Bostick, Chandler Power Bobcats Past Braves
PEMBROKE – Georgia College & State's Sherquita Bostick went 4-for-6 at the plate with four runs batted in and four runs scored in helping lead the Bobcats to a pair of victories over UNCP on Thursday afternoon as the Braves were swept, 5-0 and 9-0 (6 Inn.), by GCSU in Peach Belt Conference play at LRA Softball Field.
GCSU's (23-15, 9-1 PBC) Mandy Chandler (20-8) pitched both games of the doubleheader, giving up three hits in the first contest and throwing a no-hitter in game two. In the two-game set Chandler struck out 18 Braves in 13 innings of work. UNCP (15-21, 5-7 PBC) had not been no-hit since March 8 of the 2007 season when the Braves fell to Georgia Southwestern, 2-1.
Jelena Shaw recorded two of the Braves' three hits on the day going 2-for-5 at the plate with two walks. Candace Evans had the only other hit of the day for UNCP, with Jamie Burwell, Paige Faircloth and Randi Pruitt each drawing two walks for Pembroke.
The Braves will next be in action on Sunday afternoon when UNCP will take on Limestone in a doubleheader on the campus of the Saints with the two-game set beginning at 2 p.m. GCSU will square off against Francis Marion in a doubleheader on Saturday in a PBC matchup set to start at noon.
In game one Bostick put the Bobcats up early, hitting a three-run homer to left to put Georgia College up 3-0 after the first inning. The Bobcats loaded the bases in the fourth and scored two runs, plating runners on a passed ball and a walk. UNCP would not be able to mount a comeback, eventually falling by the final of 5-0.
Chandler picked up her 19th win of the season, striking out 14 and walking eight batters. Whitney Landwermeyer was credited with the loss for UNCP giving up three runs on three hits with three K's in three innings of work.
Game two saw the Bobcats post home runs in the second and third innings, with Anna Parker hitting a solo shot to left-center and Bostick homering to left in the third to put GCSU up 2-0. The Bobcats would post four runs in the fifth inning on two hits and three Pembroke errors, and then would score three more runs in the sixth on three hits to go up 9-0.
UNCP went scoreless in the bottom half of the frame, falling to the Bobcats in six innings.
Martika Elmore picked up the loss for the Braves giving up two runs on three hits. Chandler won her 20th game of the season pitching six shutout innings.
