BANNER ELK, N.C. – Lees-McRae softball earned the doubleheader sweep over Mount Olive on Friday afternoon with
Jordyn Scott collecting the game-winning RBI double in the first game and scoring the go-ahead run in the second contest in today's twin bill. Prior to today's doubleheader, Scott along with
Julie Gast,
Abby West, and
Jada Wilson were honored as part of Senior Day for the Bobcats.
GAME #1 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 2; Mount Olive – 1
LOCATION: Softball Field– Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (29-16/16-7), Mount Olive (23-18/12-9)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Mount Olive's Hannah Killough and Megan Powell went head-to-head in the pitching circle as both squads could not score until the seventh inning.
- The Trojans got on the board in the seventh after Ashlyn Porter led off the inning with a double down the left field line. UMO scored the first run on a throwing error by the Bobcats, but left two on the base paths after Powell got Courtlynn Cooney to ground out.
- Emma Jackson knotted the score at one run on a lead-off home run down the left field line. Hannah Foster singled to the pitcher and Scott doubled to the left center gap three batters later to give Lees-McRae the 2-1 victory in emphatic fashion.
- Powell earned her 15th win of the season in the circle after throwing a complete game while only allowing one run (zero earned) on three hits and one walk. Powell struck out five Trojans in the game.
FOR THE TROJANS:
- Killough took the loss for Mount Olive in game one after a solid performance as she struck out 10 Bobcats in 6.2 innings.
- Porter had two hits in the first game and Alyssa Smothers added the other hit for UMO.
GAME #2 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 6; Mount Olive – 4
LOCATION: Softball Field – Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (30-16/17-7), Mount Olive (23-19/12-10)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- In the second game, the two sides remained deadlocked until the third inning with Scott hitting a lead-off single for the Bobcats. Scott stole second and advanced to third on a fielder's choice by Gast.
- Buckner reached on a throwing error by Mount Olive's shortstop as the Bobcats took the two-run advantage.
- Lees-McRae doubled their lead in the next frame with Gast collecting an RBI single up the middle with Rylie Webster touching home plate. Powell followed with an RBI single to center field with Morgan Crowe scoring on the play.
- Mount Olive rallied in the top of the fifth with four runs of their own to tie the score at four runs. Kylie Emanuele tied the contest after an RBI single and made it to third on a fielding error by the Bobcats. Emanuele touched home on a wild pitch to even the contest.
- The Bobcats answered in the sixth inning with Scott producing a home run over the left field wall. Crowe followed a single to left field. Buckner drove in the sixth run of the game for Lees-McRae with a double to right field as Gast rounded the bases on the play.
- Powell shut the door on the Trojans in the seventh after Emanuele lined into a double play to end the game and give the Bobcats their 30th win of the season.
- The 30 wins is the most in program history since 1999 when Lees-McRae went 30-14 that season.
- Seniors Gast and Scott each had two hits on the day with one RBI apiece. Crowe joined them with a multi-hit day in four plate appearances.
- Powell came in relief of Wilson and Buckner in the seventh to collect her 16th win of the season for the Bobcats.
FOR THE TROJANS:
- Cooney had a game-high three hits for Mount Olive as Emanuele, Smothers, and Kaylee Taylor contributed one RBI each.
UP NEXT:
Lees-McRae finished the regular season with an overall record of 30-16 and 17-7 in Conference Carolinas play and earned the No. 2 spot in next week's postseason play. The Bobcats will begin their tournament run on Thursday, April 27.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on Twitter (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics), and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
