BOCA RATON, Fla. – North Texas won a 10-inning battle with host Florida Atlantic, 5-4, to claim the final spot in Friday’s C-USA Softball Championship semifinals. The Mean Green will face top-seeded Tulsa at 4:30 p.m. EDT. Friday’s first semifinal match-up is set for 2 p.m. EDT between No. 6 seed East Carolina and No. 7 seed and defending tournament champion Marshall. Both games will be streamed live on the C-USA Digital Network.
Game 4: (5) North Texas 5, (4) Florida Atlantic 4 [10]
North Texas-Florida Atlantic Box Score
In a 10-inning battle, No. 5 seed North Texas (31-21) defeated host and No. 4 seed Florida Atlantic, 5-4, to advance to the C-USA Softball Championship semifinal Friday.
Junior 1B Danielle Hoff scored the game-winning run for the Mean Green off a single to left field from sophomore Taylor Schoblocher. NT got on the scoreboard first in the top of the third after sophomore Bryana Wade reached on an error. All-Conference USA team selections Brooke Foster and Spencer Ferrell added singles before junior Dani Hoff sent Wade home on a single of her own.
Senior Jordan Terry followed up with a three-run homer – the first home run of the day – with her blast to left field scoring the runners at both corners to take a 4-0 lead.
Florida Atlantic (33-22) answered in the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore Christina Martinez singled to right, followed by a Melissa Martinez walk. Senior Jordan Stovall’s single loaded the bases, then classmate Shelby Knox hit a sacrifice fly to score Martinez. That is when sophomore catcher Mickey Bell came to the plate and drilled her first home run of the season, tallying three runs to even the score at four all.
NT senior pitcher Ashley Kirk got the win in a complete-game victory, her 22nd win of the season. She pitched a career-high 10 innings in the effort and struck out eight.
Game 3: (1) Tulsa 1, (8) Charlotte 0
Top-seeded Tulsa (48-7) scored in the bottom of the seventh for a dramatic 1-0 win over Charlotte to advance to Friday’s C-USA Softball Championship semifinals.
Senior pitcher Aimee Creger improved to a stellar 25-1 on the season and ties her own school record with 25 wins. Creger threw 13 strikeouts and allowed just one hit for the Hurricane, who also tied its program-best win total with 48 victories.
Tulsa scored off a sacrifice fly to centerfield from sophomore catcher Catherine Horner after junior Erica Sampson’s sacrifice bunt advanced runners to second and third. Horner and senior Jill Barrett were both 2-for-3 in the game.
Charlotte (20-29) held the 18th-ranked Golden Hurricane scoreless through more than six innings. Junior pitcher Lexi Betancourt struck out six and allowed just six hits for the 49ers.
Game 2: (6) East Carolina 5, (3) FIU 1
East Carolina jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and never relinquished its advantage to earn a 5-1 victory over FIU in game two of the 2014 Conference USA Softball Championship, hosted by Florida Atlantic University. The No. 6 seed Pirates (28-19) advance to Friday’s first semifinal against No. 7 seed Marshall at 2 p.m. EDT.
ECU got on the board first when senior1B Jordan Lewis was walked with bases loaded. Classmate Jill Jelnick advanced to second on an error and scored three in the process.
The Panthers (33-20) got on the board in the sixth when junior shortstop Krystal Garcia scored. Garcia and senior Rachel Slowik registered two hits apiece for FIU, which had seven for the game.
ECU junior pitcher Caroline Umphlett earned the win and improved to 10-5 on the season, striking out two and allowing only the one run. Classmate Sarah Christian came in as relief for two scoreless innings, striking out three.
East Carolina answered at the top of the seventh for the final score of the game as senior RF Shelby Johnson singled down the left field line to score sophomore shortstop Casey Alcorn.
Game 1: (7) Marshall 4, (2) UAB 0
Defending tournament champion Marshall won the opening game of the 2014 C-USA Softball Championship with a 4-0 victory over No. 2 seed UAB. The Thundering Herd advances to face the winner of No. 3 seed FIU and No. 6 seed East Carolina in the first semifinal at 2 p.m. EDT Friday.
After four scoreless innings, Marshall (27-30) tallied all four runs in a big fifth inning
Marshall freshman starting pitcher Jordan Dixon threw a complete game shutout, striking out nine batters for her 19th win of the season.
The Herd got on the scoreboard first when Kristina Braxton crossed the plate off a single by sister Shaelynn Braxton, an All-Conference USA second-team selection. First baseman Savanah Webster added a single hit to center to score Morgan Zirkle, before outfielder Raquel Escareno’s two-run single ended the inning with the 4-0 lead for Marshall.
UAB (31-25) was led offensively by shortstop Caitlin Attfield, who was 3-for-4 at the plate. Attfield entered the game with an impressive .415 average for the season.
