Troy Softball Sweeps with Second Straight Record-Breaking Day
BOONE, N.C. – A day after setting numerous school records and having one player tie an NCAA record, Troy softball had another record-breaking day in a 25-19 win at Appalachian State to grab a Sun Belt series sweep. Troy set the school record for runs scored for the second straight game, paced by Carli Kayler's NCAA-record-tying four home runs.
Kayler finished the day 5-for-6 with four home runs and a single, breaking the NCAA single-game record for total bases with 17, a record Hannah Day tied on Saturday when she had 16 total bases. Kayler's four home runs tied the NCAA single-game record and broke the Troy and Sun Belt single-game records.
Day wasn't far behind Kayler on Saturday, going 4-for-6 with two home runs, a double, a single and six RBIs. Troy's 24 RBIs broke a school record for the second straight game.
Troy (21-7, 4-2 Sun Belt) routed the Mountaineers for the third game in a row as it finished with 25 runs, 24 hits, six home runs, five doubles and one triple.
Kate Benton, Day, Amanda Winters, Heather Johnston, Becca Hartley and Kayler all had multi-hit games.
The Trojans jumped to an early 5-0 lead in the first inning – four of those coming with two outs. Day got things started for Troy with a double to left center that brought Benton around for the first run of the game. Ashley Rainey doubled to right field to bring around Day for the score. Johnston and Hartley both had RBI singles before the first inning was over.
Not to be outdone, the Mountaineers pushed four runs across in the bottom half of the inning on a Cara Parker home run to shrink the Trojans' lead to 5-4.
Troy plated another run in the second inning and three more in the top of the third inning. Kayler lifted her first home run of the game over the left center wall and scored Hartley who had been hit by a pitch. Day followed later in the inning with a solo shot to left center making the score 9-4.
App State would answer with four more runs in the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back home runs from Jenny Dodd and Heather Josey, making it a 9-8 game.
Day hit her second home run of the game in the fifth inning with a three-run shot to score Benton and Jordan Gray. Kayler hit a three-run bomb in the sixth to help extend Troy's lead 16-8.
The Mountaineers pushed seven runs across the dish in the bottom half of the frame to get back within one, 16-15.
Kayler then hit two home runs in Troy's nine-run seventh inning. Johnston contributed with an RBI double while Day and Winters both hit RBI singles to help the Trojans clinch the win.
Peyton Glover (5-0) was victorious in the circle throwing 3.1 innings out of the bullpen. She allowed four runs on three hits and struck out a pair. Vanessa Ciocatto (4-11) suffered the loss for the Mountaineers and allowed five runs on seven hits.
The Trojans are back in action on Friday at the Troy Softball Complex when they take on UL Lafayette in a three-game weekend series.
----------
Pitching, Defense Key in Georgia State Sweep
ATLANTA – Georgia State’s softball team took both games in a doubleheader Saturday against Texas State at the Bob Heck Softball Complex in Panthersville to extend its winning streak to seven games. The Panthers (18-12, 4-1 SBC) held the Bobcats (20-9, 1-4 SBC) to one run in Game 1 and shutout Texas State in Game 2.
Game 1 | Georgia State 4, Texas State 1
Sophomore Annie Davis got the start in the first game and went the distance, holding the Bobcats to one run on five hits. GSU scored all four of its runs in the sixth inning. Down 1-0 to the Bobcats, sophomore Ivie Drake hit her team-leading seventh home run of the season over the left field wall to tie the game. One batter later, Senior Taylor Anderson hit another solo shot, giving GSU the 2-1 advantage. Mandy Blackwell and Morgan Brown then belted back-to-back RBI-doubles to put the Panthers in front 4-1. GSU had just one hit before the home half of the sixth.
Davis finished off Texas State in the seventh and improved to 4-3 on the season with the win.
Game 2 | Georgia State 2, Texas State 0
The Panthers and Bobcats were locked in a pitchers’ duel for most of the second contest. The Panthers took advantage of some key Bobcat mistakes to manufacture a run in the bottom of the third to break the scoreless tie. Starting pitcher Katie Worley allowed just one hit and no runs before being relieved by Amanda Chance with no outs in the fifth. Chance slammed the door shut, giving up two hits but no runs, to record her first career save and help Worley move her record to 7-4 on the year.
The second Panther run was also assisted by a Texas State mistake. Anderson reached on an error by the second baseman and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. That allowed Anderson to score on a Kensey Caldwell RBI-single with two outs.
Georgia State has now won seven in a row, the longest win streak of the season.
----------
Eagles Defeat Boise State 12-9 Off Mann’s 3-Run, Walk Off Homer
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Georgia Southern softball team split a pair of games Saturday afternoon to end their time in the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic, capping their eight games over nine days in Texas. In the day's first game, the Eagles defeated Boise State 12-9 when Alesha Mann blasted a three-run, walk-off home run before falling 14-5 to Texas Tech at Rocky Johnson Field.
Game 1 – GS 12, BSU 9
The day's first game was a back-and-forth affair as the two teams traded the lead throughout the game. Boise State (7-19) scored first in the top of the second with a pair of runs off a Rebekah Cervantes home run before GS (15-13) came soaring back with five runs to take the 5-2 lead in the bottom of the frame. Scoring the runs for the Eagles were Morgan Robinson, Hannah Farrell, Macy Weeks, India Davis and Lydia Witkowski. Batting the five in were Mann, Davis and Taylor Rogers.
The Broncos knotted the score back up with three runs in the top of the third inning and then took a two-run lead in the top of the fourth, but the Eagles were not done as they plated three in the bottom of the very same inning to take an 8-7 lead. Emily Snider had a sacrifice fly to score Davis and then Robinson ripped her fifth home run of the season to also score Witkowski and give GS the one-run advantage.
Boise State was able to tie the game back up at 8-8 in the top of the fifth, but Georgia Southern continued to battle hard at the plate as Robinson recorded her third RBI of the game when she reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Witkowski to score.
The Broncos tied the game up one final time in the top of the seventh inning, but the magic happened in the bottom of the inning. With two runners on and one out, Mann stepped up to the plate and hit a rocket to just left of straight center field, scoring Weeks and A.J. Hamilton to end the game in walk off fashion. It was Mann's fourth home run of the season and she now has 14 runs batted in on the season.
Witkowski and Davis led the way at the plate in the day's first game, each going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Davis finished the game with two RBI while Witkowski batted in one runner. Robinson finished the game with two runs scored and three RBI.
Sophomore Kierra Camp started the game in the circle for the Eagles with sophomore Heather Felt coming in to pitch one inning before freshman Dixie Raley finished things off with a three-inning, four strikeout performance to claim the win. Nicole Wilson (2-5) was saddled with the loss for Boise State after pitching four complete innings while giving up seven earned runs and six hits.
Game 2 – TTU 14, GS 5 (6 Inn.)
Texas Tech (13-15) worked quickly early in the day's second game to establish a four-run lead after one inning and then added a single run in each the second and third innings.
Mann was able to break up the TTU no-hitter in the bottom of the third inning with a double to right-center field and then moved over to third on the next batter before Witkowski sent a sharply hit ball to the second baseman that got through to the outfield and gave Mann enough time to cross the plate to score.
TTU added another run in the top of the fourth inning to lead 7-1, but Georgia Southern would not go quietly as the Eagles scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth when Hamilton ripped her fifth home run of the season which also scored Weeks.
The Red Raiders added another seven runs in the top of the sixth, including Kirsten Scwirtlich hitting her second homer of the game, to set the score at 14-3. The Eagles still refused to give up in the bottom of the frame as Robinson batted in Snider all the way from first with a double to right field followed by Mann ripping her second hit of the game to center field, scoring Haley Carter.
Weeks and Mann both finished the second game having gone 2-for-3 at the plate and each scored a run. Hamilton batted in two runners.
Raley (10-6) started the game for the Eagles and was the pitcher of record while Dominique Alcocer (5-6) claimed the win for TTU in four innings of work.
COACH SMITH SAYS
"Overall I think we had a very good, productive week. We did a lot of good things both on offense as well as defense: scored a lot of runs, made good contact at the plate and our pitchers and defense battled hard. Obviously we would like to have gotten a couple different results, but I am very pleased with the progress we made on the field and the fight we showed all week long."
UP NEXT
Georgia Southern will return to the Peach State and travel up to Athens where the Eagles will face the nationally-ranked Bulldogs on Wednesday, Mar. 23 in a single game. The game will air live on the SEC Network+ with first pitch coming at 6 p.m.
----------
JAGS CLINCH SERIES AGAINST LOUISIANA-MONROE ON SATURDAY
MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball run-ruled Louisiana-Monroe in game one of its Sun Belt Conference doubleheader on Saturday and produced a four-run, comeback sixth inning in the nightcap to clinch the series.
USA (13-10, 2-2 SBC) scored five runs in the fourth inning of game one to win by mercy rule, 8-0, after five frames, powered by Emily Messer's 3-for-3 performance. Devin Brown allowed only one hit with seven strikeouts to one walk in the contest.
Louisiana-Monroe (14-13, 2-3 SBC) took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning of game two, before the Jaguars answered with a four-spot on five hits in the bottom of the sixth for a 7-4 win.
Game three is slated for a 1 p.m. start on Sunday. Links to live stats, video and ticket information can be found by accessing the Jaguar softball schedule page. In-game Twitter updates are provided for each USA contest via the program's official handle, @USAJagsSoftball.
South Alabama 8, Louisiana-Monroe 0 (5 inn.)
Pilkington opened scoring in the bottom of the first with her RBI single up the middle, plating Messer, who led off with a double to left center, as the Jags took a 1-0 lead.
Messer then singled to score pinch-runner Megan Harris to double USA's lead in the second inning, and Savanna Mayo scored on Katlynn Kaminski's wild pitch to put the Jags ahead, 3-0.
USA stacked five on the Warhawks in the bottom of the fourth, beginning with Mayo's RBI groundout, which scored Haleigh Lane, who drew a leadoff walk. Messer followed with an RBI triple down the line to score Harris, as USA went up, 5-0.
Pilkington then scored Messer, again with a base hit, and Haleigh Lowe's single scored Kaleigh Todd for a 7-0 host lead. Kristian Foster's double to left field plated pinch-runner Tucker Caraway for the eighth run.
The only hit Brown allowed in the contest was Rochelle Roberts's leadoff bunt single in the top of the first. The Mobile, Ala., retired 14 of the final 17 batters she faced. Brown improved to 7-6 with the win.
Messer finished 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Pilkington was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Lowe went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Kaminski suffered the loss after allowing three runs (all earned) on seven hits with one strikeout in 2 2/3 innings. Reliever Casey Waterman gave up five runs (all earned) on five hits with a walk and no strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.
South Alabama 7, Louisiana-Monroe 4
USA took a first-inning lead for the sixth game in a row to start the nightcap when Pilkington laid down a bunt single, and Messer scored on a subsequent Warhawk fielding error. Foster lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Todd for a 2-0 Jaguar lead.
USA tacked on more on to go ahead, 3-0, in the bottom of the third on Lowe's RBI double to center field, scoring Pilkington, who drew a two-out walk just before.
ULM answered with a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a one-run lead. Faith Bohack came around a fielder's choice that allowed Cheyanne Lyon to reach, after the former reached on a Jaguar fielding error.
Vanessa Garcia then singled to left field to score Hunter Hogan and pull the Warhawks within a run. In the bottom of the fifth, Sidney Coy's two-run single to shallow left gave the visitors a 4-3 lead.
USA's comeback inning began with Amanda MInahan's bunt single. Lane then reached on a Warhawk fielding error, and Alex Breeden tied the contest, 4-4, with a base hit to left field to score Minahan.
Freshman Dayla Gulledge drew a walk in a pinch-hitting situation to put a pair on base for Messer, and the senior doubled down the line to score both, as USA took a 6-4 lead. Gulledge then came around on Pilkington's base hit to left field for a Jaguar insurance run.
Messer finished game two 1-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored. Pilkington was 2-for-3 with a walk, RBI and a run. Lowe was 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI. The Jaguars drew seven total walks in the contest, tying their season high.
Destin Vicknair (6-3) picked up her sixth win this season, despite allowing a career-high 10 hits. She struck out three, walked none and allowed four runs (two earned).
Melanie Coyne suffered the loss for ULM, falling to an even 9-9 after allowing seven runs (five earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts and seven walks in six innings.
----------
Cajuns Open Sun Belt Road Slate With Sweep of UTA
ARLINGTON, Texas - The No. 5-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team hit multiple home runs and produced double digit hit totals in both games of a 13-0, 16-0 sweep of UT Arlington in a Sun Belt Conference doubleheader on Saturday at Allan Saxe Field.
The sweep extended Louisiana's win streak to 16 games, the third-longest active streak in the nation. It also kept the Ragin' Cajuns undefeated in Sun Belt games (8-0) against the Mavericks.
Louisiana generated 13 hits in both games, extending its string of 10-plus hit outings to four games dating back to the second game of last Sunday's South Alabama doubleheader.
The Ragin' Cajuns, who launched eight home runs in the twinbill, picked up their 12th and 13th multiple-home run games of the season. After three homers left the yard in Game 1, five home runs were hit in Game 2 marking the fourth time this season reaching the total.
The Ragin' Cajuns (22-1, 4-0 Sun Belt) and Mavericks (21-4, 0-2 Sun Belt) conclude their weekend series on Sunday in a 12 p.m. single game. Steve Peloquin and Bobby Neveaux will call the action on SportsRadio ESPN 1420-AM.
A first-inning grand slam by DJ Sanders sparked a five-run first inning as the Ragin' Cajuns took control early in Game 1.
Four runs were added to the lead in the third inning as Kassidy Zeringue (bunt), Haley Hayden (double) and Shellie Landry (single) each posted run-scoring hits with two outs. The lead moved to 10-0 after a solo home run by Aleah Craighton in the fourth inning.
Lexie Elkins capped off the scoring in the fifth inning, belting her nation-leading 16th home run. The three-run shot was the 72nd of her career which moved her past Holly Tankersley (71 HR from 2004, 06-08) and into sole possession of second place in school history.
Alex Stewart held UTA to two hits and struck out six over five innings. She moved to 10-0 on the season – the second straight season she starts 10-0.
Kylee Jo Trahan (5.0 IP, 0 H, 9 K) tossed her second perfect game and third no-hitter of the season in the Game 2 triumph. The Burkburnett, Texas, native struck out nine of the 15 batters she faced. Trahan reached at least eight strikeouts for the fifth time in seven starts that she pitched at least five innings.
Kelsey Vincent gave Trahan the lead before she entered the circle, delivering an RBI single in the Cajuns' first at bat.
Craighton hit the first of her two home runs of the game in the third inning upping the advantage to 3-0. Adding in a home run from Game 1, she homered in both games of a doubleheader for the third straight weekend (March 5 at USM; March 13 vs. USA).
Hayden broke open the game in the fourth inning with a grand slam. The junior second baseman, who also had an RBI single in the fifth inning, finished with a career-high tying five RBI.
Hayden's fifth-inning RBI single provided an 11-0 lead. It was followed up by a single from Elkins and walk from Vincent to load the bases. Craighton then cranked a grand slam for her second homer of the game and the team's third grand slam of the day.
Sanders completed the scoring following Craighton's grand slam with a solo home run. The sophomore shortstop joined Craighton as Cajuns who homered in both games of the doubleheader.