College of Charleston
UNC Greensboro
Cougars Sweep UNC Greensboro 8-2 Behind Mesko's Four-Hit Gem
4/26/2009 1:15:00 AM | Softball
Game 1 Boxscore - College of Charleston at UNC Greensboro
Game 2 Boxscore - College of Charleston at UNC Greensboro
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Junior pitcher Terri Mesko (McDonough, Ga.) pitched a complete game one-hitter and freshman Katie Forbes (Odessa, Fla.) drove in five runs on the day as the College of Charleston (20-23, 11-8) swept the double header portion of their Southern Conference series against UNC Greensboro on April 25. The Cougars claimed a 7-2 victory in Game 1 before rallying for a dramatic 2-1 win in the nightcap.
GAME 1
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 7, UNC GREENSBORO 2
The College of Charleston exploded for five runs over the first two innings and junior pitcher Terri Mesko (McDonough, Ga.) pitched her second one-hit victory in her last three starts as the Cougars claimed a 7-2 victory in Game 1.
With bases loaded in the first inning, freshman shortstop Katie Forbes (Odessa, Fla.) got the offense started as she lined a two out single over shortstop to stake CofC to a 2-0 lead. They would add to that in the second inning as senior shortstop Christal Kotchman (Seminole, Fla.) lined an RBI single up the middle with runners on first and third.
She then stole second before junior third baseman Kristie Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) laced her team-leading 10th double of the season to drive home two more runs and extend the lead to 5-0.
The score would not stay that way for long as the Spartans got on the board with their one hit of the game to lead off the bottom of the second inning. In that frame, freshman first baseman Alex Emeterio launched a towering home run over the centerfield fence to make it 5-1. Mesko would then get the next two batters before allowing a walk and striking out the last batter of the inning and the entire side in the third for four straight strikeouts.
Charleston would add a pair of insurance runs in the fifth inning as Forbes drilled her first career home run, a two run shot over the left field fence, to push the lead to 7-1. UNC Greensboro would pick up a second run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to reach the final margin.
Emeterio led the way for UNCG with her solo home run and RBI while senior first baseman Mary Catherine Vercoe added the other RBI on a sac fly. In the circle, freshman pitcher Cory Mattson started and went 1.2 innings, allowing five hits and five earned runs to take the loss and fall to 3-5 on the season. Redshirt senior pitcher Hannah Angel threw 5.1 innings of relief, allowing two hits and two earned runs but did not factor in the decision.
Katie Forbes led the College of Charleston offensively as she went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and her first career home run while Kristie Shifflett finished 1-for-3 with a run and a pair of RBIs. Kotchman added the only other RBI as she went 1-for-1 with two walks, a pair of runs and a steal. Terri Mesko dominated Spartan hitters as she pitched her second complete game, one-hitter in her last three starts, striking out eight batters to move to 10-9 on the season. She has won her last three starts and allowed only two runs over her last 23 innings.
GAME 1 NOTES
Forbes four RBI tied her career-high set against Western Carolina on March 29 when she went a record-tying 5-for-5.
GAME 2
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 2, UNC GREENSBORO 1
In the nightcap it was a reversal of fortune for much of the game as UNC Greensboro scratched a run in the second inning on an RBI single by sophomore shortstop Kayla Hensley and limited the Cougars to one hit through six innings.
That all changed in the seventh inning as redshirt junior second baseman Amber Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) led off with Charleston's second hit, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by her sister Krisitie Shifflett and scored the tying run on a double to the left centerfield gap by Forbes.
That shot was a foot away from clearing the fence for her second home run of the day. She then scored the go-ahead run on a single through the right side by sophomore first baseman Katie Nutaitis (Vienna, Va.) to put CofC up 2-1.
In addition to coming through at the plate, Forbes did it in the circle as well, taking over those duties with runners on second and third and no outs in the third inning. She then got CofC out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to keep it a 1-0 contest and went on to hold the Spartans at one run.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Forbes continued her strong outing as she induced a groundout from the first batter before allowing a single to the next batter. On the next play, Emeterio flied out to left for the second out and the runner on first, pinch runner Hannah Angel, attempted to tag up and reach second. She was initially ruled safe on the play before the umpiring crew conferred and called her out to end the game and hand Charleston a one-run victory.
That victory moves the Cougars into third place in the Southern Conference behind Chattanooga and Appalachian State.
Vercoe led UNCG with a 2-for-4 day while Kayla Hensley was 1-for-3 with their only RBI of the day. Senior second baseman Lyndsay Mouse went 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored. Junior pitcher Amber Harrell pitched a complete game four-hitter, allowing both runs and walking only two batters, but suffered the hard luck loss and dropped to 5-12.
Katie Forbes was the story for Charleston as she pitched five shutout innings of relief, allowing only three hits and one walk, as she struck out four to earn the second victory of her career. She also did it at the plate, going 1-for-3 with the game-tying RBI double and scored the winning run. Amber Shifflett went 1-for-3 with a run scored and Nutaitis finished 1-for-3 with the game-winning RBI.
As a result of their two victories and a pair of losses by Georgia Southern at Chattanooga, the College of Charleston currently sits in third place in the Southern Conference, percentage points ahead of the Eagles.
The College of Charleston will close out the series with the Spartans tomorrow afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. contest at UNCG Softball Stadium.
NOTES
Katie Forbes five scoreless innings of relief extended her current streak to 12 innings without allowing a run ... in her previous outing she threw a complete game, two-hit shutout against Charleston Southern.
