Mavs Cap Road Trip in Perfect Style
HAMMOND, La. - Behind a dominant performance on the mound by Samantha Clakley and timely hitting, UT Arlington softball finished off the sweep of Southeastern Louisiana with a 5-0 win on Sunday.
The Mavericks remained undefeated and improved on the best start in UTA Athletics history to improving to 18-0. The Mavs, closing a season-long eight-game road trip, return to Allan Saxe Field on Friday for the highly anticipated Maverick Classic when they host Arizona, Texas and Samford. UTA opens the tournament with the No. 24 Longhorns on Friday at 6 p.m.
Clakley was masterful in the circle, not allowing a hit until a two-out bunt in the fourth. Of her three hits allowed, only one left the infield. Clakley improved to 8-0, throwing her eighth complete game of the season.
"Sam did a great job hitting her spots and mixing her speeds up," UT Arlington coach Kristie Fox said. "She has shown a lot of composer on the mound and it relaxes our whole defense."
Laura Curry recorded the only multiple hit game for either team going 2-for-4 with a run. Mallory Foster and Rebecca Stokes drove in multiple runs in the game. Foster drove in the first two in the top of the first, while Stokes capped off the scoring with a two-run home run in the seventh, her first of the season. Sandra Mendoza snapped her career-high 17-game hit streak, but extended her reached base to 18 games with a walk to start off the game.
UTA wasted no time getting on the board, scoring two in the first. Mendoza and Britnea Barilli each drew walks in the opening frame and came around to score on a two-RBI single off the bat of Foster.
The Mavs added onto their lead in the sixth with Curry coming around to score after leading off the inning with a single.
The Lions made noise in the bottom of the sixth by drawing a walk, followed by a bunt single, but a strikeout and a ground out ended the threat.
Clakley retired the side in the seventh to secure the Maverick win.
"I am very impressed with how our team has shown up everyday with a lot of energy and focus," Fox said. "We need to take that approach into next weekend and not make any one game bigger than the other.
----------
Camp Sparkles in Softball’s Win Over EKU
STATESBORO, Ga. – Behind a sterling effort from Kierra Camp in the circle, the Georgia Southern softball team wrapped up at the Eagle Classic Sunday with a 1-0 win over Eastern Kentucky at Eagle Field to finish the weekend 4-0 and run its winning streak to six games.
It was a scoreless affair through most of the game as both teams had legitimate scoring chances, but both pitchers escaped the jams throughout.
In the sixth inning, Lydia Witkowski led off for the Eagles with a triple to right field and she came home on Taylor Rogers' sacrifice fly to left field. That would be the only run scored, but it would be enough.
The Eagles had just three hits, coming from Witkowski, Morgan Robinson and Hannah Farrell, but capitalized when they had their best chance.
Camp (W, 4-4) was brilliant in the circle, going the distance for the shut out. The sophomore allowed just four hits and six walks with a career-high seven strikeouts.
It was the first 1-0 win for GS softball since May 4, 2013 at home against Appalachian State. The six-game winning streak is the longest since 2014 when the Eagles won seven in a row.
The Eagles will next head to Texas for their Spring Break trip where they will open Sun Belt Conference play next weekend at Texas State, play a doubleheader at nationally-ranked Texas A&M and will finish up with a tournament at Texas Tech.
SMITH SAYS:
"It's a great feeling to go 4-0 at home this weekend. I felt like we played well all weekend and we found different ways to win. We won a couple close ones but we also won big. I was happy with the way both Kierra and Dixie pitched for us all weekend and I was proud of the way our offense came through when we needed it to. Different people throughout our lineup at different points coming through and that's big for us moving forward. And I also thought our defense did a nice job. It's just great to win at home and to protect our house."
On the upcoming trip to Texas
"I'm looking forward to the entire trip, but mostly I'm excited to open conference play, to see where we stack up and see all this work we've been putting in up to now pay off. We have had a very good start to our season and I'm excited to see how it all pays off."
----------
App State Drops 1-0 Pitchers' Duel to Loyola
BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Loyola-Chicago defeated Appalachian State University softball with the run rule, 9-0, on Saturday, but Sunday was a much different story between the two teams. The Ramblers and Mountaineers engaged in an all-out pitchers' duel with Loyola-Chicago coming out on top, 1-0.
"Today was a great ballgame that could have gone either way," said head coach Janice Savage. "I'm proud of our girls for bouncing back after yesterday against this team and playing a tight game with them today. Our pitchers threw very well and made great improvements today. We are heading in the right direction before we start conference play, which is very exciting."
App State falls to 4-15 on the season while the Ramblers improved to 12-4 and have won nine of their last 10 contests. The Black and Gold's four base knocks came from four different hitters including Natalie Orcutt, Heather Josey, Cara Parker, and Megan Walker.
In the circle, Vanessa Ciocatto (2-7) got the start and was brilliant. The junior hurler pitched 5.1 innings and gave up just one earned run on four hits with one walk and a season-high six strikeouts. Since Feb. 13, Ciocatto has lowered her ERA from 8.56 down to 4.23. In relief, Annaleise Kennedy tossed 1.2 innings of no-hit softball with one strikeout.
The game was without a run through the first four innings before Loyola-Chicago broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth. In that frame, the first batter, Kasubke, walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Cordell. One out later, Jenkins hit a lazy pop fly to shallow center with Pepper Butler coming on to field it, but the senior lost the ball in the sun and Kasubke scored from second for the game's lone run.
Jones (5-1) was the winner for the Ramblers as she went the distance and gave up four hits with one free pass and nine punchouts. That one walk was to Jenny Dodd who extended her reached-base streak to 12 games.
Next up, Appalachian State travels to UNCG on Wednesday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
----------
GSU Drops Doubleheader to Ranked Auburn
AUBURN, Ala. – Georgia State (11-10) was swept in the doubleheader at No. 3/4 Auburn (20-1) Sunday to wrap up the Wilson/Demarini Classic at Jane B. Moore Field. The Panthers return home to host Boston College Wednesday at Panthersville.
Game 1: Georgia State 0, Auburn 7
Senior Katie Worley got the start and took a no-hitter into the third inning before giving up a two-run home run. That would be her only hit allowed as Worley went 3.0 innings and recorded three strikeouts, but was hit with her second loss of the season.
Georgia State had runners in scoring position in the second and sixth innings, but couldn’t come up with the big hit. Ivie Drake led off the sixth with a single to extend her hitting streak to a team-best 11 games.
Auburn took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth before breaking open the game with four hits and two GSU errors to go up by the final score of 7-0.
Entering the weekend, Auburn’s offense was averaging more than 11 hits per game. Worley, combined with Chelsea Stanfield and Taylor Thorpe, held the Tigers to just five hits in Sunday’s contest.
Game 2: Auburn 9, Georgia State 0 (6 innings)
Sophomore Annie Davis went four innings and gave up four runs on four hits. The Panther offense was held to just two hits while the Tigers finished with 11. Georgia State stayed close until the Tigers posted back-to-back three-run frames in the fifth and sixth innings to take the 9-0 lead.
Mandy Blackwell and Morgan Brown recorded the lone hits for GSU in the second game. Ivie Drake’s 11-game hitting streak was snapped just two games shy of tying her career-best 13-game streak from 2015.
Georgia State is back at home for another midweek matchup Wednesday as Boston College comes to Atlanta.
----------
ERRORS HAUNT JAG SOFTBALL IN 3-2 LOSS TO FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Dominique Grossman's sacrifice fly in the seventh inning lifted Florida International over South Alabama, 3-2, as the Panthers took advantage of several Jaguar defensive miscues, scoring three runs on only three hits for a come-from-behind victory on Sunday.
USA (10-8) finishes the 2016 Aquafina Invitatinoal with a 2-2 record after defeating Florida A&M and Illinois State at the event and losing to No. 1 Florida and FIU. The Jaguars begin Sun Belt Conference play next weekend with a three-set at Louisiana-Lafayette.
"We are better than how we're playing," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "We're doing some things really well and having some breakdowns in other areas. We'll have a good week of practice this week to get some of those things figured out."
South Alabama took a 2-0 lead over the Panthers (13-8) in the first inning, before committing a pair of costly errors in the top of the third. Kristian Foster drove in Emily Messer for USA's first run in the opening frame, and Alex Breeden doubled the Jaguar lead to 2-0 with a bases-loaded walk.
That lead slipped away in the third inning, beginning with a Jaguar throwing error that allowed leadoff Deven Kennedy to reach. Kennedy was bunted over to second by Grossman, scoring on the next play when Jaguar catcher Paige Holmes misplayed a tag at home, and the ball flew from her glove into the USA dugout.
Ashley Leon then singled up the middle to plate nine-hole Jessica Hallett, as FIU tied the game at 2-2.
Jaguar reliever Destin Vicknair's only walk in three innings pitched proved costly, as Ashley Belans drew one in the leadoff position to start the seventh inning, moved to second on Kennedy's sacrifice bunt and reached third on a passed ball to set up Grossman for the sacrifice.
USA stranded seven runners on base over the final four innings, leaving 11 total stranded in the contest, including two in the bottom of the seventh. The Jaguars outhit FIU, 7-3.
Messer led the way by going 3-for-3 with a run. The Mobile, Ala., native recorded her 11th multi-hit game in 18 played this year. Foster went 1-for-2 with a run and a walk. Breeden was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Vicknair fell to 5-2 with the loss after allowing one run (unearned) with a strikeout, walk and no hits allowed in three relief innings. Starter Devin Brown gave up two runs (both unearned) on three hits with two strikeouts and no walks in four innings.
Corinne Jenkins improved to 2-3 with the complete-game win for FIU after striking out six to five walks and allowing two runs (both earned) on seven hits.
----------
Charleston Tosses Complete Game Shutout Against IPFW
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Texas State softball team will return to San Marcos after posting a perfect 5-0 record at the USF-Under Armour Invitational this weekend. The 'Cats completed the sweep Sunday morning with a 9-0 shutout over Summit League foe IPFW in five innings. Texas State improves to 17-5 overall and finished the week with a 6-0 record after defeating No. 24 Texas last Wednesday.
Quincy Charleston earned her first victory of the season as she pitched a complete game shutout for Texas State with five strikeouts and one walk allowed. Charleston allowed just four hits in the victory.
It didn't take the 'Cats long to get on the board against the Mastodons. A Kelli Baker lead-off walk proved to be the first of two Bobcats to get on in the first by drawing walks. With Kendall Wiley was on first and Baker on second with two outs, Corrina Liscano hit her fourth home run of the season to make it 3-0 Bobcats.
Another two-out rally in the second scored two more for Texas State. Baker led the rally with a single back to the pitcher before she stole second to get in scoring position for Braegan Hamilton. Hamilton then registered an RBI single to put the 'Cats up 4-0.
Hamilton's single was followed by another single by Ariel Ortiz to make it 5-0 in favor of Texas State. The inning ended with a strikeout, but not before back-to-back-to-back singles extended the Texas State lead.
With runners on first and second and one out in the fourth, Lexi Fryar hit a triple out to left center field to quickly make it a 7-0 ball game. Texas State added two more in the fourth with help of a pair of walks to Liscano and Taylor Webb followed up by a single by Kayleigh Norte and a pass ball during Jaelyn Young's at bat.
Norte finished the day leading Texas State with two hits and Liscano led the team with three RBIs. Baker scored three of the nine Bobcat runs and in all, Texas State drew eight walks while issuing just one.
Baker also finished the day with two stolen bases and she is now a perfect 6-for-6 this season. Liscano also registered her fourth swiped base of the season.
This week at the USF Invite, Hamilton led Texas State with a .417 batting average with five hits and a .533 on base percentage. Wiley finished the tournament with five hits, six RBIs, 13 total bases and a perfect fielding percentage with 26 put outs.
The Texas State pitching staff finished the weekend with a 1.09 ERA and 35 combined strikeouts. Randi Rupp and Paige Williams each finished with a 2-0 record prior to Charleston's victory Sunday and Rupp led the 'Cats with 23 strikeouts.
The Bobcats will now return home this week for a single game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and a weekend series against Georgia Southern to begin conference play. The single game against the Islanders is scheduled for 6 p.m.
----------
Troy Softball Wins Final Game of Purple and Gold Challenge in Walk-Off Fashion
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Ashley Rainey hit her first career walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning and the Troy softball team picked up a 6-5 victory over the Furman Paladins at Smith Stadium in the final game of the Purple and Gold Challenge.
Kate Benton, Erica Davis and Carli Kayler all had multi-hit games for the Trojans combining for seven hits and five RBIs.
Troy (15-5) got things started in the first inning when Davis came up big again hitting her third home run of the weekend to give the Trojans an early 2-0 lead.
Furman (10-12) came out swinging in the second and fourth innings. Elise Smith delivered an RBI single in the second and Annarose Borrelli homered in the fourth inning knotting the game two-all.
The Trojans didn't score anymore runs until the bottom of the fifth inning when Kayler doubled down the left field line to bring home Rainey and Hannah Day and give Troy a 4-2 lead.
Not to be outdone, the Paladins tied the game, 4-4, in the top of the sixth on a two-run single from Emma Ogburn.
Troy plated another run in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead when Benton reached on an infield single, which scored Allison Moore. Furman battled back in the top of the seventh as Abbatiello singled to tie the game, 5-5, before Rainey came up big for the Trojans with the walk-off home run.
Rainey (9-5) also got the win in the circle for the Trojans giving up only two runs and seven hits in six innings of work.
Lindsey Bert (5-8) suffered the loss for the Paladins pitching a complete game and giving up six runs on 10 hits.
Troy travels to Birmingham on Tuesday to take on the UAB Blazers at 6 p.m.
----------
Late Push Propels No. 5-ranked Cajuns to Sweep at USM
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – A four-run sixth inning lifted the No. 5-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team to a 6-2 win over Southern Miss Sunday afternoon at the USM Softball Complex, completing a three-game series sweep of the Golden Eagles and extending the team's win streak to 11 games.
The Ragin' Cajuns (17-1) broke a 2-all tie that carried over into the sixth inning when DJ Sanders beat the throw home on a bases-loaded, fielder's choice grounder from Kelli Martinez.
Haley Hayden then delivered the key hit of the inning as she followed with a two-run single through the left side to stretch Louisiana's lead to 5-2. Another run was tacked on in the subsequent at bat when Martinez scored on a throwing error on the relay throw to first on a ground ball hit by Shellie Landry.
Kylee Jo Trahan (6-1, 1.91 ERA) protected the lead during the Golden Eagles' final two at bats, retiring the final six hitters she faced after Bailey Stokes led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single.
Hayden finished tied with DJ Sanders, who helped Louisiana erase an earlier 1-0 deficit with a two-run home run, for game-high honors with two RBI.
Trahan, who replaced Cajuns starter Alex Stewart in the circle in the fourth inning, scattered three hits over four innings to earn her second win of the series. Her lone blemish was a solo home run by USM starting pitcher Samantha Robles leading off the bottom of the fourth inning which drew the 2-2 tie.
The win capped off a 3-0 weekend in Hattiesburg for Louisiana. The Cajuns entered Sunday's contest with a 2-0 series lead after claiming a 17-1, 13-0 sweep of Southern Miss (12-11) on Saturday.
The Ragin' Cajuns return to Lamson Park next week for a single game with Longwood on Wednesday, March 9 at 6pm, followed by the Sun Belt Conference opening series with South Alabama set for Saturday-Sunday, March 12-13.
Robles retired the Ragin' Cajuns in order each of the first two innings. A pair of defensive plays by Shellie Landry in the first inning and Stewart retiring three straight after the first two USM batters reached in the second inning kept the contest scoreless after two complete.
Louisiana got traffic in the third inning after Kassidy Zeringue reach on an error in a pinch-hit situation and Kara Gremillion was hit by a Robles offering. Robles took her turn escaping the two on, no one out jam by retiring the next three Cajuns.
USM plated the game's first run in the bottom of the third on a two-out RBI single by Sarah Evans. Prior to the at bat, Stewart appeared to strand two more runners after Hayden fielded a pop up in shallow center field and connected with Gremillion for a force out at third base which netted the second out.
The Ragin' Cajuns responded in their at bat during the fourth inning when Sanders launched her two-run home run over the left field wall to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. It was the Columbus, Miss., native's fourth home run of the series.
Robles helped her own cause, and pulled USM into a 2-2 tie, by leading off the bottom of the fourth inning with her solo home run off of Trahan who was starting her first inning in relief of Stewart.
----------
ULM Downed by Osorio, No. 2 Alabama 5-0 in Crimson Classic Finale
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Junior Melanie Coyne exerted a valiant complete-game effort in ULM softball’s 5-0 loss to No. 2 Alabama in the Crimson Classic finale Sunday at Rhoads Stadium.
Coyne (8-6) allowed 10 hits, scattering three in the final five innings, five runs (all earned) and struck out four while not allowing a walk. Tide pitcher Alexis Osorio (7-0) countered Coyne’s performance with a gem, a one-hit complete-game shutout complemented by a career-high 16 strikeouts.
In the bottom of the first, Alabama (20-2) leadoff hitter Haylie McCleney hit a 3-2 pitch off the bottom of the center-field fence. As McCleney hesitated rounding third, so did junior Rochelle Roberts, allowing McCleney to race home and give Alabama a quick 1-0 advantage. The Tide strung together four more hits in the inning and scored two more runs on RBI singles from Leona Lafaele and Sydney Booker.
Coyne settled in to retire eight of the next nine Tide hitters until two outs in the fifth when Marisa Runyon laced a single to right field and Reagan Dykes turned on a 1-0 inside pitch that cleared the fence over the left-field foul pole, extending the Alabama lead to 5-0.
The pitchers’ duel continued as Roberts slapped ULM’s only hit, a one out-single, to left field in the top of the sixth after sophomore Cheyanne Lyon was hit by pitch to put runners on first and second with one out. Osorio responded by striking out the next two batters and retired four of the final five Warhawk (12-9) hitters via strikeout.
ULM’s next contest comes in a makeup midweek game at Northwestern State Wednesday on a 5 p.m. first pitch.