Georgia Southern Wins Series Over UT Arlington With 7-2 Win Saturday
STATESBORO, Ga. – Behind another solid pitching performance by freshman Dixie Raley and timely hitting at the plate that included three extra base knocks, the Georgia Southern softball team claimed the Sun Belt Conference series over the visiting Mavericks of UT Arlington Saturday afternoon with a 7-2 victory at Eagle Field.
Georgia Southern (17-15, 4-2) was solid all day long at the plate, racking up 13 total hits in the win which included five different Eagles recording multiple hits in the game. Lydia Witkowski, Taylor Rogers, Morgan Robinson, Hannah Farrell and India Davis all had two hits with Davis scoring twice.
The Eagles were able to get on the board first in the bottom of the second inning when Davis ripped a double to deep left-center field, scoring Alesha Mann from second. A batter later, Witkowski gave the Eagles the 2-0 lead when she brought in Davis with a single to right field.
The game progressed scoreless for the next three full innings before the Mavericks (23-6, 2-4) were able to tie things up in the top of the sixth inning with a pair of runs. But the Eagles came back out in the bottom of the sixth fired up and easily retook the lead and momentum with five runs. Right fielder Emily Snider had a three-RBI triple to the fence in right-center field with just one out registered on the board to start the scoring drive before Robinson sent a rocket of a home run to center field to put the Eagles up 7-2. The home run was Robinson's sixth of the season.
Raley (12-7) pitched the complete game for the Eagles and dealt eight strikeouts compared to just two runs and five hits. Samantha Clakley (12-4) pitched 5.1 innings and gave up seven earned runs in the loss for UT Arlington.
COACH SMITH SAYS
"This was a great series win for our team. The second game yesterday was a little tough, but I'm proud of our team for continuing to fight to the end last night and for coming back today and giving it their all again. UT Arlington has been playing very well all season and that's why they are 23-6, so these two wins over them this weekend are big for our team and were statement wins."
UP NEXT
The Eagles will next play a midweek doubleheader at home against Jacksonville University on Wednesday, Mar. 30. The first game is slated to begin at 5 p.m. with the second to follow about 30 minutes after the completion of game-one.
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BROWN THROWS NO-HITTER, JAGS SHUT OUT APPALACHIAN STATE TO SWEEP SERIES
BOONE, N.C. – University of South Alabama softball sophomore right-hander Devin Brown pitched a complete-game no-hitter with 13 strikeouts, and the Jaguars recorded a season-high-tying 12 hits to defeat Appalachian State, 6-0, on Saturday and sweep the Sun Belt Conference series.
USA (18-10, 6-2 SBC) swept Friday's doubleheader against the Mountaineers (7-27, 1-8 SBC), 2-0 and 7-2. Brown one-hit the Mountaineers with 14 strikeouts in game one, and Amanda Minahan supplied a three-run home run to give USA breathing room in the nightcap.
South Alabama takes an eight-game win streak into its next contest, a midweek clash with McNeese State at Jaguar Field on Wednesday at 6 p.m. 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.
Brown (10-6) was one walk away from tossing her second perfect game in a week on Saturday, after the Mobile, Ala., native recorded the feat for the first time in her career last Sunday versus Louisiana-Monroe in an 8-0, five-inning Jaguar victory to earn SBC Pitcher-of-the-Week and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Co-Pitcher-of-the-Week honors.
Brown's 13 strikeouts on Saturday marked her 11th double-digit strikeout performance in 20 total appearances this season. The shutout was her seventh in 16 starts, and she has racked up 176 strikeouts in 105 2/3 innings this year.
Haleigh Lane set a career high in hits after going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, while Kaleigh Todd tied her career high in hits after batting 3-for-4 with a pair of runs. Kristian Foster tied her career high in RBI after driving in three on a two-run base hit and a sacrifice fly.
Stephanie Pilkington went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and runs and an RBI. Emily Messer scored a run and drove one in to extend her hitting streak to 15 games. Todd and Messer have now reached safely in 15 straight, while Haleigh Lowe, who went 1-for-2 with a walk, has now reached in 14 consecutive games.
USA scored a run apiece in the second and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead, before tacking on four runs in the final two innings to pull away. The Jaguars left a season-high 16 batters stranded on Saturday.
"Devin went after hitters all day long," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "She did a good job of pounding the zone and managing the lineup. I'm happy with the hits on the offensive side, but we have to get hits with people on base. We gave up a couple of opportunities there.
"Overall, it was a good day, since we got the 'W,' but there are some areas we need to clean up," Clark added. "Any time you walk away from a road weekend with three wins, you have to be happy with that, but there are some areas we still need to take a step forward in."
After leaving the bases loaded in the first frame, USA scratched one across in the top of the second to go ahead, 1-0. Lane led off the inning with a single through the right side and moved to second on Dayla Gulledge's base hit. The pair was advanced into scoring position on Alex Breeden's sacrifice bunt, and Lane scored on Messer's follow-up groundout to second base.
USA left the bags juiced for a second time in the top of the third, before Pilkington singled up the middle an inning later to plate Messer, who reached on a Mountaineer fielding error to lead off, and double USA's lead to 2-0.
South Alabama stranded a pair in the bottom of the fifth after Minahan was hit by a pitch to lead off and Breeden drew a two-out walk.
The Jaguars tacked on a pair of runs an inning later, beginning with Foster's second sacrifice fly of the year, which scored Todd, who drew a leadoff walk. After Minahan was hit by another pitch, Lane crushed a doubled down the left field line to plate Pilkington, who walked after Todd.
Foster struck again in the top of the seventh when her base hit to deep center scored Todd and Pilkington, as USA went up, 6-0. Todd reached on a two-out fielding error by the Mountaineers, while Pilkington followed with a two-out walk.
App State starter Annaleise Kennedy suffered the loss, falling to 2-9 after allowing two runs (one earned) on eight hits with a walk and a strikeout in three innings. Reliever Claire Eosso gave up two runs (both earned) on three walks in two innings. Vanessa Ciocatto threw two innings of relief and gave up two runs (none earned) on four hits with a walk and a strikeout.
South Alabama moved to 6-0 all-time versus Appalachian State. USA improved to 5-4 on the road with Saturday's victory.
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Bobcats Take The Series Against ULM With 8-0 Victory Saturday
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State softball team won its first conference series of the year Saturday afternoon with a 8-0 victory over UL Monroe at the Bobcat Softball Stadium. Randi Rupp struck out 12 batters in the six inning game en route to her 16th victory of the year. Texas State improves to 23-11 overall and 4-5 in Sun Belt Conference play.
Texas State wasted no time getting the offense rolling against the Warhawks in the bottom of the first inning. A triple to center by Kelli Baker ignited three Bobcat hits to score three runs in the first. Kimberlin Naivar drove in Baker for the first run of the day with a single through the right side.
With runners on first and second after Ariel Ortiz drew a five-pitch walk, Corrina Liscano doubled to left field to give Texas State a 3-0 lead.
Two more Bobcats came around to score in the bottom of the second inning. Bianca Prado was the one to get the offense moving in the second with a lead-off single to left. Another hit by Naivar, this time a double to left center, scored Prado to give the Bobcats a 4-0 lead.
Taylor Webb registered her seventh double of the season two batters later to score Naivar.
After a pair of scoreless innings, Texas State capitalized once again on the Warhawks. A pair of walks to Jaelyn Young and Sara Rupp in the bottom of the fifth put runners on first and second for the Bobcats. With two outs and runners on second and third after the help of a passed ball, Baker notched her second hit of the day to lift Texas State to a 7-0 advantage over ULM.
A lead-off single up the middle by Webb continued to push the Bobcat momentum in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Warhawk pitching staff, after Webb's single, proceeded to walk the next three batters in order to end the game. Sara Rupp drew the game-winning walk after seeing 15 pitches by Melanie Coyne.
Baker, Naivar, and Webb all recorded two hits each for Texas State and for the day, the Bobcats sprayed 10 hits off of the Warhawk pitchers. The Bobcats also drew nine walks.
Rupp improves to 16-5 overall after putting in six innings of work for Texas State. With 12 strikeouts on the day, she has now struck out at least 10 batters in six games this year. Rupp allowed just two walks and two hits in the victory.
Texas State will now hit the road for five straight, beginning with a single game contest against Texas on March 30. First pitch up in Austin, Texas is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Bobcats won the first meeting against the Longhorns on March 2.
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Ragin' Cajuns Build Early Lead, Complete Sweep of Troy
TROY, Ala. – An eight-run first inning carried the No. 5-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team to an 8-0 (5 inn.) win on Saturday in the finale of a Sun Belt Conference series at Troy.
The win completed a three-game sweep of the Trojans (21-10, 4-5 Sun Belt) for Louisiana (25-2, 7-1 Sun Belt). The Ragin' Cajuns opened the series with an 11-0, 8-1 doubleheader sweep on Good Friday.
The Ragin' Cajuns sent 12 batters to the plate in the first-inning explosion that was plenty of support for starting pitcher Alex Stewart who posted her second shutout of the series.
DJ Sanders (2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI) topped the Cajuns with two hits, the first a two-run home run in the first inning, which marked her 10th home run of the season, and the latter a triple in the second inning.
Sara Corbello followed up Sanders' home run with a solo blast of her own in the first inning. The senior designated player homered for the third time in the series (one each game).
Stewart improved to 12-0 with the victory, continuing her career-best start (previous was 10-0 in 2015). The shutout increased her season total to three and was the Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff's 12th total.
The Ragin' Cajuns are back in action on Tuesday (March 29) in Waco, Texas against No. 20 Baylor in a 5 p.m. doubleheader at Getterman Stadium. After the Baylor doubleheader, Louisiana returns to Lamson Park next weekend (April 2-3) and hosts Texas State in a Sun Belt Conference series.
After Haley Hayden was retired in the game's first at bat, the next seven Cajuns reached base setting in motion the early scoring spree.
Shellie Landry (walk) and Lexie Elkins (double) were the first two aboard. Kelsey Vincent lifted a bloop single into center field to score Landry with the game's first run. Elkins and pinch runner Meagan Thomas executed a double steal and it was quickly 2-0.
Three consecutive run-producing base hits – double from Aleah Craighton, two-run homer by Sanders and Corbello solo home run – increased the Louisiana lead to 6-0.
A two-run triple by Landry brought the Cajuns lead to 8-0 before Troy pitcher Meg Willis, the second hurler of the inning, could bring the inning to a close.
Stewart collected back-to-back strikeouts in the bottom of the first after the Trojans had placed a runner (leadoff walk) on second base after a sacrifice bunt to post the first of five consecutive scoreless frames she would record.
The Trojans' final threat to Stewart's second shutout of the series came in the fourth inning on a one-out double into left center by Hannah Day. Stewart induced a fly out from Amanda Winters and struck out Ashely Rainey to retire the side.
Claire Graves took over the pitching circle for Troy after the first inning and kept the Ragin' Cajuns from extending the lead. Graves threw the final four innings and allowed one hit.