The Terrific Ten has you covered on all the best highlights from all the action across college softball on Saturday!
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1. Florida Gulf Coast walked into Lynchburg, Virginia and dominated the hosting Liberty Flames on Saturday. The Eagles shutout the Flames in back-to-back games – the first time that Liberty had ever suffered such a fate against an ASun opponent – to sweep a Saturday doubleheader and win the conference series. FGCU got a gem in game one from Ally Hulme, who threw a 5-hit shutout with five strikeouts to her credit. In game two, it was Angelina Bonilla who worked in the circle, throwing her own 5-hit shutout with four strikeouts to her credit.A 7th-inning Neely Peterson RBI double was the difference in game one’s 1-0 final score, while a pair of Liberty errors and a pair of RBI singles led to the Eagles’ 5-0 final score in the nightcap.
2. Backed by a potent, hard-hitting offense, Georgia’s Shelby Walters shut down the opposing offense of Mississippi State en route to a five-inning no-hitter and a run-rule win over the conference foe. The UGA offense scored early and often en route to a 10-0 win, while Walters posted the Bulldogs’ first no-hitter against a conference opponent since 2009. She notched a pair of strikeouts in the game.
3. After weather forced a doubleheader in Lexington on Saturday, the Texas A&M offense wasted no time exploding against the Wildcats’ pitching. In game one of a doubleheader, the Aggies scored three runs in the sixth inning and five runs in the 7th inning to stage a furious comeback and ultimately take home a 14-13 win. In game two of the day, though, it was all Aggies; A&M scored in four of the five innings, including a four-run 4th, en route to a run-rule victory. Keely Williams and Aiyana Coleman both hit home runs in the nightcap, while Koko Wooley added an RBI double early in the game.
4. George Mason pitcher Aly Rayle was dominant in her outing against Rhode Island in A10 play, throwing her second no-hitter of the season and helping her squad to a doubleheader split. Rayle, a graduate transfer who formerly played at Virginia, notched eleven strikeouts in the outing, allowed no walks, and threw just 96 pitches in the complete-game affair.
5. Alabama returned the favor and evened their series against Tennessee, riding a gem from Alex Salter and taking advantage of some pitching mistakes by Tennessee en route to a 4-2 victory that sets up a rubber match on Sunday. Alabama got on the board first with a 1st-inning home run by Kali Heivilin, then added a pair of runs in the third inning on a Kenleigh Cahalan RBI single and an RBI groundout. Salter threw a complete game, notching her first SEC win, and giving up just five hits.
6. Sydney Berzon was the savior that LSU needed on Saturday, throwing a shutout in Oxford to even the Tigers’ series against Ole Miss. The true freshman hurler threw her third shutout of the season and collected ten strikeouts with two walks in the complete-game effort. LSU’s offense scored on a sacrifice fly in the first inning and another sac fly in the 7th inning, leading to the 2-0 final score.
7. Dayton sophomore Maddie Kapsimalis was swinging a hot bat on Saturday, clubbing a trio of home runs in a doubleheader sweep against conference foe UMass. In the first game of the day, Kipsimalis hit the first home run of her career, a solo shot that added to Dayton’s eventual 9-3 final score. In the second game of the day, Kapsimalis added career longballs #2 and #3, helping buoy her team to a run-rule-shortened 11-3 victory.
8. Rutgers polished off a doubleheader sweep against Illinois, first winning a halted game by a 7-5 final score then shutting out the Illini offense en route to an 8-0 win in the nightcap. Payton Lincavage and Katie Wingert each hit home runs in the nightcap, notching two and three RBIs, respectively. Morgan Smith earned the win in the circle while notching a 2-3 showing at the plate with a home run in the restarted affair.
9. Western Kentucky proved that they’re still a factor to be reckoned with in Conference USA, sweeping a doubleheader against North Texas on Saturday. In 7-1 and 6-3 final scores, the Hilltoppers dominated the Mean Green offensively. Jessica Bush was the offensive star of the day for WKU, batting .571 on the day and going 4-7 at the plate. She notched four RBIs in the nightcap. Katie Gardner was stellar in the circle, earning the win in game one, while Kelsie Houchens collected three strikeouts as the game two starter.
10. There’s nothing like robbing a grand slam; just ask Central Michigan’s Abbey Tolmie, who did just that on Saturday.
END 2| ABBEY TOLMIE!! THE ACROBAT!!
🚨 She leaps over the center field fence and robs a grand slam 🚨
We send Tolmie, Vallimont & Alexander to the dish
CMU: 2 | BSU: 1#FireUpChips🔥⬆️🥎 | @AbbeyTolmie pic.twitter.com/gz2gcvrRqS
— CMU Softball (@CMUSoftball) March 25, 2023
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