Box score
KISSIMMEE, Fla. --- Lori Fulmer (Prosperity,
S.C.) lined a ball into left field to drive in Anna Carter (Hurdle
Mills, N.C.) for the walk-off victory on Wednesday night to give
the Lees-McRae College softball team a 6-5 comeback win over
Chestnut Hill College in the eighth inning of the Bobcats' second
win of the day at the Rebel Spring Games.
The Bobcats (10-11) battled their way to two wins on the day,
overcoming a two-run deficit to force an extra frame in the
nightcap following to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Holy Family
University. Fulmer rebounded from a 0-for-2 performance in game one
to go 3-for-4 with the game-winning RBI in the nightcap. Paige
Coleman (Thomasville, N.C.) came in to go 1-of-2 in the nightcap,
belting a homerun to deep left field to help lead the Bobcats
back.
Magen West (Whitney, Texas) pitched five strong innings in game
two, giving up just two hits and striking out eight to lead the
Bobcats to victory. Laurel Gregg (Mars Hill, N.C.) picked up the
victory in game one with four innings of three hit pitching,
striking out five and walking two along the way. Bryce Campbell
(Amherst, Va.) picked up the save in game one for her second of the
season.
Game One: Lees-McRae 4, Holy Family 3 (Box Score)
The Bobcats jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead following a KIerstie
Moon (Oxford, Ga.) single to third, and a Karli Robb (Hayes, N.C.)
sacrifice to move her to third. Moon then scored on a passed ball
to tally the game's first run.
Holy Family (1-6) tied the contest in the bottom of the first
inning, when Bianca Robinson (Erial, N.Y.) laced a single to center
field to plate Shauna Vennell (Bellmawr, N.J.), evening the contest
at 1-1.
The Bobcats regained the advantage with two runs in the fourth
inning, plating the first when Kim Coley (Marion, N.C.) scored on
an illegal pitch to make it 2-1 for LMC. Fulmer scored next,
crossing the plate on a Meagan Knowles (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
single to give the Bobcats a 3-1 lead after three and a half
innings.
The Tigers plated their second run in the bottom half of the
fourth inning to cut the Lees-McRae advantage to one, before the
Bobcats answered back with a Moon run in the top of the fifth to
make it 4-2 in favor of Lees-McRae. Holy Family tallied another run
in the bottom of the seventh inning when Kasey Barnes
(Philadelphia, Pa.) crossed the plate after Lindsey Iden (Rushland,
Pa.) singled to left center to equal the final margin of 4-3.
Gregg finished the game with four innings pitched, scattering
three hits and giving up two runs (one earned) to earn her fourth
victory of the season. Campbell finished with three innings
pitched, giving up just one run on five hits while keeping the
Tigers at bay to finish off the contest.
Game Two: Lees-McRae 6, Chestnut Hill 5 - Eight innings
(Box Score)
The Chestnut Hill College Griffins opened their second contest
with Lees-McRae by taking the early 1-0 lead in the first inning.
The Bobcats responded quickly, plating two runs to take the 2-1
advantage in the bottom of the opening frame as Moon and Gregg
crossed the plate on an error and an Alison Armstrong (Bellingham,
Mass.) single, respectively.
The Griffins (1-5) continued to battle, fighting back to take a
5-3 advantage after a three-run third inning. Lees-McRae answered
with a run of its own in the fifth, cutting the lead to 5-4 on a
solo home run by Coleman. The Bobcats completed the rally in the
sixth, scoring the tying run when Lindsey Huntsinger (Asheville
N.C.) laced a ball to center field to score Fulmer and even the
tally at 5-5.
The teams battled through the seventh inning and into the
eighth, when the Bobcats ended the top half of the inning with a
double play. West fielded the ball in the circle to start the
twin-killing, firing it to Carter at first, who then gunned down
the second runner at the plate to give the Bobcats their chance at
the dish.
Lees-McRae took advantage of the international tie-break rule in
the bottom of the frame, as Carter was placed on second to open the
inning before moving to third on a passed ball. After the Griffins
forced a groundout to third for the first out and Knowles reached
on an error to put runners on the corners, Moon dribbled a single
to third to load the bases for Fulmer.
The freshman shortstop took full advantage, ripping a
low-and-away pitch past the Griffin's diving third baseman into
left to score Carter from third for the game-winning run. With the
sweep, the Bobcats run their record to 4-2 at the Rebel Spring
Games and 10-11 on the season.
Lees-McRae returns to the diamond on Friday following a much
needed day off, taking on Edinboro University at 5 p.m. and
Wheeling Jesuit University at 6:30 p.m. The Rebel Spring Games
tournament will wrap up on Saturday, with the Bobcats taking on St.
Cloud State at 9 a.m. and concluding the week against Concordia -
St. Paul at 11 a.m.
- LMC -
