GSU and Furman Split Doubleheader in Greenville
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Georgia State split the doubleheader Wednesday at Furman to move to 19-15 on the season. The Panthers fell 10-4 in Game 1, but rallied to take the second game 4-0.
Game 1: GSU 4, Furman 10
Georgia State jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Kensey Caldwell doubled to the right field wall with one out in the first inning, scoring Reagan Morgan and Ivie Drake to put GSU on the board. Furman responded with a run in the bottom of the first to make it a 2-1 score.
The Panthers retook the lead with a big, two-out hit off the bat of Morgan in top of the fourth. Morgan lined a ball to the right fielder who couldn’t come up with it on a diving play, allowing Remington Hasty and Brenna Skalski to score. Down 4-2, Furman once again had a response and plated three to take its first lead of the game.
The Paladins broke it open with a five-run fifth. The big inning was assisted by two wild pitches as Furman scored its five runs on just four hits and went on to win the game 10-4.
Game 2: GSU 4, Furman 0
Nearly mimicking Game 1, the second leg began with a Drake walk and Morgan single. The Panthers struck for three runs on three hits in the inning, helped by a Furman error. GSU threatened in the top of the fourth with runners on second and third and nobody out, but a strikeout ended the threat to keep the score 3-0.
The Paladins went to their bullpen in the fifth after a leadoff single by Taylor Anderson. Morgan Brown delivered her third hit of the game, a one-out single through the left side with the bases loaded to score one and make it 4-0, but that would be it as the Panthers left the bases full.
Katie Worley (8-4, 2.72) got the start and continued her recent run of success, holding Furman scoreless over four innings and giving up just three hits. The senior’s scoreless streak now sits at 13 innings. Amanda Chance came on in relief, her third appearance in two games. Chance kept the shutout in place and recorded her second career save with three frames of shutout softball.
With the Game 2 win, GSU is now 14-2 when scoring first. The Panthers are on the road again this weekend for a three-game series at South Alabama on Saturday and Sunday.
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ULM Falls in Doubleheader versus Bearkats
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The ULM softball squad dropped two games Wednesday against Sam Houston State at Bobcat Softball Complex.
SHSU 3, ULM 2
The Bearkats (9-21) started the scoring in this one in the bottom of the second inning on a two-out single with the bases loaded. Senior Amye Barre got the Warhawks (17-17) going in the fourth on a two-out single to left which scored junior Rochelle Roberts and tied the game at one.
After SHSU hit a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the fifth, Roberts led off the sixth with a solo shot that again knotted the score at two. ULM was able to threaten in the seventh after sophomore Cheyanne Lyon singled to right and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Megan Long. Lyon was then picked off to end the inning after taking too much of an aggressive lead.
The Bearkats won the game in the seventh on a one-out double to center field after the leadoff hitter advanced to second after a single and sacrifice bunt.
Roberts recorded her 17th multiple-hit game of the season and stole her 28th base of the season, both team highs. Junior Melanie Coyne (11-13) was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs during the complete-game effort.
SHSU 6, ULM 2
A costly error by sophomore Paige Porter resulted in a five-run second inning which lifted the Bearkats (10-21) to victory in game two. Porter was given a one-run lead in the top of the second after freshman catcher Brie Wrobel reached on an infield single which scored fellow freshman Sydney McKay.
Porter retired the first two batters in the bottom half and then made the aforementioned error. SHSU made her pay by notching four straight hits, one of each bag, capped off by a two-run homer by Breanna Homer, her second of the day.
Only four ULM (17-18) batters reached base in the next four innings, two via singles and the other two on hit by pitches. The Bearkats added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out double to left-center.
The Warhawks responded with three straight hits in the top of the seventh including an RBI single by Rochelle Roberts. The next three batters, however, were retired to end the game.
Porter (3-2) took the loss after allowing six runs on 11 hits and recording one strikeout. Seven different batters earned hits including McKay who also stole two bases.
ULM returns to action in its first true home Sun Belt Conference series of the season this weekend versus Georgia Southern. The first two games will be in a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. before a Sunday noon finale.
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Eagle Softball Splits Doubleheader With Jacksonville
STATESBORO, Ga. – The Georgia Southern softball team dipped out of Sun Belt Conference play Wednesday evening to take on Jacksonville University in a doubleheader at Eagle Field. The Eagles split the midweek twinbill with the Dolphins, taking game one 3-2 before falling 3-0 in the nightcap.
Game 1 – GS 3, JU 2
The day's first game started off scoreless through two and a half innings before the Eagles were able to strike pay dirt. Emily Snider first scored Haley Carter with a single to center field before A.J. Hamilton reached safely on a fielding error by the shortstop which also gave Lydia Witkowski enough time to race home and put the Eagles up 2-0.
The game then went scoreless for another two full innings before the Dolphins were able to draw back even with the Eagles thanks to a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. But GS proved once again to be resilient and retook the lead for good in the bottom of the frame. Macy Weeks hit a ground ball off the pitcher but was thrown out at first in a double play, but not before Hamilton cruised home to put the Eagles up 3-2.
Carter was perfect at the plate in game one, going 2-for-2 with a run scored while Witkowski joined her in collecting multiple hits. Witkowski went 2-for-3 at the dish with a run scored, as well. In total, six different Eagles recorded a hit in the game while five different Dolphins combined for Jacksonville's five hits.
Freshman Dixie Raley (13-7) pitched her 13th complete game of the season, striking out five batters in the process. Victoria Brown (11-11) was the pitcher of record for Jacksonville and gave up eight hits and two earned runs in the loss.
Game 2 – JU 3, GS 0
The nightcap saw a different game as Jacksonville led things off when Victoria Brown hit a home run straight out to center field, scoring Danielle Baker in the process. The Dolphins got their final run when Allie McCourt laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Heather Roberts.
The Eagles battled hard throughout the rest of the game, getting eight runners on, but were unable to overcome the deficit. India Davis led the way in game two with a 2-for-4 batting performance.
Kierra Camp (5-8) pitched the complete game in game two for the Eagles while Taylor Rossman (3-6) claimed the win.
UP NEXT
Georgia Southern will go on the road this weekend for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at UL Monroe. The two will open the series on Saturday, Apr. 2 with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. ET. And the second game following shortly after. The Eagles and Warhawks will close out the trio of games with a single game on Sunday, Apr. 3 with first pitch slated for 2 p.m. ET.
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McNEESE STATE UPENDS JAG SOFTBALL IN MOBILE ON WEDNESDAY
MOBILE, Ala. – Erika Piancastelli's solo home run in the top of the eighth inning gave McNeese State a 2-1, come-from-behind-victory over University of South Alabama softball at Jaguar Field on Wednesday.
Shanice Hagler's RBI double to right center scored Tori Yanitor in the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings, after the Jags looked to have things wrapped up after scoring in the bottom of the fourth and holding the Cowgirls to only a pair of hits through six innings.
"It was a pitchers' game," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "Two really good pitchers were going at it. When it comes to playing good teams, it comes down to competing and executing. We had a chance to add to our lead in the fifth inning, but we didn't do it.
"In the inning that they scored, we had some batters 0-2, and they were able to do something with the ball," Clark added. "We've got to bounce back from this; it was a tough loss. It was a game that we had the opportunities to win, but we didn't get it done, so we have to bounce back, and get ready for another good team this weekend."
USA hosts Georgia State for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series on Saturday and 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 (18-11, 6-2 SBC) went ahead, 1-0, on Haleigh Lane's RBI single off the glove of McNeese State third baseman Taylor Edwards, which plated Haleigh Lowe, after the latter led off the inning with a base hit. Amanda Minahan's sacrifice bunt moved Lowe to second, and Kristian Foster's single moved Lowe to third.
An inning later, Emily Messer drew a leadoff walk, and Kaleigh Todd got on with a base hit up the middle, but three straight outs deterred the hosts' chance to add to their lead.
Yanitor led off the top of the seventh with a double to right center, before Hagler supplied the game-tying RBI for McNeese State (24-6, 9-0 Southland).
The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Jags. USA left eight runners on base in the contest. South Alabama falls to 7-6 at home this season.
Lowe finished the night 2-for-4, having reached safely for the 15th game in a row. Lane was 1-for-3 with the RBI. Kaleigh Todd extended her on-base streak to 16 games and her hitting streak to 11 games. Dayla Gulledge recorded the first multiple-hit game of her career after going 2-for-3.
Brown (10-7) suffered the loss after allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. McNeese State's score in the seventh inning ended a shutout streak of 36 2/3 innings for the Mobile, Ala., native.
Cowgirl reliever Jamie Allred was credited with the win in two shutout innings. Starter Emily Vincent went six innings and scattered eight Jaguar hits, allowing one run (earned) with five strikeouts and a walk.
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Longhorns Hold Off Bobcats In Midweek Showdown, 3-2
AUSTIN, Texas – Two lead changes in the course of an inning and a half fell in favor of Texas as the Texas State softball team fell by a score of 3-2 Wednesday evening in Austin, Texas. The Bobcats split the series with Texas after defeating the Longhorns earlier this season. Overall, Texas State falls to 23-12 on the year.
Kelli Baker owned two of the three Bobcat hits in her 200th career game in a Texas State uniform. The Bobcats drew five walks in the ball game with Bianca Prado owning two of them.
A pair of hits in the bottom of the second inning gave Texas an early 1-0 lead over the visiting Bobcats. Holly Kern led the inning off with a bloop single over the head of Liscano and came around to score on a single through the left side by Erin Shireman.
The Bobcats responded in the third with the help of pitching miscues by Tiarra Davis and a double by Baker. With a runner on second, Baker registered her second hit of the ball game with a double to left centerfield. Baker came around to score after two more drawn walks by the Bobcats and Corrina Liscano getting hit by the team-leading 12th pitch this season.
A two-run home run, however, in the bottom of the third by Lindsey Stephens pushed the Longhorns ahead of Texas State by a score of 3-2.
An eight-pitch walk to begin the fourth by Sara Rupp mixed with another walk drawn by Kendall Wiley and a ground out to second set the Bobcats up with runners on second and third. A ground out to end the inning silenced the 'Cats chances of equalizing the game in the fourth.
The Bobcats registered one more hit in the ball game in the top of the sixth inning. A lead-off double by Jaelyn Young not only extended her hitting streak to four games, but it put a runner in scoring position for Texas State. The Bobcats moved pinch runner Kayleigh Norte over to third on a ground out to second and struggled to move her any further as the Longhorns retired the Bobcats in order.
After giving up six hits in the first three innings, Randi Rupp did not allow another Longhorn hit for the remainder of the contest. Rupp falls to 16-6 overall after putting in six innings of work for Texas State. She struck out three and allowed two walks.
Texas State will resume conference play this weekend with a trip to No. 4/No. 5 UL Lafayette. The Bobcats and the Ragin' Cajuns will compete in three games, starting with a doubleheader Saturday at 2 p.m. in Lafayette, La. Saturday's doubleheader against the Ragin' Cajuns will be broadcasted on ESPN3.