| softBALL RESULTS |
Auburn 12, Wright State 4
|
Auburn 10, Bowling Green 2
|
California 13, Tennessee 5
|
Tennessee 1, Texas Tech 0
|
Alabama 8, Memphis 0
|
Tennessee State 4, South Carolina 2
|
Kentucky 3, Pacific 2
|
UCLA 12, Kentucky 0
|
Mississippi State 3, Lipscomb 1
|
Arkansas 16, Belmont 3
|
UT-Arlington 4, Arkansas 1
|
Ole Miss 6, Tennessee Tech 3
|
Florida State 10, Ole Miss 6
|
Florida 7, LIU 0 (5th); will resume on Saturday
|
Penn State 5, LSU 3
|
Georgia 12, Army 0
|
Eisterhold Hits Three Homers To Lead Auburn Softball To Two Wins
Auburn, Ala. – Elizabeth Eisterhold hit three home runs and drovein five runs to lead the Auburn softball team to a pair of wins in Friday’s action at the Tiger Invitational. Auburn defeated Wright State 12-4 and Bowling Green 10-2.
The Tigers will play Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and then play the final game Sunday against Appalachian State at 2 p.m.
“We are very capable of being an explosive offense and today was one of those days for us,” Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. “Eisterhold delivered three big home runs and it seemed like everyone was really driving the ball well today. Hopefully we keep that going.”
In game two of the day, the Tigers put up three runs in the first inning to cruise to a 10-2 win over Bowling Green. Auburn pitcher Jenee Loree (1-0) allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits with one walk in five innings of work to earn the victory.
Jamie Kertes (1-1) started and took the loss, allowing six runs, five earned, on four hits in one inning of work.
Branndi Melero gave Auburn a 1-0 lead when her hard-hit ground ball bounced off second baseman Andrea Arney’s glove, allowing Morgan Estell to score from second. Estell led off the game with double to left. Elizabeth Eisterhold then made it a 3-0 game with her third home run of the day.
Auburn increased its lead in the second. Caitlin Schultze walked and took second and advanced to third when shortstop Hannah Fulk threw wildly to second on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Morgan Murphy. After Murphy stole second, Brooke Lathan singled through the right side to plate Schultze and give the Tigers a 4-0 edge.
Melero followed with a triple off the wall in right, scoring both runners and pushing the Auburn lead to 6-0. Lauren Guzman brought Melero home on a squeeze bunt single to make it a 7-0 game. Still in the second, Caitlin Jordan delivered a double to center to score Guzman and give the Tigers an 8-0 advantage. After Amber Harrison was hit by a pitch, pinch-hitter Maris Medina singled up the middle to plate Jordan and make it a 9-0 lead for the Tigers.
Guzman gave Auburn a 10-0 lead in the top of the third. With one out and Lathan at third (single) and Estell at second (HBP), Guzman dropped a bunt. Lathan was thrown out at home. With second uncovered, Guzman took the base and on the relay to second cut by the shortstop, Estell raced home for the Tigers’ 10th run of the game.
Bowling Green got on the scoreboard on Fulk’s two-run home run in the bottom of the third. Melissa West reached on a fielding error by Medina at third and was followed by Fulk’s blast over the wall in left that made it 10-2.
The Tigers would hold the eight-run lead and end the game in the fifth on the mercy rule.
In game one, Elizabeth Eisterhold hit a pair of home runs and drove in three runs while freshman Branndi Melero added three RBI as the Tigers cruised to a 12-4 win over Wright State.
Angel Bunner (1-0) started and took the win, allowing four runs, all earned, on five hits with three walks in six innings of work.
Krystian DeWitt (0-2) took the loss allowing 12 runs, 11 earned, in five and two-thirds innings with six walks.
Wright State took the early lead, pushing across three runs in the top of the first inning. Kristi Boreing drew a one-out walk and moved to third on a double to center by Chelsea Archer. Lindsay Barrett followed with a ground ball to Brooke Lathan at second, who threw home but was unable to get the out on Boreing which gave Wright State a 1-0 lead.
With two outs and Archer at third and Barrett at second after advancing on catcher’s indifference, Michelle Baker laced a 2-2 pitch off the wall in left for a two-run double giving the Raiders a 3-0 edge.
The Tigers cut into the deficit in the bottom of the first inning when Lauren Guzman doubled home Morgan Estell to make it a 3-1 game. Estell drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a single by Branndi Melero. Guzman then delivered the double to left scoring Estell, but Melero and Guzman were each picked off over running the bases on the play.
Auburn rallied in the second inning. Caitlin Jordan reached on a leadoff single and was lifted for pinch-runner Maris Medina. Amber Harrison drew a walk to move Medina to second. A sac bunt by Hilary Mavromat moved the runners to third and second. Caitlin Schultze drew a walk to load the bases and Brooke Lathan followed with a single to shallow center to plate Medina to make it a 3-2 game.
Estell tied the game with a single to left that pushed Harrison home and kept the bases loaded. Melero followed with a bases-clearing double to center that gave the Tigers a 6-3 lead.
Elizabeth Eisterhold gave the Tigers a 7-3 lead with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. The home run was the 23rd of Eisterhold’s career, first of the season, and moved her into a tie for fifth-place in the Auburn career records.
Still in the fifth, a pair of one-out walks put Harrison and Mavromat at second and first. Schultze delivered a double to the wall in center to score Harrison to make it an 8-3 game.
Wright State made it an 8-4 game in the top of the sixth when Colleen Schneider delivered an RBI ground out to short that scored Jess Gorman.
The Tigers answered and ended the game in the bottom of the sixth when Eisterhold connected on her second home run of the game. Eisterhold delivered a two-run homer with Estell aboard to give the Tigers a 10-4 lead. The home run moved Eisterhold into sole possession of fifth place on the AU career home run list.
Caitlin Jordan made it an 11-4 game when she followed Eisterhold’s blast with her first home run of the season. A pair of errors ended the game on the eight-run mercy rule. Kristyn Richards reached on a fielding error by the shortstop and came around from first to score when third baseman Kacie Rapshus threw wildly to first on a ground ball by Mavromat. Richard’s run made the final 12-4.
No. 9 Tennessee Drops 13-5 Decision to No. 3 California
TEMPE, Ariz. – On Friday in Kajikawa Classic action at Farrington Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., No. 3 California’s Valerie Arioto hit two home runs and posted four RBIs to lead an 11-hit offensive attack as the Golden Bears topped the No. 9 Tennessee Lady Vol softball team, 13-5.
Despite playing without the services of junior third baseman and two-time All-American Raven Chavanne and with junior All-American Kat Dotson also out of the line-up because of a pre-existing injury, the Big Orange offense managed five runs on nine total hits off Cal All-American starter Jolene Henderson.
Junior third baseman Ashley Andrews led UT’s charge with a 2-for-3 effort at the dish, while junior right fielder Whitney Hammond (1-for-4, run), sophomore shortstop Madison Shipman (1-for-4, run), freshman first baseman Cheyanne Tarango (0-for-1, three walks, run), senior designated player Shelby Burchell (1-for-4) and freshman catcher Hannah Akamine (1-for-2, walk) were each credited with an RBI. Junior pinch hitter Melissa Brown (1-for-1) and sophomore left fielder Melissa Davin (1-for-3) both doubled in the contest.
Lady Vol junior pitcher Ivy Renfroe (0-1) took the loss, allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits with a pair of walks and nine strikeouts over 6.1 innings of work. Tarango drew her first collegiate duty in the circle, permitting four tallies on a hit with three walks and a K in two-thirds of a frame.
Cal managed to get on the board in the top of the first as first baseman Arioto drove a 3-1 offering from Renfroe just over the wall in center for a 1-0 advantage.
The Big Orange offense responded immediately with a threat in the bottom of the first against All-American pitcher Jolene Henderson. With one down Andrews beat out a perfect slap single on the infield to get things rolling. Junior second baseman Lauren Gibson managed one of her three walks in the game, and then Shipman laced a single through the infield to pack the bags full of Lady Vols. Tarango walked to force in the tying score and then Burchell followed with a bloop single off the glove of Cal’s diving Victoria Jones as Gibson scored easily from 60 feet away to make it 2-1. After a Lady Vol K, Akamine stepped to the dish and blooped a ball off the glove of an again diving Jones to bring Shipman across for a 3-1 advantage.
Consecutive base knocks by right fielder Breana Kostreba and shortstop Cheyenne Cordes got the Golden Bears off to a quick start opening the top of the second. Following a K Jolene Henderson ripped a single through the left side of the infield to pack the bases with just one retired. Unfortunately for UT, with center fielder Frani Echavarria at the plate, a passed ball brought across a tally, and then a wild pitch tied the score at 3-3.
Tennessee threatened again in the bottom of the second as Hammond and Andrews delivered back-to-back one-out, infield singles. Gibson battled over an eight-pitch at-bat before drawing a walk to load the bags for the Lady Vols for the second consecutive frame. Shipman followed by seeing 12 pitches against Henderson in working to a full count before bouncing out to short for an RBI as Hammond scored easily and pushed Tennessee back in front, 4-3. Tarango drew a free pass to pack the bags once again, but a foul pop-up outside of first by Burchell left the UT trio stranded.
With one retired in the top of the third, Renfroe walked Arioto, setting the stage for a two-run shot to left center by third baseman Jace Williams as the Golden Bears re-took the lead at 5-4. That ended Renfroe’s initial stint in the circle as Tarango was summoned in for her first pitching action and promptly struck out the very first batter she faced in Kostreba. Unfortunately, a walk issued to shortstop Cheyenne Cordes was soon cashed in via a two-run shot to right by catcher Danielle Henderson as Cal improved its advantage to 7-4.
The lead expanded to 10-4 in the top of the fourth as Arioto struck for her second HR of the contest, driving a three-run blast to deep center.
The pitchers settled things down for a while after that by putting zeroes up on the scoreboard in the fifth inning, while Renfroe retired six straight Bears over the fifth and sixth frames.
After UT pinch hitter Brown was left stranded at second following a double in the bottom of the sixth, Cal got another threat christened in the top of the seventh.
Williams walked to open the frame and Kostreba laced a single to right, putting two Bears aboard with no one retired. Cordes stepped to the dish and ripped a double past Baker in center and to the wall as Cal’s lead grew to 11-4. Pinch-hitter Lindsay Ziegenhirt ripped a shot to center that Baker tracked down for the second out. The Broadway, Va. native fired a strike to the plate but it was just a tad tardy as Kostreba crossed to make it 12-4. Echavarria laced a shot to deep left that hit off the top of the wall, allowing Cordes to scamper home for a nine-run advantage.
In the final chance for the Big Orange in the bottom of the seventh Tarango and Davin both walked and Baker singled to left to pack the bags full of Lady Vols. Hammond was struck by Henderson’s initial offering as Tarango trotted home from third to cut the deficit to 13-5. Andrews stepped to the dish and ripped a shot back to the circle, but Henderson made a quick stab and tossed on to first to end the match-up.
Brown's RBI Double Backs Ellen Renfroe's 14-K Gem as #9 Tennessee tops Texas Tech, 1-0
TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 9 Tennessee Lady Vol softball team (2-1) got back into the win column on Friday night at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., as junior third baseman Melissa Brown’s fifth-inning RBI double proved enough offense to back junior Ellen Renfroe’s 14-strikeout, two-hit shutout as UT topped Texas Tech (1-2), 1-0.
“Ellen has 25 strikeouts already in two games, and she’s been amazing for us so far this season,” Lady Vol Co-Head Coach Ralph Weekly said. “We kind of got it put to us this morning by a tough Cal team. We’re really missing our injured players Raven Chavanne and Kat Dotson at the top of our line-up. It’s amazing how much you miss All-American players like that, but other kids are stepping up for us. This win over Texas Tech was huge for our team.”
UT sophomore left fielder Melissa Davin broke a streak of nine-straight Lady Vols that had been retired by Texas Tech hurler Brittany Talley by drawing a walk in the top of the fifth. That set the stage for Brown as the Valencia, Calif., native ripped a double into the gap. With the ball rattling around at the wall, pinch runner Holly Baker had the opportunity to scamper all the way around from first for a 1-0 lead.
That proved enough as Renfroe struck out four of the last six Red Raiders she faced to finish off the two-hit shutout.
UT returns to action on Sat., Feb. 11, in a 2 p.m. MT match-up against San Diego State before battling #1 Arizona State at 7 p.m. MT.
Alabama Softball Blanks Memphis in Season Opener, 8-0
MOBILE, Ala. – Senior Amanda Locke collected three hits and sophomore pitcher Jackie Traina allowed just one as the No. 2 ranked Alabama softball team downed Memphis, 8-0, in five innings Friday afternoon at Jaguar Field. With the win the Crimson Tide improves to 11-5 in opening day games and has now won seven of its last eight openers.
Traina allowed just a single hit in the second inning and shut down the Tigers the rest of the way as the sophomore fanned seven and walked two in an 87-pitch effort to open the Mardi Gras Invitational.
Locke paced Alabama at the plate with three hits, including a solo home run. The senior also ended the game when she tattooed the wall in left to score junior Kayla Braud in the fifth to secure the run-rule win.
Traina helped her own cause in the first when she hit a sac-fly to right to plate senior Jennifer Fenton and then after a quiet second inning, Alabama erupted for five runs to take a quick 6-0 lead.
Locke belted her first home run of the season, a laser that crept inside the foul pole for the second run of the game. Two batters later, sophomore Kaila Hunt hit a two-run liner down the line in left to move the lead to 4-0.
Braud then capped off the inning when she singled to left-center to bring home senior Kendall Dawson and freshman Danae Hays.
Before Locke ended the game in the fifth, Fenton hit a sac-fly to center that scored senior Jazlyn Lunceford.
Braud finished the season opener with a run, two RBI and two stolen bases. Alabama stole five bases, collected eight hits, walked nine times and only struck out once.
Alabama will return to action at the Mardi Gras Invitational for two games on Saturday as it plays Lipscomb and host South Alabama. The Tide opens the day against the Bison at 3 p.m., and then plays the Jaguars at 5:30 p.m.
Gamecocks Stumble in Season Opener vs. Tennessee State, 4-2
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (0-1) settled down defensively after a rough first two innings, but the offense could not get on track, as Tennessee State (1-0) claimed a 4-2 win over the Gamecocks in both teams’ first softball game of 2012.
The Tigers pounced on two Gamecock miscues in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. After reaching on a hit, an errant throw allowed leadoff hitter Jennifer Givens to advance to second. The speedy Givens, who stole 66 bases last year in junior college, took off for third, and the throw got away into left field, letting Givens score and Tedra Alford to move to third. After a single and an out for the runner leaving early, Alford walked home thanks to an illegal pitch to give TSU the 2-0 lead.
South Carolina bounced back in the second, getting singles from senior Evan Childs and sophomore Dana Hathorn around an out. The duo moved up on a passed ball, setting up junior Shelby Gonzales’ two-RBI single that tied the game. That came in her first at bat in the Garnet and Black.
But Tennessee State responded in the second, with Givens starting a two-out rally with her single. Alford drew a walk, setting up Devin Amar for a two-run double that slipped just under the glove of the Gamecock shortstop, giving Tennessee State the 4-2 lead, whilch it would hold through the end.
The Gamecocks threatened twice after that, getting a two-out walk from Childs in the third and a leadoff runner in Hathorn after a Tiger error in the seventh.
“I’m disappointed that we didn’t make better adjustments at the plate. We’re a strong hitting team, but we weren’t able to work to our strength, which is hitting with runners on base,” said Gamecock head coach Beverly Smith.
Shea Morris (1-0) took the complete-game win for Tennessee State, giving up four hits, one walk and two earned runs while fanning three. Senior Kierstyn White (0-1) took the loss, giving up four hits and four runs, two earned, while walking three in two innings. Freshman Katelynn Howser tossed four scoreless innings in relief, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one.
“Katelynn Howser did a very nice job, coming in, getting ahead hitters and being aggressive,” added Smith. “I was proud of her performance.”
Givens and Amar both went 2-for-3 for the Tigers, with Givens scoring twice and Amar driving in two. Alford scored twice as well.
Western Kentucky opened the Palmetto Classic with a 4-3 win over Cleveland State, while Winthrop downed the CSU Vikings, 3-1, in game two.
The Gamecocks get two games tomorrow as part of the Palmetto Classic, facing Western Kentucky at 12:30 p.m. and Winthrop at 3. The Gamecocks’ two opponents start the day at 10 a.m., while Tennessee State and Cleveland State battle in the final game of the day at 5 p.m.
Seventh Inning Rally Paces UK to Win over Pacific
LOS ANGELES – The No. 13/18 Kentucky Wildcats needed late-game heroics to complete a comeback effort and down Pacific, 3-2, in its first game on Friday afternoon in Los Angeles. UK smacked a pair of home runs off the bats of senior Rachel Riley and freshman Griffin Joiner to overcome a two-run deficit in the final frame for its first win of the season.
Trailing 2-0 heading into its final at-bat, sophomore Emily Jolly opened the inning by reaching on a fielding error by Pacific’s third baseman. UK’s starting pitcher, Riley, got a hold of a 1-1 offering and drilled the ball over the left-center wall to knot the score at two apiece. After the Blue and White suffered back-to-back outs, the freshman placed a ball just over the left field fence for the game-winning round tripper and her first career hit.
Riley earned the win in the circle to help UK improve to 1-1 on the season. Pacific begins the season with a loss.
All three of Kentucky’s hits in the game came in the form of extra bases. Sophomore Emily Gaines earned her first career hit with a double in the sixth inning to couple with the pair of long balls.
Kentucky will resume action with its second tilt vs. UCLA at 9 p.m. ET this evening.
After falling in order to open the top of the first, Kentucky yielded a two-out infield single in the home half of the inning. Riley, however, wasted little time in ending the threat by getting the third out with a strikeout.
The teams traded outs back and forth over the course of the next three innings with neither team generating offensive opportunities.
Pacific struck first with a pair of runs in the home half of the fourth to grab a 2-0 lead. The Tigers notched four consecutive singles to plate the scores.
Kentucky escaped further damage in the fifth as the Tigers put a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs in the inning. Senior Macy Allen teamed up with Joiner and Lauren Cumbess to score the first double-play of the season. Allen robbed Pacific of a hit and alertly tossed the ball toward home where a runner was attempting to tag up. Joiner corralled the ball and found Cumbess who completed the out with the tag.
Gaines broke open the no-hitter effort with her first career hit in the top of the sixth. The sophomore drilled a double into the right-center gap to open the frame. UK would leave her stranded, however, with three consecutive outs to end the frame.
Errors Plague Wildcats in Loss to UCLA
LOS ANGELES – UCLA hit three home runs and benefited from five Kentucky errors as the Bruins earned a 12-0 victory late Friday night in Los Angeles. With the loss Kentucky drops to 1-2 on the year and UCLA improves to 2-0.
Kentucky will return to action with its final game in Los Angeles as the Wildcats will play UCLA for a third time in as many days. First pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m. ET.
Sophomore Emily Jolly had a nice day at the plate for UK reaching base in both plate appearances. She laced a single into right field in the fourth and also reached by a walk in the second.
In a last-ditch effort to plate runs in the fifth, junior Kara Dill got on base thanks to an error by the Bruins’ first baseman with one out in the inning. Dill swiped her first base of the season and then moved to third on a poor throw by the catcher attempting to catch Dill stealing. Senior pinch hitter Erika Silence then drew a five-pitch walk to place runners on the corners. Senior Brittany Cervantes loaded the bases with a two-out walk to keep the inning alive for UK. Kentucky could not convert the opportunity as the inning ended on a grounder to short.
The Bruins jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when leadoff batter Katie Schroeder connected for a homer in the top of the first. Sophomore starting pitcher Lauren Cumbess and the UK defense quieted the bats after the opening long ball which included a pair of strikeouts by the Wildcats’ hurler. UK’s offense generated a walk by senior Rachel Riley, but UK would leave the runner stranded with a deep fly out to center.
UCLA tacked on an additional four runs in the top of the second as the Bruins benefited from three Wildcat errors and four hits to capture a 6-0 advantage.
Cumbess drove a ball that was mishandled by the Bruins’ first baseman to leadoff the second. Jolly then drew a walk to place a pair of runners on the base paths to begin the stanza. UK, however, suffered three consecutive outs to end the inning despite the runners shifting into scoring position on a passed ball.
UCLA earned its third solo homer of the game in the top of the third and then plated two more runs in the visitor’s side of the fourth to extend its advantage to 9-0.
In the home half of the fourth Jolly roped a single into right field with one out to get another runner on base for the Cats. Jolly shifted to second on a grounder back to first base by Emily Gaines. The speedy Jolly then swiped third to move into prime scoring position, but the inning ended with her still aboard.
UCLA tacked on an additional three runs in the top of the fifth to stretch the lead to 12-0. The Bruins notched three runs on three hits and also benefited from another Wildcat error in the stanza.
Vry Dominates As Bulldogs Hold Off Lipscomb, 3-1
MOBILE, Ala. – Dominant pitching by junior left-hander Kylie Vry and a clutch two-run home run by junior right fielder Jessica Cooley gave the Mississippi State softball team (2-0) a 3-1 victory over Lipscomb (1-1) Friday afternoon on the second day of the 2012 Mardi Gras Invitational at Jaguar Field.
“Kylie Vry sent a statement early in the game and had us in and out of the dugout real fast today,” head coach Vann Stuedeman said. “Kylie shut the door from there and had a great outing. We had stellar defense with 10 ground ball outs in the infield. I was proud of how we came back today after an emotional victory Thursday.”
Much like her fellow junior left-handed teammate Stephanie Becker Thursday, Vry (1-0) went the distance to record her first win of the 2012 campaign. The seven-inning outing by Vry marked the first time since 2006 that the Bulldogs have opened the season with back-to-back complete games. The Iowa native retired 20 of the 23 batters she faced (.130 Opp. BA), giving up one run and striking out six (all swinging) on just 89 pitches. Vry failed to yield a hit with runners on base (0-for-6), and now owns a 1.83 ERA over her last five appearances dating back to last season.
At the dish, the dynamic duo of senior Brittany Bell and junior Jessica Cooley continued their scorching start to the season. Bell went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored, while Cooley ended her day 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and a walk. Sophomore catcher Sam Lenahan hit her first home run of the season to finish 1-for-2 with an RBI, while junior left fielder Shelby Fisher finished 1-for-3 for the second-consecutive game.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Maroon and White picked up right where they left off Thursday, with Lenahan connecting on a 2-0 pitch down the middle for a home run to right-center field. The two teams remained scoreless until the fifth inning, when Bell started off the bottom half of the frame with a sharp double down the line in left. Following the double, Lipscomb’s starting pitcher Ashley Anderson (0-1) was replaced by 2010 All-American and Mississippi native Whitney Kiihnl. The new pitcher’s first at bat ended with junior shortstop Erin Nesbit advancing Bell to third after a ground out back to Kiihnl. Up next was Cooley, who sent a 3-2 offering just over the left-field fence for her second two-run homer in as many days.
Lipscomb’s lone run came on a one-out Bree Thurman solo home run in the top of the sixth inning.
State returns to Jaguar Field Saturday for a 10 a.m. first pitch against Jacksonville State. In a rematch of MSU’s thrilling 3-2 fall exhibition victory over the Gamecocks, Stuedeman will look to become the first coach in school history to win their first three contests. Fans can visit HailState.com for live stats and follow along at Twitter.com/MStateSB for live in-game updates.
Razorbacks go 1-1 in season opening day
Waco, Texas – On its first day of play in the 2012 season, the University of Arkansas softball team gathered a 16-3 win against Belmont and a 4-1 loss against UTA, in the Getterman Classic, in Waco Texas.
The Razorbacks started their day off right by scoring 11 runs off of eight hits in the first inning against Belmont. The first eight batters up to the plate eventually crossed home for a score in that inning. Four more runs were brought in in the fourth inning. Belmont got on the board in the fifth, scoring three runs, but that was not enough to keep them in the game. The game ended in five at 16-3 with 15 hits from the Razorbacks.
“I thought the girls came out fired up and ready to go,” said Head Coach Mike Larabee. “We put up 11 runs in the first inning; that is a team that is pumped and ready to play”.
Freshman, Katie Harrison led the team in hits. She was 4-4 at the plate which included three singles, six RBI and a homerun. Freshmen Sierra Bronkey and Devon Wallace also contributed two hits each and a combined total of seven RBI.
In the circle, freshman Kimmy Beasely started and collected her first win as a Razorback. She threw four innings with six strikeouts, no runs, no walks and only allowed three hits.
“I am very proud of Kimmy,” said Larabee. “She was very dominant in the circle and threw a phenomenal game.”
Arkansas took on the UTA Mavericks in its second game of the day. The first two innings went quick until the Razorbacks had the bases loaded in the bottom of the second. Unable to bring anyone home they left all three on base. Sparked by walks and errors committed by the Razorbacks, UTA was able to bring in four runs in the top of the fourth with only two hits.
“We left nine runners on base,” said Larabee. “We had a lot of opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of.”
Senior Tori Mort was the only Razorback to cross home plate in the second game when she hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth.
Junior Chelsea Cohen and freshman Ciara Clampitt shared time in the circle in the second game Cohen pitching five and Clampitt two.
The Razorbacks are back in action tomorrow when they take on Iowa at 10 a.m. and then #7 Baylor at 12:30 p.m. Arkansas closes tournament play on Sunday when it takes on Wichita State at 11 a.m. Live stats and a live blog will be available on ArkansasRazorbacks.com for all of the games.
Rebels Earn Split At Seminole Classic, Thees Picks Up Win In Debut
Ole Miss head coach Windy Thees earned the victory in her Rebel debut on Friday at the Seminole Classic with a win 6-3 over Tennessee Tech in game one. The Rebels (1-1) dropped game two, 10-6, to host Florida State in the nightcap and face Stephen F. Austin tomorrow at 9 a.m.
Game One
Senior Kendall Bruning allowed just three runs in seven innings of work and freshman Allison Brown drove in three runs to propel the Rebels to a 6-3 victory over Tennessee Tech on Friday at the Seminole Classic.
"I am really proud of the team", said Thees, the Rebels' first-year head coach. "There was a moment where we could have let the game get away, but they got outs and didn't let anything big happen. Kendall wasn't dominate today, but when she had a bad pitch she came right back with a great one."
Tennessee Tech jumped on the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning after leadoff batter Cassie Garrett walked, stole second and later scored on wild pitch by Bruning.
Ole Miss answered in the bottom of the third after freshman Dallas Hardin singled to lead off the frame, then Brittany Broome walked and Londen Ladner reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases with one down. Bruning knocked in Hardin on a booted ground ball to tie the game and Allison Brown smashed a two-run double to right that put the Rebels up 3-1. Pitcher runner Amanda Hutcheson scored later in the inning on a wild pitch by Golden Eagle starting pitcher Holly Thomas and gave Ole Miss a 4-1 advantage after three.
The Rebels added to their lead in the sixth after Broome added RBI single to left that scored Hardin, who had doubled to start the inning, and Brown smashed another double that scored Broome put Ole Miss up 6-1 after six.
That would be all the run support Bruning (1-0) would need, as the senior allowed just two runs on only four hits after the first inning. She pitched 7.0 innings and allowed just three runs with seven strikeouts in the complete-game victory.
Brown paced the Rebels at the plate with a pair of doubles and three RBI, while Broome and Lander both walked once and scored once. Freshman Dallas Hardin added a double and scored a run and RT Cantillo also walked a career-high three times.
Game Two
Despite hitting out host Florida State 10-9, Ole Miss dropped game two of the Seminole Classic 10-6 to FSU on Friday.
First baseman Londen Lander gave the Rebels an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first with an RBI single to left that plated junior Brittany Broome, who had reached on an infield single and stole second.
The Seminoles responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame highlighted by a three-run double to left from second baseman Mallory Borden that put FSU up 4-1 after one inning.
Florida State added another run in the second but the Rebels answered back in the fourth with a pair of runs, aided by two Florida State errors, which cut the Seminole lead to 5-3.
Ole Miss threatened in the top of the fifth after second baseman Corrine Doornberg and Broome started the frame with back-to-back singles and moved into scoring position thanks to a Ladner sac bunt. Seminole starting pitcher Lacey Waldrop then walked centerfielder RT Cantillo to load the bases with one down before getting shortstop Allison Brown to ground into a fielder's choice and third baseman Cali Overbeck to foul out to first to leave the bases loaded.
The Rebels loaded the bases again with one out in the sixth thanks to three-straight singles from Dallas Hardin, Marina Para and Doornberg. Pinch hitter Erinn Jayjohn then singled through the left side of the infield to plate Hardin and cut the FSU lead to 5-4 and Ladner smashed a sac fly to deep center that scored Para and tied the game at five. Waldrop then walked Cantillo and Brown in back-to-back at-bats to plate Doornberg and give Ole Miss its first lead of the game.
Florida State reclaimed the lead with five runs in the bottom of the sixth aided by a wild pitch, a pair of walks and an errant throw on a ground ball by Rebel starting pitch Kelly Chandler that gave the Seminole a 10-6 advantage.
Chandler suffered the loss after allowing nine runs, five earned, on seven hits. She gave up seven hits and issued seven walk with one strikeout. Broome, Doornberg and Hardin all led the team at the plate with two hits, while Ladner knocked in a team-high two runs.
Rain Delay Puts a Damper on No. 2/4 Gator Softball’s Opening Day; UF Leads LIU 7-0 in Fifth, Game to Resume Saturday
Tampa, Fla. – The 2012 UF softball campaign got off to a soggy start Friday in Tampa, as UF’s season-opening match-up against Long Island was cut short in the top of the fifth inning, with the No. 2/4 Gators owning a 7-0 advantage over the Blackbirds with two outs, one runner in scoring position and senior Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) at the plate before the skies opened. The Gators and Blackbirds will play the remainder of Friday’s game Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the USF Softball Complex.
The second game of UF’s opening-day slate against FGCU has been postponed until Sunday afternoon. Check www.GatorZone.com for updated time information.
Four Florida freshmen in Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.), Lauren Haeger (Peoria, Ariz.), Katie Medina (Downey, Calif.) and Jess Damico (Gray Summit, Mo.) made their first career starts in a Gator uniform, combining for five of UF’s nine hits through four-and-a-half innings, led by Fagan’s 2-for-3 effort and Damico’s 2-for-2 performance. Haeger and Damico each drove in one run apiece.
Sophomore hurler Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.) worked the full 4.0 in the circle up until the weather delay for the Orange and Blue, which debuted new orange on ‘steel’ uniforms Friday. Rogers fanned five and allowed just two hits and one walk.
The Gators scattered runs in the first, third and fifth innings, with one each in the first and third before pouring it on in the fifth. After three uncharacteristic errors for the young Florida squad through the first two frames, the Gators found their rhythm, relying on a two-out rally in the fifth for the season-opening spark that allowed UF to pull away from LIU.
Junior catcher Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.) started the rally with patience at the plate, drawing a two-out walk, while sophomore Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.), junior Kelsey Horton (Valrico, Fla.) followed with base hits to load the bags. Sophomore Kasey Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) walked, bringing in a run for the 3-0 lead. Next up, junior Ensley Gammel (Bakersfield, Calif.) , pinch hitting for Medina, sent a hard hit through the left side, bringing in a run, while Horton made it two runs by capitalizing on an error by the LIU catcher to take the Orange and Blue up, 5-0.
The pressure mounted for LIU as the rain began to fall, resulting in another Florida run on a Sarah Reynolds wild pitch. Damico followed with a single to left center, turning over the Florida lineup with her second hit of the game and scoring Gammel. Damico proceeded to steal second and advance to third on another Reynolds wild pitch with Moultrie at the plate before the umpires deemed the conditions unplayable.
Play will resume at 10:30 a.m. Saturday as UF and LIU will complete Friday’s contest before the day’s slate of USF Tournament games begins at 11:15 a.m. The Gators will then enjoy a short break before taking to the field against Maine and Illinois State at 6:15 and 8:30, respectively.
No. 22 LSU Softball Falls to Penn State in Opener
BATON ROUGE – The No. 22 LSU softball team dropped a 5-3 decision to Penn State in its 2012 season opener Friday evening at Tiger Park in-front of 1,073 fans to conclude day one of the Tiger Classic.
Playing its first game under the direction of first-year coach Beth Torina, LSU jumped out to a 1-0 advantage during the second inning. The Tigers pieced together a trio of walks from Tammy Wray, Allison Falcon and Juliana Santos along with a Simone Heyward hit-batter. Santos’ base on balls came on four pitches to score the run.
Brittany Mack garnered 13 strikeouts, a career-best for a seven-inning contest. It also was one shy of her career high which came in last season’s 14-inning victory over then No. 1 Alabama on April 8. The Round Rock, Texas native fanned nine batters before running into trouble in the fifth inning.
“It was great,” head coach Beth Torina said. “The atmosphere out here was unbelievable. I definitely have a lot to learn about the atmosphere. There is so much with the fans that can get you very emotional very fast. Overall, it was a great atmosphere. The fans were awesome, and I enjoy every bit of them. We will continue to get better.”
Penn State (1-0) exploded for five runs in the fifth inning, all coming with two outs. The Nittany Lions filled the bases and grabbed a 2-1 edge after a hit-batter and walk on full counts. Then, Kasie Hatfield lined a 0-1 offering into the right centerfield gap to clear the bases and gave Penn State a 5-1 lead.
“I was a little inconsistent at times,” Mack said. “You have to control the things you can control. I tried to get my “A” game on, and it was just a little off that inning. I tried to take my deep breaths and refocus. It was just a little off. It was one bad inning. My arm was good, and it was nothing about being tired. It was just the matter of that one inning. Whenever things don’t go your way, you have to make sure that you bounce back. I didn’t do too well with that.”
LSU cut the deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of the frame as Ashley Langoni lifted a home run down the left field line.
The Tigers continued to rally during the seventh inning. Heyward slapped an infield single and moved to second base on a Langoni ground out. She came around to score on an Ashleigh Kuhn RBI-single that squirted through the right side. Kuhn finished the game with a 2-for-3 effort in her debut.
Representing the tying run, Morgan Russell lined out to left centerfield to allow Penn State to hang onto the 5-3 victory.
“I thought that was the most positive part of the day,” Torina said. “They showed that they still had some fight at the end. We are scoring in the seventh inning and still trying to come back. They never lost hope. I thought that was the most positive thing about the day.”
Lisa Akamine went the distance in the circle for the NIttany Lions. She worked around seven walks, five hits and a hit-batter.
LSU returns to action Saturday versus No. 15 Michigan at 12:30 p.m. followed by a 3 p.m. tilt with Penn State during day two of the Tiger Classic. The first game of the day pits Penn State against Louisiana Tech at 10 a.m. and ends with Louisiana Tech meeting No. 15 Michigan at 5:30 p.m.
Georgia Takes Down Army 12-0 In Five Innings
ATHENS, Ga.—The University of Georgia softball team opened its 2012 season with a 12-0 win in five innings over Army (1-1) late Friday night. The No. 10/12 Bulldogs took the win in the Red and Black Showcase at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens.
Senior Erin Arevalo (1-0) earned the complete-game win after pitching all five innings and recording seven strikeouts, two hits and one walk. Army’s Morgan Lashley (1-1) finished the game after two innings pitched with 10 runs on seven hits.
Senior Kristyn Sandberg and freshman Gracie Goulder went 2-for-2 with two run and three RBI to lead the Bulldogs. Junior Tess Sito also had a solid night, as she went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Georgia jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after four hits from Niaja Griffin, Tess Sito, Paige Wilson and Macie Couey. Griffin scored the first run after a Sito triple to right. Brittney Hubbard followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Sito. Sandberg and Goulder rounded out the scoring after Wilson’s single and fielding error on Army.
The bats continued to fly in the second, as six more runs were added to the board. A two-run single from Sandberg started the offense before Goulder put up a bases-clearing double for three more runs. Wilson closed the runs after her sacrifice fly to center scored Goulder.
Sandberg opened the fourth with a home run over the right field wall to move the score to 11-0 before Swafford’s RBI single to short scored Hubbard to end the night.
In other action of the Red and Black Showcase, Utah State beat NC State 6-5 to open the day. The Wolfpack then took game two 7-6 over St. John’s. Army grabbed a 3-2 win over Utah State before Campbell had a game-winning single in the seventh to beat St. John’s 7-6 in game four.
Games resume on Saturday with Utah State and St. John’s starting the day at 9 a.m. Georgia will take the field against Utah State at 11 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. versus St. John’s.