March 24, 2009

Softball Dominates CSU, 9-0 in Six

RALEIGH, N.C. - Mendy McKenzie and Morgan Peeler combined for a two-hit shutout, and the Wolfpack offense posted 12 hits as NC State took care of business at home in a 9-0 six-inning win over Charleston Southern on Tuesday, March 24. State moves to 14-10 with the win, while the Buccaneers slip to 15-17.

Allison Presnell pushed in 3 RBIs and went 2-for-4 at the plate, while Mackenzie Mangum added two RBIs and went 2-for-4. Toni Ann Williford knocked in two runs of her own.

McKenzie (6-3) fanned six and gave up just one hit in four innings, while Peeler tossed the final two frames. She fell one inning short of qualifying for a save despite the Pack's sizeable lead.

Jamie Wellons (9-12) took the loss, lasting just 1.2 innings and allowing five earned runs. Kristin Kelleher tossed 3.2 innings in relief, allowing four earned.

Four hits allowed the Pack to take a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Presnell and Bridget Desbois laced back-to-back doubles, putting State ahead 1-0 before a Kristine Bechtholdt bloop single into shallow center pushed another run across.

Hokies split with Highlanders

BLACKSBURG - The Virginia Tech softball team split a pair of games with New River Valley rival Radford Tuesday evening at Tech Softball Park. The Hokies won the first game, 4-2, before surrendering a four-run lead in the second game in losing 11-6.

In the opener, the Hokies scored just one run on a hit, but manufactured three more to take the win. Tech scored two runs on an error in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead before Radford cut into the lead in the second inning. In the third inning, Tech freshman Kristin Graham roped a solo home run to left to widen the margin. Radford scored in the sixth inning on a home run and loaded the bases in the seventh, but Kenzie Roark held off the charge to secure the win.

Jenna Rhodes led the way with three hits while Marra Hvozdovic and Graham each had one. Abbie Rexrode was solid in picking up the win to move to 4-6. She went 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Roark worked the final 1.2 innings for the save. She gave up three walks but struck out two, including one to end the game.

The second game started off well for the Hokies as they scored in the first inning and three more in the third to take a 3-1 lead. Charisse Mariconda, Graham and Whitney Davis each picked up RBI hits in the frame and in the fourth, pinch runner Kelsey Hensel scored on a Mariconda single. Radford then proceeded to score 10 unanswered runs over the final three stanzas to storm back. It started in the fifth with an RBI triple to make it 5-2.

Softball Splits Doubleheader With Georgia Southern

ATLANTA - Kristen Adkins was 4-for-7 with a home run and two RBI, while Jen Yee had two home runs and three RBI as the Georgia Tech softball team (22-8) split a doubleheader against Georgia Southern (15-15) Tuesday afternoon at Mewborn Field. The Yellow Jackets won game one, 9-1 in six innings, but lost a 4-0 lead and eventually fell in the night cap 6-5.

Blair Shimandle was 2-for-4, scored three runs and stole four bases for the Yellow Jackets as well. She stole all four bases in game one setting a new Georgia Tech single-game record. Adkins (11-4) picked up the win in game one as she allowed one run on nine hits. On "Strikeout For The Cure Day", Yellow Jacket pitchers combined to strike out 18 Georgia Southern batters and donations will be made for each of those to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

In game one, the Jackets got on the board with a run in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Shimandle walked, stole second and third base and then scored on a RBI ground out by Kelsi Weseman. Tech then made it 4-0 in the third inning as Yee hit a two-run home run and Whitney Haller hit a solo shot. It was Yee's fourth home run of the season and number seven for Haller, who was celebrating her 22nd birthday today.

No. 18 Tar Heels Take Down No. 13 Ohio State, 1-0

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - One run was all the No. 18 Tar Heels (27-7) needed on Tuesday as they picked up a pair of dominant pitching performances by Danielle Spaulding and Lisa Norris in a 1-0 win over No. 13 Ohio State (22-4). Norris notched the victory as she tossed four hitless innings to earn her 13th win of the season. Carolina will take on Campbell in a midweek clash at 6 p.m. in Buies Creek, N.C. on Wednesday before hosting Boston College in a three-game series starting on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Danielle Spaulding got the call in the circle for the Tar Heels in the top 25 matchup and delivered three scoreless innings as she allowed just one hit, while striking out three. Spaulding set down the Buckeyes in order in the first and second before Dee Dee Hillman broke up the no-hit bid with an infield single. The junior left-hander retired the next batter to end the inning.

After being held hitless through the first two frames, Carolina took advantage of an Ohio State error in the third to plate a run that would prove to be the deciding run. Constance Orr started things off with a one out single that skipped over the pitcher's head as Orr picked up the first hit of the game for the Tar Heels. Kelsey Green followed with a sharp grounder to short that Orr was able to beat out to put a pair of runners on with one out.

No. 19 Seminoles Defeat Rattlers, 5-1

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - On the same day they moved up to No. 19 in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 poll, the Seminoles defeated cross-town rival Florida A&M, 5-1, on JoAnne Graf Field Tuesday night. Florida State improves to 24-9 as the Lady Rattlers slip to 9-24.

Picking up the win was junior Terese Gober who came in for Sarah Hamilton and pitched three innings, striking out five and giving up just one run on two hits. Hamilton recorded a pair of strikeouts and gave up two hits before Gober entered in the third.

Freshman Shayla Jackson was monumental in the win as she recorded her first career home run. The in-park homer was good for three RBI as it nicked the foot of base runner Brittany Joseph and rolled into the outfield. The umpire called it fair as Monica Montez also scored on the play to push the Noles up 3-0 in the second inning.