Photo Credit to Morgan Corbett
BANNER ELK, N.C. --- Freshman Noel Cassidy launched her second collegiate home run and teammate Kara Cunningham amassed four hits while the Lees-McRae softball team dropped a pair of games to Mount Olive in Conference Carolinas play Sunday afternoon at the LMC Softball Field in Banner Elk, N.C.
Mount Olive 5, Lees-McRae 3
The Trojans (22-15, 8-3) scored four of their runs in the final two innings. The Bobcats (6-23, 2-5) bashed out 10 hits, including three players with multi-hit games.
Cassidy (Myrtle Beach, S.C.), Taylor Billings (Sophia, N.C.) and Cunningham (Indian Trail, N.C.) had two hits apiece.
UMO struck first in the top of the first for a run after Anna Ingram drove in Savannah Becker with two outs. Becker doubled to left center.
LMC tied it at one in the bottom of the second following a Sarah Beth Ashley (Walkertown, N.C.) single down the left field line.
Sophomore Sarah Tucker (Monroe, N.C.) led the inning half with a walk before consecutive singles from Emily Merriam (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) and Cassidy.
Following a fielder's choice, Ashley delivered the run-scoring single.
UMO's Madison Johnston (13-6) escaped without further damage after a groundout.
Billings (4-4) escaped a jam of her own with two groundouts after the Trojans had runners on second and third with one out.
Cassidy unleashed a mammoth shot to right center in the bottom of the fourth to put coach Jaclin Poole's squad up, 2-1.
UMO tied the contest in the top of the sixth after Caitlin Ewers drove in Kristin Power.
Billings provided the Bobcats a 3-2 cushion in the bottom of the sixth after singling through the left side, plating Valerie Hickey (Umatilla, Fla.). Hickey was a pinch runner for Tucker, who singled to open the frame.
The Trojans plated three runs in the top of the seventh after amassing five hits.
LMC posed a threat in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and second, but was unable to push across any runs.
Mount Olive 5, Lees-McRae 1
The Trojans (23-15, 9-3) saw all but one starter record a hit. The Bobcats' (6-24, 2-6) Cunningham, Kolleen Spears (Hickory, N.C.) and Ashley produced multi-hit games.
Power put UMO 1-0 in the top of the fourth with a RBI single. She was ejected after the play due to a slide that wiped out LMC's second baseman.
The Trojans plated two more runs in the fifth after a sacrifice fly and single to left center.
UMO took advantage of a field error to push the lead to five, 5-0, in the top of the seventh.
Spears scored LMC's lone run on a fielder's choice and fielding error.
Junior Charlie Dutton (Monroe, Ga.) (1-9) suffered the loss after allowing three earned runs in seven innings.
The Bobcats welcome King (Tenn.) for a CC doubleheader Wednesday, April 6 at 3 & 5 p.m., tentatively.
- LMC -
