Editor’s Note: (courtesy LMC Sports Information)
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Magen West picked up two wins in 13 innings of scoreless softball in the circle for the Lees-McRae College Lady Bobcats women’s softball team as they defeated Fayetteville State 3-0 in the first game and 6-3 in the second game to open their season with a double-header sweep.
West went the distance in the first game recording six strikeouts and only allowing four hits. In the second game, West came in relief in the third inning recording six strikeouts and allowing three hits and no walks.
In the first game, Paula Fryar started the inning off with a walk, then stole second, reached third on a passed ball, and scored on a passed ball to give the Lady Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
Lees-McRae notched two insurance runs in the fifth inning when Nicole Salado started the inning off with a double. After a walk of Veronica Ollier, Ashley Benfield doubled scoring
Oiller, Benfield and
In the second game, Lees-McRae got on the scoreboard first in the first inning on a two-RBI fielder’s choice by Anna Carter. Ollier, who had walked, and Fryar, who had singled, scored on the play.
However, Fayetteville would notch a run in the bottom of the first and score two in the bottom of the second to take a 3-2, but Lees-McRae would tie the game third inning when Paige Coleman drew a walk and stole second only to score on back-to-back pass balls.
Neither team could score a run over the remaining innings in regulation sending the game to the top of the eighth, where the Lady Bobcats notched three runs, one earned two unearned, for the win. To set the inning up, Anna Carter was put on second to start the inning due to the international tiebreaker rules and Kierstie Moon led off the inning with a walk. Nicole Baxter followed with a ball to right that was booted by the right fielder allowing Carter and Moon to score. Baxter would score on wild pitch to seal the win.
Ollier and Fryar were 1-for-3 apiece at the plate for the Lady Bobcats in the game.
JEFFERSON
In game one, Carson-Newman broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning with a run by Jessie Howard. After reaching base on a single to the pitcher and stealing second, Howard was moved to third by a sacrifice bunt by Leah Price. A fly ball to right field by Mary Shealy proved to be a sacrifice, scoring Howard.
The Lady Eagles broke the game wide open in their half of the fifth frame with five runs, all coming with two outs. After Howard walked and Price reached on a single, Sara Little singled up the middle plating both players. Junior Ashley Boyd doubled down the left line to Kim Whaley who pinch ran for Little. Whitney Durham hit home run to left field to cap the scoring for the inning.
C-N got the final two runs needed to end the game via the eight-run advantage rule in the bottom of the sixth.
Ashley Boyd picked up the win on the mound for the Lady Eagles, striking out six, while allowing only four hits. Magen West suffered the loss for the Lady Bobcats,
In game two, Carson-Newman scored two runs in the first inning to take the lead.
In the second frame,
Carson-Newman got the runs it needed to end the game early in the bottom of the fourth. Whitney Kee led the inning off with a walk and was driven home by Price’s second hit of the game. Skeen had her first home run of the season when she hit a line drive to centerfield that gave her enough time to score the inside-the-park home run.
A single by Shealy gave way to Little’s second homer of the game, a two-run shot to right centerfield that gave the Lady Eagles a 9-0 advantage. C-N held on for three outs in the top of the fifth inning, completing the series sweep.
Shealy picked up the win for Carson-Newman striking out four and scattering two hits over four innings of work, while Lees-McRae’s Bryce Campbell suffered the loss, allowing nine runs on ten hits.
Lees-McRae will return to action Thursday with a double-header against
