College of Charleston
Providence
Cougars? softball falls to Providence 7-2
3/7/2010 9:45:00 PM | Softball
ORLANDO, Fla. – Redshirt-senior second baseman Amber Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) went 1-for-1 with an RBI, walk and ninth stolen base of the season as the College of Charleston (6-12) dropped a 7-2 decision to Providence (4-11) in non-conference softball action in their final game of the UCF Invitational from Orlando, Fla.
The Friars wasted no time as they scored four runs on four hits in the first inning, two of which were RBI doubles by sophomore first baseman Jen Abrams and senior shortstop Jenna Garcia, to take a commanding 4-0 lead. An RBI single in the second by Abrams following a Huber steal then made it 5-0.
A lead-off single and a pair of walks then loaded the bases with no outs for the College of Charleston in the home half of the inning. After a line out to first base, freshman shortstop Erica Kaufman (Berkeley, S.C.) drew a walk to force in a run and Amber Shifflett brought home a second run with a sacrifice fly to center field, making the score 5-2.
That would be as close as they would get though, as Providence added two more runs in the top of the fourth. Sophomore left fielder Megan McCann led off the inning with a single before coming around to score on a triple by Huber. Abrams then singled her home on the next play to make it 7-2.
The Friars then bore down and allowed only one hit over the next three innings before CofC notched a pair of singles at the start of the seventh inning. It would be all they would get however their Big East foe closed out the five-run win.
Sophomore Alicia Grosso earned the victory for Providence following a six inning, two-run, six strikeout performance while Jen Abrams fueled the offense with a 3-for-4 day that included a run and three RBIs. Jenna Garcia added a 2-for-3, one run, one RBI performance and Michelle Huber was 1-for-4 with an RBI but added three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases.
For the Cougars, Amber Shifflett led the way with a 1-for-1, one RBI outing that included a walk and her ninth steal of the year. She is now 9-for-9 on the base paths this season and 49-for-50 since the 2006 season. Kaufman added the other RBI with her bases loaded walk. Junior pitcher Kasie Meeks (Manchester, Tenn.) took the loss to fall to 2-2 on the season.
The College of Charleston will be back in action on Sunday, March 14 when they host Coastal Carolina in a double header at Patriots Point. First pitch of Game 1 is slated for 1 p.m.
NOTES
Amber Shifflett's only caught stealing since 2006 occurred in the final game of last season when UNC Greensboro's Brittany Sirois gunned her down on her only attempt in the Southern Conference Tournament game on May 7, 2009.
