleman's sacrifice bunt, but the runner was left stranded after McGill forced a groundout and fly out.
GSU put runners on the corners with one out in the bottom of the seventh on Anderson's single and a Jaguar error, but McGill struck out Drake looking and forced Callie Alford into a groundout to short.
Worley (7-4) suffered the loss for GSU after giving up five runs (all earned) on as many hits with four walks and a strikeout in 2 2/3 innings pitched. Chelsea Stanfield gave up three runs (all earned) on three hits with a pair of walks in 1 1/3, while Taylor Thorpe gave up four hits in three shutout relief innings with two walks and a strikeout.
Minahan finished the weekend 7-for-14 with eight RBI and five runs scored, including two home runs. Griffith hit three home runs and scored four runs. Junior center fielder Stephanie Pilkington scored five runs, while Johnson and Rathburn supplied four and five RBI, respectively. Low walked four times, scored three runs and delivered a pair of RBI.
McGill allowed only six runs (all earned) on 17 GSU hits with five strikeouts to a pair of walks in 15 innings pitched in the series.
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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Stewart Leads Cauns to Series Win at Texas State
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Alex Stewart tossed a complete game shutout with a career-high 11 strikeouts to guide the No. 9 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball team to a 4-0 win over Texas State on Sunday in the series finale at Bobcat Stadium.
With the win, Louisiana (27-5, 12-3 Sun Belt) claimed the series victory from Texas State (21-15, 6-5 Sun Belt). The Ragin’ Cajuns have claimed all five Sun Belt series in 2015.
Stewart was provided a 2-0 lead in the first inning after solo home runs by Haley Hayden and Lexie Elkins. She protected the lead by retiring the Bobcats in order from the second through fourth inning and stranding runners in scoring position three times before a two-run double in the seventh inning by Shellie Landry added insurance.
Stewart, starting for the second straight game, picked up both of the Cajuns wins in the series helping the team bounce back from a 14-13 defeat in the opener.
No. 9 Louisiana returns to action on Wednesday, April 1 in a 6 p.m., single game at McNeese State in Lake Charles. The Cajuns then return to Lamson Park for a three-game Sun Belt series with Georgia State Friday-Saturday, April 3-4.
The win assures the Cajuns of remaining in at least a tie for first place in the Sun Belt standings, by percentage points, regardless of the outcome of ULM’s game with Georgia Southern.
Hayden finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Her home run in the first inning marked the third time leading a game off with a home run and extended her reached-base streak to 21 games.
Elkins’ home run in the first inning was her fifth of the series and extended her hitting streak to nine games. Landry’s double in the seventh stretched her hitting streak to 10 games, the longest by a Cajun this season.
Stewart completed the series allowing just two runs and six hits over 10 innings pitched. The 11 strikeouts bested her previous career-high of eight on Feb. 13 vs. Idaho State.
After the solo home runs from Hayden and Elkins in the top of the first inning, the Bobcats threatened in their half of the inning. Runners moved to second and third after a throwing error by Samantha Walsh. Stewart registered strikeouts of Kortney Koroll and Kendall Wiley to strand the runners in scoring position.
Pitching took center stage as Stewart and Texas State’s Randi Rupp traded zeros through the sixth inning.
Stewart retired the Bobcats in order from the second through fourth inning, while Rupp stranded four Cajuns runners during that time frame.
The only base runners Rupp allowed the Cajuns in the fourth and fifth inning was a walk from Leandra Maly and hit by pitch of Elkins, respectively.
An error to start the bottom of the fifth and bunt single with two outs gave TXST runners on first and second base. A diving catch by Aleah Craighton ended the inning and kept the Bobcats off the scoreboard.
Stewart snuffed out the Bobcats’ last threat and held on to a 2-0 lead by recording back-to-back strikeouts in the bottom of the sixth inning after a one-out double by Courtney Harris gave TXST a runner in scoring position.
The Cajuns picked up a pair of insurance runs for Stewart on Landry’s two-run double in their final at bat.
DIAMOND NOTES: The Cajuns ended the series with 13 home runs…Lexie Elkins has now hit 11 home runs in the month of March and leads the team with 17 for the season…The Cajuns have hit multiple home runs in 17 of 32 games played in 2015…Louisiana scored first for the 27th time in 32 games and improved to 24-3 when scoring first…Shellie Landry’s two-run double in the seventh inning increased her season RBI total to a team-leading 42…The home runs by Haley Hayden and Lexie Elkins in the first inning increased the team’s season total to 60, reaching the mark before the calendar turned to April…Louisiana now leads the all-time series with Texas State 22-3 (5-1 in SBC play)…The Cajuns will return to San Marcos in May for the 2015 Sun Belt Conference Tournament (May 6-9.)
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Mavs earn first Sun Belt series sweep
BOONE, N.C. – UT Arlington's 13th double-digit scoring game of the season completed the sweep of Appalachian State at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium on Sunday.
The Mavericks (21-15, 5-4) were lifted by an eight-run third inning against the Mountaineers (9-20, 0-12) to take the finale 14-3 in five innings. The win improved UTA to 4-0 for the week and was the seventh win in the last eight games. It was the team's first series sweep in Sun Belt play in two seasons in the conference.
"It's always hard to go on the road and win a conference series and to sweep is even hard," UT Arlington coach Kristie Fox said. "We had tough conditions on Saturday and our girls handled it very well. For them to come out and take care of business today the way they did I am very proud of them."
UTA finished with 37 runs over three games against Appalachian State and scored 51 in the week to break the program's single-season record for most runs in a season.
Meagan Michele and Mallory Foster continued to swing a hot bat as each hit a home run. Michele's 11th homer of the season, and fourth of the week, completed a two-hit day at the plate with three RBI. Foster hit her third three-run homer of the series and was 2-for-2 with six RBI.
"Mallory and Meagan were huge for us," Fox said. "All their hits came in big situations. Meagan showed big senior leadership getting us on the board in a couple of those games and Mallory coming off the bench the way she has is a tremendous weapon for our offense."
Michele and Foster combined for 21 RBI in the series, 10 hits, six home runs and scored nine runs.
The Mavs pushed eight runs across the plate on two outs in the third to overcome a 2-1 deficit. Back-to-back walks with the bases loaded got things going before Foster's double to the left-centerfield wall cleared the bases. Nina Villanueva drew another UTA walk and Michele launched a home run to left for a 9-2 lead.
Two singles opened up the fifth for the Mavs and Foster belted her homer to left-center. UTA would hit around in the inning to plate five.
Maverick starter Sam Montes earned her third win of the week to improve to 10-8 overall. Montes allowed nine hits but limited the damage as just three earned runs.
UTA returns home for four games this week at Allan Saxe Field. The Mavs meet North Texas in nonconference action on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before welcoming No. 24 South Alabama for a three-game series opening on Friday.
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Sweep in Statesboro; Warhawks Shutout Eagles in Series Finale
STATESBORO, Ga. – Sophomore Melanie Coyne delivered a three-hit shutout in the series finale as the Warhawks (24-8, 8-2 SBC) swept Georgia Southern (8-25, 1-11 SBC) at Eagle Field.
The series sweep marked the second of the season and the first time the Warhawks have swept two three-game series against conference opponents since moving to the Sun Belt conference in 2007.
The Warhawks have already surpassed 2014’s Sun Belt win total of six and are two conference games shy of matching the all-time Sun Belt win total of 10 games set by the 2011 program. The Warhawks are also one game shy from matching 2014’s overall win total of 25 games.
Coyne delivered her fifth shutout outing of the season as she went a full seven innings allowing just three hits, issuing two walks and striking out two batters. Coyne picked up her team-leading ninth win on the year to move her record to 9-4.
Junior Faith Bohack knocked her fifth home run of the season with a two-RBI shot in the seventh inning. Bohack went 1-for-3 on the day with two RBI and scoring two Warhawk runs. Sophomore Vanessa Garcia continued to be strong in conference play as she went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Sophomore Rochelle Roberts led off the game with a bunt single, but for the first time all season, Roberts was caught stealing to give the Warhawks an early out.
Bohack drew a one-out walk and swiped second to move into scoring position. Redshirt senior Miyuki Navarrete flew out to left field, but the hit was deep enough to allow Bohack to tag up and advance to third base.
Senior Alexis Cacioppo doubled up the middle to score Bohack (1-0 ULM), and was followed by a double down the left field line from junior Amye Barre to put Warhawks on second and third with two outs.
Sophomore Vanessa Garcia capitalized by singling up the middle to score Cacioppo and drive the first-inning lead to 2-0.
Navarrete singled up the middle with one out to give the Warhawks a base runner in the top of the third. Cacioppo doubled to left field to move the Warhawk runners to second and third.
Barre reached on a fielder’s choice as the Eagles made the throw to home plate, but Navarrete would slide under the tag to push the ULM lead to 3-0.
Garcia knocked her second single of the game to drive home another RBI and extend the lead to 4-0.
The Warhawks and Eagles would exchange three scoreless innings, before the Warhawks added to their lead in the top of the seventh.
Roberts led off the inning with a double down the left field line, and Bohack knocked her fifth homer on the season to drive the score to 6-0 securing the shutout victory.
The Warhawks continue their road stand as they travel to Baton Rouge, La., on March 31 to face the top ranked Tigers of LSU at 6 p.m.
For the latest on ULM softball, visit ULMWarhawks.com and follow the team on Twitter (@ULM_Softball) and Facebook (facebook.com/ULMSoftball).