By Joshua J. Darling, Sports Information Director
RALEIGH, N.C. – A day of late rallies would see LaGrange (4-10, 0-0 CCS) end up on the wrong side of both as they dropped a 6-0 decision to Mary Baldwin (4-3, 0-0 ODAC) and fell 5-4 to Randolph (5-3, 0-0 ODAC) in an NCAA Division III softball doubleheader on Saturday, March 5.
GAME 1: MARY BALDWIN 6, LAGRANGE 0
The teams would deliver a true pitcher's duel over the first five innings as the clubs combined for seven hits, with no more than one per inning.
That would change dramatically in the top of the sixth, however, as a error on the leadoff batter would prove costly. Following that batter reaching Hadley May belted a ball over the left field fence for a 2-0 lead before the next three went down in order.
A 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth left that margin in place but not for long as the Fighting Squirrels continued to find their stroke. Back-to-back one-out singles set the stage for Olivia Gagne, who laced a two-RBI triple to double the lead and Haley Roberts ripped a two-run shot over the center field fence. Three more outs in the home half of the inning then closed out the 6-0 victory.
May would go 2-for-4 with a homerun, two RBIs and a run scored and Roberts and Gagne each had two RBIs with a homer and triple, respectively. Leanna Rankin went 3-for-4 with a run scored while Emily McCreery went the distance, striking out five while allowing just three hits and no runs to improve to 4-1.
Held to just three hits, the Panthers would get one hit a piece from senior third baseman Reagan Gunter (Villa Rica, Ga.), freshman outfielder Abby Hefner (Talking Rock, Ga.) and junior outfielder Marley Smith (Smithfield, Ga.). Freshman pitcher Claire Chamberlain (Rome, Ga.) threw her sixth complete game, allowing four earned runs against five strikeouts to take the loss and fall to 3-4.
GAME 2: RANDOLPH 5, LAGRANGE 4
Randolph jumped out to the early lead, using two walks, a passed ball, error and a pair of singles to take a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the first. The big blow would come off the bat of Taryn Campbell when she poked a single to center to score both runs.
It would stay that way until the fourth as both teams went hitless over the next two innings, something that would change for both in the fourth. A pair of one-out singles and a wild pitch would a pair of runners in scoring position, something that sophomore outfielder Abby Vanhoose (LaGrange, Ga.) would take advantage of as she brought home freshman shortstop Kelsea Moody (Johns Creek, Ga.) on a groundout to cut it to 2-1.
The Wildcats would waste no time in extending their lead, however, as they pushed across three runs on as many hits in the home half of the fourth. Dominique Irving delivered two of those three with a two-RBI single to cap the inning.
It would stay that way until the top of the seventh when LaGrange mounted a rally that nearly drew them even. Freshman pitcher Isabelle Herren (Buford, Ga.) helped her own cause with a double and scored on a single by sophomore second baseman Kenzie Hornsby (Tallassee, Ala.). Gunter then added an RBI single to center and freshman outfielder Katelyn Minnihan (Stockbridge, Ga.) stroked one to right to cut it to 5-4.
She would then swipe second before Gunter got gunned down at home on a ball to the shortstop to choke off the tying run. From there Randolph would escape with a fly out to lock down the 5-4 victory.
Irving led the way for RC with a 2-for-3 day that included two RBIs and a run scored while Campbell added two RBIs of her own. Olesia Walch had the other RBI and added a run and Paige Scruggs went 6.1 innings, scattering seven hits, allowing three earned runs and striking out three to improve to 1-2.
Herren went 2-for-3 with a double and VanHoose, Hornsby, Gunter and Minnihan each had solo RBIs to pace the Panthers. Herren would also go the distance in the circle, throwing six innings and surrendering five runs, five hits and striking out three. She falls to 1-4 on the year.
UP NEXT
The Panthers are back in action tomorrow, Sunday, March 5 when they take on Salem and Eastern Mennonite at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., respectively.
