CENTRAL, S.C – Hannah Foster,
Julie Gast, and
Megan Powell collected a combined 12 hits in the two games, while
Aliyah Compton went 4 for 4 with an RBI and three runs scored in game two, as the Lees-McRae softball team clinched an 8-4 win in the second game to clinch a split in the Conference Carolinas doubleheader against Southern Wesleyan this afternoon. The Bobcats dropped a 7-5 defeat in the opening game.
GAME #1 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Southern Wesleyan – 7; Lees-McRae – 5
LOCATION: Varsity Field – Central, South Carolina
RECORDS: Southern Wesleyan (2-14/1-2), Lees-McRae (7-16/1-4)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Foster went 3 for 4 from the plate with two doubles and two RBIs, while Gast went 2 for 4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs, to pace the Bobcats in the opening game.
- Powell also went 2 for 3 with a solo home run, while Compton and Lauren Ritchie also collected hits for the Bobcats.
- After a scoreless first inning, Powell connected on her team-leading sixth home run to give the Bobcats an early 1-0 lead.
- Southern Wesleyan evened the score in the bottom of the second with a solo home run of their own.
- After the Warriors pushed the lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the third inning, Lees-McRae used a two-RBI double by Gast and a double by Foster to score Gast to cut the lead to 5-4 in the top of the fifth.
- Southern Wesleyan responded with two runs on two hits in the bottom of the frame to recapture momentum.
- Foster tallied her third hit of the game in the top of the seventh to score Gast, who doubled in her at-bat, to trim the deficit to 7-5.
- The Warriors were able to secure the final out to clinch the conference win.
- Powell and Jasmine Fong surrendered six earned runs on seven hits for the Bobcats in the circle.
FOR THE FOES:
- Two Warriors collected multiple hits in game one, while Faith Bowen gave up five earned runs on nine hits in seven innings of work.
GAME #2 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 8; Southern Wesleyan – 4
LOCATION: Varsity Field – Central, South Carolina
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (8-16/2-4), Southern Wesleyan (2-15/1-3)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Compton also chipped in two stolen bases in game two, while both Gast and Foster both went 2 for 4 from the plate and tallied a combeind two RBIs and two runs scored.
- Powell went 1 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored, while both Emma Jackson collected an RBI.
- Jordyn Scott went 1 for 3 from the dish, with Jada Wilson going 1 for 4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored.
- Lees-McRae opened the scoring in game two in the first inning as Gast tripled to center field to score Compton and Foster singled to right field to score Gast to give the Bobcats an early 2-0 lead.
- Southern Wesleyan responded with three runs in the bottom of the second inning to reclaim the lead.
- The Bobcats exploded for five runs in the top of the third as Powell singled home Compton, Jackson hit a sacrifice fly to score Powell, Wilson doubled to score Rylie Webster, and Compton singled to center field to score Wilson to give Lees-McRae a 7-3 lead.
- Compton extended the lead to 8-3 in the top of the sixth by scoring on a Warrior error off a fly-out by Powell.
- Southern Wesleyan managed to get one final run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Bobcats secured the final out to clinch the conference win.
- Wilson gave up only three earned runs on six hits, to go along with eight strikeouts, in the circle for the Bobcats.
FOR THE FOES:
- Emmy Copeland and Delaney Byers both finished with multiple hits in game two to pace the Warriors.
- Emma Collins gave up four earned runs on 11 hits in the circle for Southern Wesleyan.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats will visit Converse for a Conference Carolinas doubleheader on Tuesday, March 29. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m.
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