DEMOREST -- The Piedmont College softball team had trouble getting started earlier today but recovered quickly to knock off visiting Wesleyan College in a pair of contests at Walker Athletic Complex. The Wolves took a lead in the first inning of game one, but Piedmont rallied with five in the second to overtake the visitors 11-3 in the first game while game two also went to the Lady Lions who took a 7-2 decision in the encore.
Game one started out the wrong way for PC as Wesleyan was able to get a pair of runs in the top of the 1st off Lady Lion freshman Sarah Walker who made the first start of her Lady Lion career. Walker had made four appearances on the season for PC, but earned her first start of the year in today's game one as she gave up two hits and saw a PC error in the first lead to a 2-0 deficit.
After allowing the opening flurry though, the youngster would settle in working in the circle for five innings allowing just four hits after the top of the 1st to put herself in position to pick up a win in her first start as the Lady Lions were able to rally getting a run back in the bottom of the first as an Allison Vaughn sac fly put Christine Mobley home to cut the deficit in half.
Now down just a run, Walker pitched a shutout in the top of the second while her team lifted the youngster in the bottom of the inning tallying five runs on five hits to reclaim the lead for good as PC did not trail the rest of the day from that point on. A Vaughn single in the inning gave her two more RBIs while Olivia Duncan collected her own two-RBI single in PC's next at-bat. Youngster Avery Migues completed the five-run 2nd with a RBI single through the left side scoring Duncan from second as PC held a 6-2 advantage after two complete.
A run in the Piedmont third off a Wesleyan error made the score 7-2 in favor of the home team while the Lady Lions added another pair in the 4th as centerfielder Laura Carter and catcher Tori Mitchell picked up RBIs. Walker allowed a run in the top of the 7th to make it a 9-3 ballgame heading into the bottom of the inning, but Piedmont picked up a pair in its turn at the plate as Amanda Burr and Madison Eubanks singled runs in to end the game early courtesy of the 8-run rule in an 11-3 final score.
Walker's win comes as she allowed six hits in five innings of work with three runs allowed, two of which were earned. The freshman did not walk a single batter though as she settled down in the circle after a two-run 1st to strike out eight batters on the day.
Leaders at the plate included a 1-for-3 Allison Vaughn as she accounted for three RBIs in game one and scored a run as well. Olivia Duncan also had a multiple RBI performance with her two on one hit in a pair of at-bats.
The Lady Lions wrapped up the doubleheader sweep with a 7-2 win in game two as Brittney Head got the win on the mound to move to 10-1 in this, her senior year with the green and gold. Head went five innings allowing just two hits and no earned runs to get the win while Kristina Coggins and Tori Mitchell each also threw an innning in the victory.
Piedmont picked up two runs in the bottom of the first as Olivia Duncan doubled down the left field line to score teammate Allison Vaughn on the play just a few batters before coming home herself on a Abby Smith single up the middle. The Lady Lions got two more in the third as Duncan and Smith were the culprits again in the exact same fashion, an RBI double for Duncan and an RBI single for Smith as Piedmont would lead it 4-0 after three.
In the Piedmont 5th, more action at the plate led to an increase in the lead as Kristina Coggins doubled to left center to score Duncan who reached earlier on a single to the gap in right. Later in the inning, Maryrose Burns tripled in Coggins just before Burns would score on a double to right center by freshman Jessica Perschka.
Wesleyan would get single runs in the 6th and 7th, but the damage had already been done by that point as Piedmont rolled to a 7-2 decision in game two. Coggins and Mitchell finished out the game in the circle as each allowed one run on three hits with Coggins tossing the 6th and Mitchell getting the 7th to work with.
Game two leaders at the plate included Olivia Duncan who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored as she is now hitting a ridiculous .537 through 28 games and likely is in the conversation for USA South Player of the Year as well as All-American status with the numbers she has put up through the halfway point. Abby Smith was also perfect at the plate to join her teammate Duncan, going 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Coggins, Burns, and Perschka also drove in runs as the Lady Lions picked up their 12th doubleheader sweep of the season.
With the pair of wins, Piedmont moves to 25-3 overall and have now won 21 of their last 22 games as the year of 2014 continues to be a dominant season for the Lady Lions on the diamond.
PC now turns its attention to the Scots of Maryville College who come to Demorest this coming Wednesday afternoon for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. at the Walker Athletic Complex. The Scots are led by former Piedmont assistant coach and softball player Leah Hampton, who was on staff for PC's Great South Athletic Conference title in 2010 -- a year which saw the Lady Lions make a run to a NCAA Regional as well.
Saturday
November 16th, 2024
5:50AM
