Friday, Feb. 12
East Carolina 7, Furman 1/East Carolina 12, Furman 4
East Carolina outscored Furman 19-5 in a doubleheader sweep to start the 2021 campaign Friday inside Pepsi Stadium, defeating the Paladins 7-1 in game one before taking the nightcap by a 12-4 score.
The Pirates are 2-0 for the second time in three seasons while the Paladins (0-2) look to regroup before traveling to the Winthrop Invitational next weekend.
ECU pounded out 23 hits in the two affairs, picking right back up where it left off in 2020 when it hit .298 as a team in 23 games during the COVID-19-shortened season. Erin Poepping notched a win and a save, allowing just one earned run and piling up 12 strikeouts in six innings of work in the double dip.
Game One
Bailey Ledvina was the story of the season opener, launching two home runs as part of a four-RBI performance. She entered the day with no career long balls but posted a solo shot in the fourth and a three-run bomb in the seventh. Ashleigh Inae also enjoyed a productive effort at the dish, notching two hits, an RBI and a stolen base while Olivia Narron went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Sophie Wools and Courtney Layton also accounted for a base knock apiece.
Four different Furman batters picked up base hits in the game while Mackense Greico drove in the Paladins' lone run of the contest.
Kama Woodall (1-0) picked up her first win of the season in the circle, limiting the home team to one run on four hits with five walks and two strikeouts. Poepping collected her first save of the campaign, tossing two scoreless frames and striking out four Paladin batters. Bailey Tanner (0-1) was tagged with the loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) on eight hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
Furman threatened right away in the bottom of the first. Ashlee Lykins was hit by a pitch before Natalie Morgan reached on a fielder's choice and moved to third via a pair of wild pitches. With two away, Woodall answered with a swinging strikeout to keep the contest scoreless. The Paladins loaded up the bases in the home half of the second with one out, but Woodall was up to the task again, fanning Amanda Fleming looking before inducing a 5-3 to escape the jam.
ECU created some two-out magic in the top of the third to jump on top. Taylor Woodring was hit by pitch and Narron singled to left field. Inae then shot a single up the middle that allowed Woodring to score and Narron to move to third. The throw ended up off the mark and Narron jogged home to put the Pirates ahead 2-0. Furman cut the lead in half in its portion of the third thanks to an RBI double off the bat of Mackense Greico.
It didn't take long for East Carolina to respond as Ledvina launched a 2-2 offering over the wall in right center to extend the Pirate upper hand back to two runs. Chandley Garner made it 4-1 in the top of the fifth with an infield single that scored Woodring from third after she led off the frame with a walk.
Poepping found herself in a big moment in the bottom of the sixth with her side up three runs. After Woodall walked the first two batters of the home half, Poepping entered the game and proceeded to strike out the side to preserve the Pirates' advantage.
Ledvina took all of the drama out of it in the top of the seventh. After Garner walked with two outs and Narron at third base, the sophomore crushed a 1-1 pitch down the right field line, and it cleared the fence to provide the game's final six-run margin. The Paladins threatened slightly in the bottom of the seventh, but ECU turned a game-ending double play.
Game Two
Ledvina and Narron continued their strong days at the plate in the nightcap, each going 3-for-4 while Ledvina collected her third home run of the doubleheader in the top of the seventh. Inae and Ledvina each drove in three runs to complement two-RBI performances out of Narron and Sophie Wools. In the top half of the fifth inning, Wools cleared the wall in left center for her first career home run. Shelby Basso rapped out a pair of hits for Furman.
Poepping (1-0) recorded the victory in relief, tossing four innings of one-run softball. She struck out eight Paladin hitters in the 17 she faced. Basso (0-1) threw a complete game but allowed 12 runs (eight earned) on 14 hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
East Carolina's offense got going in a hurry to start the game. Narron singled on the infield before Inae was hit by a pitch. They would steal second and third with one out, then score when Ledvina singled through the left side. The Pirates tacked on a run thanks to a Furman error to exit the frame with a 3-0 lead.
Basso helped herself in the bottom of the second with a two-out solo home run that cut the ECU advantage to 3-1. After a scoreless third by both sides, East Carolina worked a little two-out magic to extend its cushion to five. With Woodring on first and pinch runner Gianna Edwards on third, Narron lined one over the left fielder's head and it bounced all the way to the wall for a triple that scored both runners. Inae followed quickly with an RBI double that left the Pirates with a 6-1 edge.
Greico clubbed a two-run homer in the home half of the fourth to make it a three-run contest. However, Wools responded right back by driving a 2-1 offering out of the park to score Ledvina and push the East Carolina lead to 8-3.
With the Pirates in front 8-4 after six innings, the Purple and Gold left no doubt in the top of the seventh. Ledvina led it off with a solo home run before Woodring lined an RBI single down the left field line. Narron loaded the bases later in the inning with a single up the middle and Inae's subsequent base knock scored two more runs to propel ECU ahead by eight. Poepping worked around a Paladin base runner in the home half to seal the win.
Houston 14, Lamar 1 (5)/Lamar 6, Houston 4
The University of Houston Softball team opened its 2021 campaign splitting its doubleheader against Lamar on Friday.
Houston began the day opening its season with a 14-1 win over the Cardinals (1-0) in five innings, before falling the second contest, 6-4. The Cougars have now won their first game of the season in each of the last four years.
Aside from the offensive outburst, the first game of the day also saw a stellar performance in the circle from junior pitcher Rachel Hertenberger. She finished the game tossing all five innings while surrendering just one hit and two walks, striking out four batters in the process.
Redshirt senior infielder Sarah Queen collected multiple hits in both games, going a combined 4-for-8 with a pair of runs scored on the day. Sophomore infielder Britaney Shaw paced the offense in the second contest, posting a career-high three hits in the game.
GAME 1: Houston 14, Lamar 1 (5)
KEY INNINGS
1st | Houston wasted no time coming out of the gates, as the first eight batters reached base for the Cougars. As a result of the Cougars putting the ball in play, Houston found itself scoring five times in the inning off five hits.
2nd | The offense continued to put runs on the board, with Houston crossing the plate five more times off six hits to take a commanding 10-1 lead.
3rd | Another four runs painted on the board, extended Houston's lead to 13 by the end of the inning. The Cougars finished the frame with four hits, totalling 15 after the first three innings.
TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYERS
Lindsey Stewart | 3-3, 3B, 2B, RBI, R
Sarah Queen | 2-4, 2 R
Kati Ray Brown | 1-3, 3 R
Bethany Busch | 2-3, 2B, 3 RBIs, 2 R
Katy Repa | 2-3, 2B, 3 RBIs, 2 R
Tierrah Williams | 2-3
Paige Lott | 1-2, 2B, 3 RBIs
PITCHING BREAKDOWN
Rachel Hertenberger (W, 1-0) | 5.0 IP, H, ER, 4K
GAME 2: Lamar 6, Houston 4
KEY INNINGS
2nd | Houston grabbed the first lead of the game, courtesy of an RBI-single from sophomore infielder Britaney Shaw that brought around juniuor outfielder Bethany Busch.
3rd | Lamar bounced back and scored four runs in the inning, including a two-run home run that gave the Cardinals a 4-1 edge.
6th | After trailing by four, the Cougars began to mount a comeback with Busch scoring again, this time off a double from sophomore Katy Repa. Once Shaw singled Repa to third, sophomore infielder Paige Hulsey scored Repa, courtesy of a scrafice fly.
TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYERS
Sarah Queen | 2-4
Britaney Shaw | 3-3, 2B, RBI, R
Katy Repa | 1-3, 2B, RBI, R
PITCHING BREAKDOWN
Logan Hulon (L, 0-1) | 2.2 IP, 5 H, 0 ER
Megan Lee | 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER
No. 23 Missouri 8, Memphis 1/No. 12 Florida State 9, Memphis (5)
Memphis softball dropped a part of games to start its 2021 season at the JoAnne Graf Classic to No. 24 Missouri 8-1 and to No. 12 Florida State 9-0.
In the first game of the day against Mizzou, the Tigers bats were slow to get going. The only Tiger run of the game came in the top of the sixth inning as junior Sam Ibison scored on a Kendall Lee double to left center. Chyanne Ellett got the start in the circle for Tigers, going 4.1 innings and giving up six runs on three hits with five walks and five strikeouts.
In the second game against the host Florida State, the Tigers struggles continued on the offensive side, only recording one hit from third baseman Sara Ann Davidson. Freshman Hallie Siems made her collegiate debut for the Tigers, giving up one hit in 0.2 inning from the circle.