Mercer, UNCG and Chattanooga Win on Wednesday

UNCG edges ETSU in first round of SoCon Tourney

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Fourth-seeded UNCG earned a 3-2 victory over No. 5 seed ETSU on Wednesday in the first game of the 2016 Southern Conference Softball Championship at UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.

With the win, the Spartans improve to 33-24 on the season and will advance to face top-seeded Samford at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Bucs fall to 20-21 and will play at 8 p.m. on Thursday in a must-win scenario.

The contest was headlined by the Spartans’ Alicia Bazonski, who limited the Bucs offense to seven hits and two runs during a complete-game effort. Senior catcher Lindsay Thomas and her twin sister, Nicole, were both 1-for-3 on the day and each recorded crucial RBIs for UNCG.

Nicole Thomas helped put the first run of the game on the board in the bottom of the first inning by singling to center field, which allowed senior outfielder Allison Geiner to score from second. Geiner singled and stole second to get into scoring position.

A double from junior Taylor Carter – her 12th double of the season – sparked ETSU in the top of the second. After advancing to third on a passed ball, Carter scored courtesy a sac bunt from senior Samantha Carpenter. Bazonski managed to escape a bases loaded jam later in the inning to preserve a 1-1 score.

The bottom of the second inning, the third inning and the top half of the fourth inning were dominated by Bazonski and ETSU pitcher Madison Ogle.

Bats picked up again in the bottom of the fourth inning, as senior Danielle Vega singled to lead off for the Spartans and then Nicole Thomas reached on an error. Junior Emily Lopez, pinch running for Vega, eventually scored on a wild pitch to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead after advancing to third on a sac bunt by Tory Wright. SoCon Freshman of the Year Stephanie Bryden lined into a double play to bring a halt to the Spartans’ threat.

The Bucs stranded two runners in the top of the fifth inning, and Lindsay Thomas made them pay in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double that scored Kendall McKinney to give the Spartans a 3-1 advantage.

Senior outfielder Madison Boyd gave ETSU life with a solo shot in the top of the sixth, but Bazonski shut the door the rest of the way, including a three up, three down seventh inning to seal the contest.

 

Ninth-inning explosion propels Mercer past Furman

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Seventh-seeded Mercer posted a three-run ninth inning to upset No. 2 seed Furman 5-2 on Wednesday in the 2016 Southern Conference Softball Championship at UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.

The Bears move to 22-33 on the season and will play at 3 p.m. on Thursday. The Paladins, meanwhile, drop to 29-27 and will challenge No. 3 seed Western Carolina at 10 a.m.

Sophomore outfielder Meghan Rud, who was 2-for-4 on the day, provided heroics for Mercer in the ninth inning, swatting a triple to lead off. Following a fly out from catcher Natalie Shiver, junior Taylor Rodgers sent a sacrifice fly to right field to score Rud and give the Bears a 3-2 lead. The Bears’ barrage continued with a single from Quirisa Mauga, a bunt single from Shaila Warren and a two-RBI double off the bat of junior Maxine Rodriguez. Mercer’s 5-2 advantage proved to be too much for the Paladins to overcome in the bottom half of the inning.

Mercer sophomore Megan Bilgri struck out four and held the Furman offense to eight hits and two earned runs for a complete-game win. Lindsey Bert, the Paladins’ left-hander, allowed eight hits and five earned runs through nine innings. Bert was 3-for-4 at the plate for a game high in hits.

Redshirt sophomore Candace Johnson drove in the first run of the contest on a double that scored Bert in the bottom of the first inning. A scoreless second frame was followed by a two-run third for the Bears, made possible by a pair of singles, followed by a Furman throwing error and a Shiver sacrifice fly.

Johnson homered to left center in the bottom of the fourth inning to knot the score at 2-all.

The next four innings were dominated by the pitchers. Bert retired 17 straight Bears in innings four through eight, and Bilgri kept the Paladins scoreless to help send the tournament clash to extra innings.

 

Chattanooga uses 14 hits, 11 runs to down Western Carolina

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Sixth-seeded Chattanooga posted Wednesday’s second upset in the opening round of the 2016 Southern Conference Softball Championship, racing past No. 3 seed Western Carolina 11-3 in the day’s final game.

The Mocs improve to 29-27 on the year, while the Catamounts fall to 33-23. Chattanooga will advance to face No. 7 seed Mercer on Thursday at 3 p.m. Western Carolina will square off with second-seeded Furman in the loser’s bracket at 10 a.m.

Chattanooga was led by freshman Amanda Beltran, who was 3-for-5 on the day with a pair of home runs, including a grand slam. Her six RBIs set a single-game tournament record.

The Catamounts got off to a promising start when outfielder Courtney Price sent a single toward second and a slow-to-react Mocs team ultimately allowed Victoria Mariscal to score on the play.

The Mocs then gained a commanding 6-1 lead by rattling off six runs in the top of the third inning. Senior Amanda Ross kicked off the inning with a double, senior Sam Taylor added a single and fellow senior Alyssa Taylor loaded the bases with a bunt single. UTC second baseman Criket Blanco then cleared the bases with one swing of the bat, sending a double to the left side. The monster inning continued with a two-run blast off the bat of Ashley Conner. A Beltran single later in the inning scored fellow freshman Jordan Fortel.

Western Carolina did respond in the bottom half of the inning when senior Crystal Cyr sent a two-run homer to left center.

Beltran would be responsible for the last five runs of the game. She launched a solo homer in the top of the fifth and a grand slam in the top of the seventh.

UTC pitcher Cori Jennings threw all seven innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits.

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