College of Charleston
Western Carolina
Amber Shifflett belts two homeruns as CofC earns split with Western Carolina
4/10/2010 9:00:00 PM | Softball
Cullowhee, N.C. - Redshirt-senior second baseman Amber Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) ripped a pair of homeruns as the College of Charleston (14-18, 4-6) earned a double-header split with Western Carolina (5-31, 1-12) in the first two games of a Southern Conference softball series. CofC dropped a 7-1 decision in Game 1 before earning a 7-2 victory in the second game.
After getting out of a first and third situation in the top of the first, the Catamounts took the early advantage with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Freshman outfielder Jordan Fulton led off the inning with a single, advanced on a sacrifice and then came around to score on a single by freshman catcher Haley Pace for the first run of the game. A hard single to right by freshman right fielder Amber Steinhardt then made it 2-0.
The Cougars laced a double for the second straight inning as redshirt-junior catcher Katie Pesature (Brewster, N.Y.) led off the frame with a shot off of the right field fence. After a pair of outs, she would come around to score on an errant throw from shortstop, narrowing the margin to 2-1.
Pesature would add her second consecutive double with a lined shot to the left centerfield gap in the fourth to put a runner in scoring position for CofC. She then advanced to third on her first steal of the season but would be stranded there as Western Carolina got the next two batters to end the threat.
It would remain 2-1 until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Catamounts scored four runs on five hits, three walks and a sacrifice fly. Following the offensive outburst, CofC threatened in the top of the sixth inning, putting runners on first and second with one out. A line drive out to right and a strikeout then got Western Carolina out of the inning.
Pace stretched the lead to 7-1 in the home half of the inning with a homerun to right center before sophomore pitcher Katie King closed out the six run victory with three straight outs in the top of the seventh inning.
Haley pace led the offensive attack for Western Carolina with a 3-for-4, three run, two RBI performance while freshman designated player Missy Wills finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. Liles went 1-for-3 with two RBIs on a double and senior catcher Danielle Reese and Steinhardt each added an RBI. King went seven innings and allowed no earned runs to get the win and improve to 1-16.
Senior designated hitter Kristie Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) went for 2-for-3 with her tenth double of the season while Pesature finished 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and the only run of the game. Junior pitcher Alexa Datko (San Diego, Calif.) went 4.1 innings and allowed five runs to take the loss and drop to 4-8 on the season.
The College of Charleston wasted no time in taking a lead in the second game as Amber Shifflett belted a leadoff homerun over the right field fence for a 1-0 lead. Following a two out single in the second inning by junior shortstop Hillary Stringer (Summerville, S.C.), Shifflett would strike again as she ripped her second straight homerun over the right field fence for a 3-0 lead. It was the first time in her career that she had hit two homeruns in a game.
The Cougars would remain dialed in at the plate in the third inning as Kristie Shifflett walked to lead off the inning and scored on a two-run bomb by sophomore outfielder Amanda Lonergan (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) that made it 5-0. That blast was her team leading fifth of the year and pushed her RBI total to 21.
In the fourth, Stringer singled to lead off the inning with her second single of the game. That set the stage again for Amber Shifflett who laced an RBI double to right centerfield to push the lead to 6-0. She would then come around to score on a sacrifice fly by her sister Kristie Shifflett to extend to a 7-0 lead.
Western Carolina got on the board in the sixth with a pair of RBI singles by Steinhardt and freshman first baseman Missy Wills to narrow the gap to 7-2. Senior pitcher Terri Mesko (McDonough, Ga.) then finished off the five-run victory with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh.
Steinhardt led the Catamounts with a 3-for-3 day that included two doubles and an RBI while Wills added the other WCU RBI. Freshman outfielder Bekah Burkett finished the day 1-for-2 with a run scored. Steinhardt started and went 2.1 innings, allowing five runs, to take the loss.
Amber Shifflett led the College of Charleston with a 3-for-4, four RBI, three run day that included a pair of homeruns. Amanda Lonergan added a pair of RBIs and a run scored while Stringer went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Kristie Shifflett rounded out the scoring with a run and an RBI. Terri Mesko threw her seventh straight complete game in as many starts and allowed only two runs and six hits while striking out seven to improve to 6-7.
The College of Charleston is back in action tomorrow afternoon for the third game of the series when they take on the Catamounts at 12 p.m.
NOTES
Terri Mesko recorded her 600th career strikeout against Danielle Reese in the second inning of Game 2.
