Banner Elk, NC--Lees-McRae swept a doubleheader against the
visisting Chowan Hawks Friday afternoon in non-conference women's
softball action. The Lady Bobcats, with the score knotted at 2-2,
held the Hawks scoreless in the eighth, then capitalized on an
error to score the winning run in the bottom half of the inning.
The Lady Bobcats won game two 10-2 in five innings. Lees-McRae is
now 21-19 overall while Chowan falls to 20-26 on the season.
"I'm so proud of the way we are playing together and finding a
way to win ballgames. We are going to keep working as hard as we
can in preparation for the conference tournament next weekend,"
Coach Julie Kennedy commented after the wins.
GAME ONE
Salle' Horner (Lexington, SC) led off the game with single,
advancing to second on an error by the Hawks' leftfielder. Amanda
Dodson (Walnut Cove, NC), batting second, fired off another single,
scoring Horner before the Hawks ended the Lady Bobcats turn at
bat. In the third inning the Bobcats added another run after
Horner led off with a double. Dodson, credited with a sacrifice,
advanced to Horner to third. Freshman Paige Coleman (Thomasville,
NC) then flied out to centerfield, gaining an RBI when Horner
scored for the second time in the game to put the Lady Bobcats up
2-0.
Lauren Gisler (Peachtree City, GA) pitched 4.1 innings, holding
the Hawks scoreless through the first four innings, but allowing
two hits and a sacrifice before handing the ball over to sophomore
pitcher Dodson. The Hawks would score two in the fifth to knot the
score.
With neither team able to score in the remaining innings, the
game went into extra innings in the international style of play.
Lees-McRae kept Chowan from scoring in the top of the eighth with a
big double play by rightfielder Magen West (Whitney, TX). The Lady
Bobcats began with Coleman placed on second. Coleman stole third
when Anna Carter (Hurdle Mills, NC) struck out swinging. After
West popped out to the short stop, Paula Fryar (Clinton, NC) came
through with a big clutch single to win the game for the Lady
Bobcats.
The Lady Bobcats scored three runs on six hits and four errors
by Chowan while the Hawks were only able to generate two runs on
three hits. Dodson was credited with the win.
GAME TWO
With freshman Magen West on the mound for the five inning
game and solid defense on the part of the Lady Bobcats once again,
the Hawks were only able to score two runs on five hits. The runs
came in the fourth when, with a runner on base, Woodrum homered.
It would be the only time the Hawks would cross the plate in game
two.
However, the bats were hot for the Lady Bobcats as they had
eleven hits in only four innings at the plate. After scoring three
runs in the first inning, the Lady Bobcats added six more runs in
the bottom of the second to take a commanding 9-0 lead. Lees-McRae
added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth to make the
score 10-2.
Eight of the Lady Bobcats recorded hits in game two. Meagan
Knowles (West Palm Beach, FL) and Elaine Beavers (Lebanon, VA)
both had a pair of hits and were credited with an RBI, while
catcher Coleman hit a single and a double to drive in four runs in
the contest. Horner, West, Carter, and Gisler all added both a hit
and an RBI to their season totals as well. Also getting a hit was
third baseman Paula Fryar, who also played a defensive role in the
game when she got the last Hawk out in the game.
West, who went the distance, was credited with the win.
The Bobcats play their last games of the regular season
Saturday, April 12, hosting Virginia Intermont College at 1:00pm
and 3:00pm. The Lady Bobcats will then have a few days to prepare
for the Conference Carolinas Tournament which begins the following
weekend.
Pictured: Paula Fryar
