Saturday, May 2, 2015
UL Lafayette Sweeps Doubleheader to Claim Sun Belt Regular Season Championship
MONROE – With a doubleheader sweep of ULM Saturday afternoon at the ULM Softball Complex by scores of 9-3, 20-2 (5 inn.) and South Alabama’s split at Troy the No. 10 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball team captured the 2015 Sun Belt Conference regular season championship.
Louisiana (36-8, 19-3 Sun Belt) generated 29 runs off 33 hits in the doubleheader, which included 12 home runs, to claim the program’s second consecutive SBC regular season title and 13th in the 15 year existence of the league.
The Ragin’ Cajuns conclude the regular season on Sunday in a 12 p.m., single game against the Warhawks (28-19, 10-11 Sun Belt).
Aleah Craighton finished the doubleheader with four home runs, hitting two in each game for her second and third multi-home run games of the season. She finished 5-for-8 at the plate with nine RBI which included a career-high six RBI in Game 2.
Shellie Landry turned in a 7-for-9 performance and tied her career-high for hits with four in Game 1. Lexie Elkins hit a home run in each game, increasing her season total to 27 which moves her within three of tying Danyele Gomez’s single-season record 30 hit in 2006.
The home run production increased the Cajuns’ season total to 95. Louisiana eclipsed 90 home runs for the second straight season (90 in 2014) and moved within five of reaching 100 for only the second time in school history (102 in 2006).
Jordan Wallace (15-4, 2.07 ERA) struck out 13 in Game 1 increasing her career strikeouts total to 862 which ties Ashley Brignac for second place. Christina Hamilton (9-2, 2.49 ERA) limited ULM to one hit and struck out six in her three innings of work in Game 2, extending her streak of undefeated starts in Sun Belt play to 20 games dating back to 2011.
With the sweep the Cajuns won their eighth Sun Belt series in as many played and stretched their win streak over the Warhawks to 11 games.
Elkins homered and gave the Cajuns a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the opener. A solo home run from Landry in the third inning increased the lead to 3-0.
ULM drew even in the bottom half of the third after a two-run home run by Vanessa Garcia knotted the score at 3-all. The tie was short-lived as Craighton launched a solo home run to start to the top of the fourth, vaulting the Cajuns ahead 4-3.
After her teammates returned the lead to her, Wallace made it stand. She struck out the side in the bottom of the fourth and wound up finishing the game retiring 12 of the final 13 ULM batters she faced.
The Cajuns pulled away with a two-run home run by Craighton in the fifth inning and home runs from Landry (solo) and Samantha Walsh (two-run) in the sixth inning.
Wallace picked up career win No. 88, improving her all-time mark to 88-18. She is two wins shy of becoming only the fourth pitcher in program history to reach 90 wins and trails Ashley Brignac by six wins for third place.
Louisiana extended innings in Game 2 by collecting 14 hits in two-out situations and posting 17 of 20 RBI with two outs.
A two-run home run by Walsh with two outs in the first inning opened the scoring. Haley Hayden brought home two runs with a two-out triple in the second inning, followed by an RBI single from Landry that brought her home and the Cajuns led 5-0 after two at bats.
Craighton’s first home run of the game came with two outs in the third inning and increased the lead to 7-0.
The Cajuns sent 15 batters to the plate and scored 12 runs in the fourth inning put the game away. Craighton’s second home run of the game, a grand slam, came during the scoring spree and pushed the lead to double digits at 13-0.
The Warhawks avoided the shutout in the fifth inning when Faith Bohack singled up the middle off of Kylee Jo Trahan with the bases loaded.
Hamilton posted her first victory since March 22 vs. Troy. Six strikeouts tallied was her second-highest mark of the season. ULM got two baserunners in the first inning, but nothing in Hamilton’s final two innings of work. The senior hurler retired the side in order in the second and third inning, striking out five of the six batters faced.
DIAMOND NOTES: The 12 home runs in the doubleheader marked the third time this season that the Cajuns have hit 10-plus in a doubleheader (11 at TXST on March 28, 13 at APP on April 18)…The Cajuns picked up their 23rd and 24th multi-home run games of the season…Louisiana is hitting .397 with 61 home runs in Sun Belt Conference play…Lexie Elkins tops the team with a .580 average and 20 home runs in SBC play…Aleah Craighton and Samantha Walsh each increased their season home run total to 11, giving the Ragin’ Cajuns six players with double digit home runs…DJ Sanders increased her season base hits total to 31 and now all Cajuns starters in the lineup have posted at least 30 hits…Shellie Landry’s four hits in Game 1 tied her career-high and marked her first four-hit game since May 10, 2013 vs. FAU in the Sun Belt Tournament at Troy…Aleah Craighton last posted a multiple-home run game during Game 2 of the Texas State doubleheader back on March 28…Louisiana improved to 98-27 all-time vs. ULM…The Cajuns improved to 20-5 vs. the Warhawks in Sun Belt Conference play and have won all nine SBC series between the two programs…The 11-game win streak over the Warhawks dates back to the second game of the 2012 series held at Lamson Park…The Ragin’ Cajuns list of Sun Belt regular season championship seasons include: 2001-06, 2008-12 and 2014-15.
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Texas State Softball Shuts Out UT Arlington In Doubleheader Sweep
ARLINGTON, Texas – A pair of shutouts by freshman pitcher Randi Rupp along with explosive hitting in game one led the Texas State softball team to an 11-0 and a 2-0 doubleheader sweep over UT Arlington Saturday afternoon. The Bobcats improve to 31-20 overall and 13-6 in the Sun Belt Conference.
Senior third baseman Courtney Harris led the Bobcats with four hits on the day, going 2-for-3 in game one and a perfect 2-for-2 in game two. Ariel Ortiz, Taylor Webb, and Lexi Fryar each recorded two hits in game one for the Bobcats.
Rupp struck out 13 batters while walking just one in 13 scoreless innings of work for the Bobcats. She moves into third all-time with 282 strikeouts and improves her shutout total to 11 this season.
Texas State started scoring early and often against the Mavericks. With two runs in the first and second innings of game one, the Bobcats took an early 4-0 lead on four hits.
The Mavericks proceeded to force three scoreless innings for the Bobcats before the bats exploded in the top of the sixth. With a runner on first, Fryar got the bats rolling with a two-run shot to left field for her fourth home run of the season. Three batters later, Ortiz launched her 10th home run of the season to give Texas State a 9-0 lead. A two RBI single by Webb later in the inning would be the final two runs the Bobcats would score on the Mavericks.
Rupp allowed just two hits in the first game of the day.
One run on two hits in the top of the first inning of gave the Bobcats the early lead in game two. Kelli Baker led the inning off with a single to right field and quickly moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ortiz. A single by Koroll would score Baker to put Texas State on top.
Two errors by the Maverick defense in the top of the second inning led to the final run of the day for the Bobcats.
Like game one, Rupp went three perfect innings before allowing the first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth.
Texas State is now just two home runs way from matching the all-time program-high of 59 set in 2003.
The Bobcats and the Mavericks will continue the series tomorrow afternoon with a 12 p.m. start at the Allan Saxe Field in Arlington, Texas. Live stats will be available at www.txstatebobcats.com.
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Griffith's Seventh Inning Shot Earns No. 22 Jag Softball Split At Troy
TROY, Ala. – No. 22 University of South Alabama softball senior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith set a new program standard in home runs in a season with her 12th on Saturday, the record-breaking bomb supplying the Jaguars a 2-0 Sun Belt Conference victory after Troy took game one, 6-3.
USA (34-10, 15-4 SBC) tries to clinch its fifth league series on Sunday in a 1 p.m. finale to conclude the regular season. No. 10 Louisiana-Lafayette clinched the league's regular-season title on Saturday with two defeats of Louisiana-Monroe. The Ragin' Cajuns claim the top seed in the 2015 SBC Tournament, scheduled for May 6-9 in San Marcos, Texas, while the Jaguars will be the two seed.
Jaguar freshman right-hander Kalen McGill (15-2) recorded her 15th victory of the season in game two with a complete-game shutout, striking out a season-high eight batters and allowing four Trojan hits, all coming in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one Jaguar fielding error in game two, the Gainesville, Fla., native retired 19 of the 24 batters she faced.
Troy (32-21, 14-8 SBC) scored five unanswered runs to take game one, powered by catcher Hannah Day's three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth.
"I'm proud of our kids for coming back after dropping the first game," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "[Trojan senior Jaycee] Affeldt did a good job of keeping us off-balance in the first game. When had some really good at-bats and hit the ball hard, but we couldn't string the hits together when we needed to. The difference in game two was that we got the big hit when we needed it. McGill threw a great game, one of the best ones she's thrown all year.
"We've got to carry this momentum into tomorrow," Clark continued. "We had to work hard for both games, and we've got to work for every single pitch tomorrow as well."
GAME ONE – No. 22 South Alabama 3, Troy 6
Jaguar sophomore designated player Chloe Rathburn scored one of two Jaguar runs in the top of the second, coming around on senior left fielder Blair Johnson's double to right center and a subsequent Trojan throwing error that hit the backstop in a throwing attempt at the plate.
Johnson later scored on freshman right fielder Haleigh Lowe's infield single.
Trojan shortstop Kate Benton cut the Jaguar lead In half in the bottom of the third when she scored on a wild Farish Beard pitch from third after she got on with a one-out single to left center, advanced to second on a Jaguar throwing error and moved to third on an illegal pitch.
USA went ahead, 3-1, in the top of the fourth on a squeeze play off the bat of senior first baseman Amanda Herron, which plated senior Gwen Jones, who pinch ran for Rathburn, who led off with a chopper up the middle.
Troy answered with four runs in the bottom half, going ahead, 5-3. Trojan outfielder Amanda Winters and Affeldt each singled to put two on for centerfielder Carli Kayler, who homered to left field to put Troy ahead one run. Catcher Hannah Day then singled through the left side to plate Benton, who followed with the home run with a double to left field.
USA loaded the bases a half-inning later – in the top of the fifth – but sophomore center fielder Amanda Minahan and Johnson struck out and flied out, respectively.
Day delivered a two-out single to score Benton in the bottom of the sixth, as the Trojans went ahead three runs.
Troy outhit the Jaguars, 8-7, in the contest, with Day leading the Trojans at the plate on 3-for-4 hitting with two RBI. Kayler was 1-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored. Benton was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
Johnson led the Jaguars on 2-for-3 hitting with a run scored. Rathburn was 1-for-2 with a run and two walks, while Herron and Lowe each supplied an RBI.
Beard suffered the loss for USA, falling to 9-4 on the year after giving up five runs (all earned) on seven hits with a walk in 3 2/3 innings pitched. Freshman right-hander Devin Brown threw 2 1/3 innings of relief, giving up one run on a single hit with a walk and five strikeouts.
Affeldt improved to 17-9 after limiting the Jags to three runs (two earned) on seven hits with four walks and six strikeouts.
GAME TWO – No. 22 South Alabama 2, Troy 0
USA stranded three base runners in the first two innings before going down in order for the next three straight frames.
Only designated player Heather Johnson reached base for the Trojans prior to the sixth inning when she reached on a one-out Jaguar fielding error. A McGill strikeout and forced groundout ended that chance.
Troy's Johnson led off the bottom of the sixth with a single through the left side, and Kayler reached on a bunt single to follow, but the former was thrown out at third in an attempt to stretch the play, after Kayler's bunt trickled past the pitcher's circle, but was picked up by Jaguar third baseman Emily Messer. Junior catcher Stephanie Pilkington moved to cover third on the tag out.
Benton followed the play with a single up the middle, but was thrown out at the plate by Minahan after Becca Hartley's base hit to center field. McGill forced a groundout for out number three to keep the Trojans off the board.
Rathburn led off the top of the seventh with a double off the middle of the left field wall to set Griffith up for the go-ahead, two-run homer, her 12th this year, a new South Alabama season record. McGill retired the Trojans in order to cap the Jaguar victory.
Troy outhit USA, 4-3, in the contest. Griffith led the Jaguars at the plate on 1-for-3 hitting with two RBI and a run scored. Rathburn and Minahan were each 1-for-3. Rathburn extended her team-leading hitting streak to 12 games. She and Pilkington have each reached safely in their last 12.
Ashley Rainey suffered the loss for Troy after giving up two runs (both earned) on three Jaguar hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
On her new single-season home run record, Griffith said, "It's a great feeling. It was something we worked for our entire time here, and for it to happen my senior year is great. But, I can't take credit for that one; the real credit goes to [McGill] for keeping us in the game. Without her, that home run means nothing."
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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Anderson, Litumbe Power Panthers to Doubleheader Sweep of Georgia Southern
STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia State scored 10 runs in the first inning of game one and never looked back in sweeping in-state rival Georgia Southern in a doubleheader on Saturday. The Panthers took game one 19-6 in five innings, before opening another 10-run lead and taking game two 10-7.
Georgia State (35-20, 14-10 Sun Belt) swept the three-game series from Georgia Southern (12-38, 4-20 Sun Belt) and now advances to the Sun Belt tournament in San Marcos, Texas, which begins on May 6.
The Panthers will be the No. 5 seed in the tournament and play the eighth-seeded Eagles in their first game of the tournament.
Taylor Anderson led the Panthers in game one, going 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI and three runs scored. Ivie Drake extended her school home run record to 21 and scored four times, while Kensey Caldwell went 2-for-4 with four RBI and a pair of runs scored.
Taylor Thorpe pitched 3.1 innings to improve to 17-5 on the season.
In game two, the Panthers built a 10-0 lead after four innings to cruise to the series sweep. Megan Litumbe hit a pair of home runs, her 16th and 17th of the season, driving in seven and scoring twice.
Anderson went 2-for-4 at the plate and Katie Worley pitched 5.1 innings to improve to 11-9 on the season, picking up her second win of the series.
“We knew we needed to sweep this weekend and proud of team accepting that and following through,” head coach Roger Kincaid said. “We played well today. As a coach and a team, we controlled what we could control and now we will see how things play out next week.”
With seven home runs this weekend, Georgia State extended its school-record to 98 for the season. The Panthers entered the weekend third in the country.
Game One
Georgia State opened the doubleheader with a 19-6 win in five innings, putting up 10 runs in the top of the first and never looking back.
Georgia Southern was forced to use three pitchers just to get out of the inning. The Panthers scored five runs before Anderson blasted a grand slam for her seventh home run of the season, to put Georgia State ahead 9-0.
The Panthers added six more in the third to move ahead 16-2 and three more in the fourth to extend the lead to 19-2.
Callie Alford went 2-for-2 with three RBI and three runs scored, while Lauren Coleman went 1-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored.
Game Two
Georgia State’s power surge continued in game two. After scoring one in the second, the Panthers added six in the third and three more in the fourth to lead 10-0.
Litumbe drove a double down the line in the second, scoring Alford to put the Panthers ahead 1-0. Her first three-run home run of the game came in the third, giving Georgia State a 7-0 lead.
The sophomore added another three-run home run in the fourth to move Georgia State ahead 10-0.
Georgia Southern tried to get back in the game, scoring three in the fifth and fourth in the sixth.
Taylor Bradley added a pair of hits, while Alford went 1-of-3 with three runs scored.
Worley pitched 5.1 innings for the win, while Brooke Red pitched 2.1 innings and took the loss for the Eagles.
Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GSU_Softball) and Facebook for the latest news.
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App State Softball Drops Two to NC State to Finish 2015
BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State University softball dropped both games of a doubleheader to in-state foe NC State on Saturday.
Game One: NC State 10, App State 0 F/5
The Mountaineers (14-35) generated zero hits and walked once in a 10-0 Game One loss to the Wolfpack. App State’s lone walk came from Cara Parker.
The game broke open in the opening inning when NC State plated nine runs on six hits and two Appalachian errors. Katie Williford started for App State and got just one out before being relieved by Katherine Johnson.
Williford gave up nine runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks. Johnson came in and pitched 1.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits and four walks while striking out one.
Finishing the final three innings, Alissa Schoelkopf gave up just one hit and allowed one walk, while striking out two hitters.
Game Two: NC State 10, App State 1
After finishing Game One in strong fashion, Schoelkopf earned the start in Game Two. The senior held the Wolfpack scoreless through three innings before NC State broke through for six in the fourth.
The Wolfpack highlighted a six-run inning with a three-run homer. Schoelkopf was charged with six runs (five earned) in 3.1 innings on five hits and walking three, while also striking out four.
Vanessa Ciocatto relieved Schoelkopf and pitched 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits with one strikeout and four walks.
The Apps finished with six hits from six different players, including a sixth inning solo homer from senior Caroline Chambers. Chambers blast to center field was her ninth of the season to lead the Mountaineers.