BANNER ELK, N.C – Megan Powell, who pitched the program's third no-hitter since 2005 on Tuesday, notched her second no-hitter of the week in the second game and became the first pitcher in the Conference Carolinas since 2013 to record two no-hitters in a single season, while
Julie Gast (game two),
Hannah Foster (game two), and
Lauren Ritchie (game one) all posted a multi-hit game, to lead the Lees-McRae softball team to a split against Barton who entered Saturday as the top team in the Conference Carolinas this season.
GAME #1 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Barton – 9; Lees-McRae – 5
LOCATION: Softball Field – Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: Barton (23-4/10-2), Lees-McRae (12-17/6-5)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Ritchie went 2 for 3 from the plate with a home run, two RBIs and a runs scored to pace the Bobcats in the opening game.
- Jasmine Fong went 1 for 2 with her first career home run, two RBIs, and a run scored, while Jada Wilson also connected on a home run.
- Aliyah Compton also collected a hit for the Bobcats in the first game.
- Barton opened the scoring in the top of the first with two runs scored on a Bobcat error to take the early lead.
- The Bulldogs extended the lead to 3-0 in the top of second inning, before Lees-McRae cut the deficit to 3-2 on a two-run home run by Fong in the bottom of the third.
- The Bobcats used another two-run homer by Ritchie and a solo home run by Wilson in back-to-back at-bats in the bottom of the fourth to give Lees-McRae a 5-3 lead.
- Barton erupted for six runs on four hits in the top of the fifth to shift momentum and take a 9-5 lead.
- The Bulldogs held Lees-McRae scoreless in the final three at-bats to clinch the conference win.
- Wilson surrendered seven earned runs on 11 hits in the circle for the Bobcats in game one.
FOR THE FOES:
- Emily Bell went 3 for 4 from the plate, while Savannah Branch tallied a game-high three RBIs.
- AnnaKate Gilchrist gave up five earned runs on five hits for the Bulldogs.
GAME #2 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 8; Barton – 0 (5 inn.)
LOCATION: Softball Field – Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (13-17/7-5), Barton (23-5/10-3)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Foster went 2 for 2 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Gast went 2 for 3 from the plate with a double and two runs scored to pace the Bobcats in the later game.
- Both Ritchie and Rylie Webster went 1 for 2 from the plate with two RBIs and a run scored, with Jordyn Scott and Emma Jackson both tallying a hit and an RBI in the win.
- Lees-McRae sprinted out of the gates with six runs on five hits in the bottom of the first to grab momentum early.
- Ritchie opened the scoring with a two-RBI single by Ritchie to score Gast and Compton, while Foster singled in the next at-bat to score Powell.
- Webster tripled down the right-field line to score both Foster and Ritchie, with Jackson singling home Webster to extend the lead to 6-0.
- The Bobcats pushed the lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the second inning as Scott doubled to left-center to score Gast and Foster singles to center field to score Scott from third base.
- Lees-McRae held Barton scoreless in the final three innings to clinch the fifth Conference Carolinas win of the week.
- Powell did not surrender a hit and tallied six strikeouts in five innings of work for the Bobcats.
FOR THE FOES:
- Miranda Holmes gave up six earned runs on eight hits for the Bulldogs.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats will host "Battle for the Blue Ridge Cup" rival King on Wednesday, April 6 at 12 p.m.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on Twitter (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics), and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
