BANNER ELK, N.C. --- Sophomores Charlie Dutton and Taylor Billings combined for 16 strikeouts in 12 innings while the Lees-McRae softball team grabbed two wins in its home opener against Shaw Wednesday at LMC Softball Field in sunny Banner Elk, N.C.
Lees-McRae 8, Shaw 0 (6 Innings)
The Bobcats (4-29) saw seven starters record a hit while snapping a lengthy losing streak.
The Bears (4-19) failed to muster much offense while the defense was porous in committing three errors.
Sophomore Sarah Stallings (Greensboro, N.C.) legged out an infield single and would reach third thanks to a throwing error to lead off LMC's portion of the first.
Freshman Alix Green (Little Mountain, S.C.) dumped an RBI single into left field moments later, giving the Bobcats a 1-0 advantage.
Freshman Teresa Dickson (Lexington, N.C.) lofted a sacrifice fly to right in the bottom of the second, allowing Sarah Tucker (Monroe, N.C.) to score. Tucker led the inning off with a walk and subsequently stole second.
Dutton (Monroe, Ga.) kept the SU offense at bay by striking out seven in the first four innings.
Coach Merritt Yackey's offense exploded for six runs in the bottom of the sixth by bashing out five hits.
Kara Travis (Conover, N.C.) started the scoring festivities, plating Tucker after an error.
Sophomore Valerie Hickey (Umatilla, Fla.), Stallings, Green and Amanda Decker (Apex, N.C.) all earned a RBI in the inning, including Decker's game-ending double down the left line.
The Bobcats eight runs marked a season-high while Dutton scattered three hits in six innings of work.
Lees-McRae 3, Shaw 2
The Bobcats' (5-29) pitching staff struck out eight batters and allowed only five hits while Megan Paradise (Medina, Ohio) earned her first career save.
The Bears (5-20) enjoyed a solid performance from Frances Perry (2-13) despite the loss. Perry allowed six hits in six innings of work.
Dickson connected on her first collegiate homer when she smashed a solo shot to left center to lead off the third.
Hickey and Stallings set the table for Kirsten Waters (Umatilla, Fla.) following consecutive base hits.
Waters drove in Hickey with an RBI single to left center.
Decker would follow suit and drive in Stallings with a sac fly.
The Bears cut the deficit to 3-1 after a Ladazia Burris RBI single in the top of the sixth.
SU's Joi Davis made it interesting in the top of the seventh with run-scoring single.
Decker made a heads up play and threw out Davis trying to steal third after a dropped third strike.
Paradise remained poised and got Cakiryn Jackson to groundout to end the game.
LMC travels to Tusculum Thursday, April 9 for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. in Greeneville, Tenn.
- LMC -
