Big South Softball Recap - March 16
The Big South softball conference season began on Saturday, and all three doubleheader results were splits.
USC UPSTATE 7, RADFORD 1 |
BOX SCORE
RADFORD 6, USC UPSTATE 3 |
BOX SCORE
Game 1 - The Spartans started conference play with a near shutout win over Radford after running up the board and holding the Highlanders scoreless through six innings. Denver Lauer scored her 13th run of the season in the bottom of the first off of Abby Polk's first sacrificed fly of the season. Polk scored run number two of the game for Upstate, her first of the game, in the bottom of the third while Sierra Maness and the Spartans defense kept the Highlanders off the board. Upstate opened the flood gates in the bottom of the sixth, scoring five runs and hitting three homeruns out of Cyrill Stadium.
Game 2 - Radford rebounded in a big way in the second game of the doubleheader using a strong pitching performance from Morgan Cooper and a consistent offensive attack. The freshman Cooper got the starting nod and quickly set the tone retiring six of the first seven batters she faced. In the top of the second, Radford's offense broke through to give Cooper the lead. After Rachel Smith singled to begin the inning, Kari Shedrick followed her with a home run that put Radford on top 2-0.
PRESBYTERIAN 5, WINTHROP 2 |
BOX SCORE
WINTHROP 2, PRESBYTERIAN 1 |
BOX SCORE
Game 1 - The Eagles put their first run on the stat sheet in an unconventional method, launching a rare inside-the-park home run with nobody on base in the top of the 3rd. Presby found themselves down by a deuce in the penultimate stanza after a base hit that zipped down the third-base line, although the Mallory Fletcher/Kendall Owens/Kelby Goodrum trio countered with a higher amount of force to take their first lead in their last turn at-bat. Jenna Greene preserved the team's ninth W by striking out eight, never walking any of the 30 batters that came her way while giving up just one earned run.
Game 2 - The Eagles grabbed an early lead for the second time on the day as Aspen King led off the inning with single to right center. Reese Basinger followed with a single to center to put runners at the corners. Basinger then stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Paige Rivas grounded out to second base and on the play there was a mix up on the bases by Basinger and King. King was briefly caught in a run down but then raced home, beating the throw and scoring for the 1-0 lead. Megan Powell was the winning pitcher with 12 strikeouts.
GARDNER-WEBB 10, LONGWOOD 0 |
BOX SCORE
LONGWOOD 4, GARDNER-WEBB 0 |
BOX SCORE
Game 1 - GWU opened the scoring with a walk with the bases loaded scoring Adrienne Visintine. Gardner-Webb put up four more runs in the second on a Jailyn Tineo single, a Visintine sac fly and a two-run shot from Andrea Lyon that went off the indoor facility in leftfield. Emily Garcia singled in the third tallying another before putting up another four spot in the fourth inning. Araceli Pesqueira got it going with a double bring home two. Dreher walked and Kayleigh Nicholson hit flew out to score 10 setting up the five-inning shutout with. Lyon recorded her ninth win of the season in the circle.
Game 2 - Sophomore right-hander Maggie Chapin held Gardner-Webb to two hits and five walks as the Longwood softball team rebounded to shut out the Runnin' Bulldogs, 4-0, and earn a doubleheader split to lift the lid on the Big South Conference slate at Brinkley Softball Stadium Saturday.