MOUNT BERRY — In an elimination contest at the NCAA Mount Berry Regional, the Piedmont softball team came close to mounting a comeback but ultimately lost to Birmingham-Southern 6-4 to conclude the 2016 season. Piedmont ended the year at 29-15 overall with this marking the sixth time the team has made it to the NCAA Tournament.
The Panthers got on the board quickly with a run in the first inning and continued to pour on the runs with two in the second and tacked on another in the third inning posting a 4-0 lead after three complete. The Lady Lions had a leadoff hit to start the game but otherwise had a slow start through the first three innings.
Piedmont got on the board in the fourth with a pair of runs as Laura Carter singled to start the inning and the Lady Lions had a total of four hits in the inning. Carter got tagged out in a rundown at the plate in what could have been Piedmont's first run of the game, but Allison Vaughn delivered sending home a pair making it 4-2 BSC.
Melissa Eckman worked a three-up, three-down inning in the fifth allowing Piedmont to maintain momentum and tack on another run as Carter singled to score Audrey Esakoff making it 4-3.
Eckman left the game in the sixth as Sarah Walker took over with two on base as the Panthers scored once in the inning with Walker working out of a jam. Piedmont got back that run in the bottom of the frame as it was 5-4 heading to the seventh, but the Panthers got a solo home run with two outs in the seventh and Piedmont was unable to answer in the final three outs.
