Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Demorest, GA - In a USA South doubleheader versus the Cougars of Averett University today, the #12 Piedmont Lady Lions won both games by scores of 9-2 and 8-1 respectively. The nationally-ranked Piedmont softball team had 24 hits and scored 17 to outpace the Cougars.

The Lady Lions came into the first game composed with Taylor Morgan reaching on a walk and scoring from second courtesy of Kristin Hamby's first of many hits on the day. Jamie Dennis followed up with another single but the Cougars were able to close the inning with two Lady Lions left on base.

After a defensive second inning, Olivia Duncan started off the bottom of the third with a hard-hit double to right. Hamby reached on a fielder's choice that saw no putouts before Dennis sacrificed-bunted to move both runners into scoring position. Duncan saw an opportunity to score from a wild pitch but the Cougars nabbed her at the plate as Hamby advanced to third. #8 Lauren Head brought in the last run of the inning with a single before Averett brought a halt to the Lion's offense.

The fourth inning saw Megan McClain score freshman Laura Carter by way of ground out; Carter had reached base aftering being hit by pitch at the top of the inning. By the fifth, Averett finally notched the scoreboard with an RBI double by J. Rudder. The Lady Lions allowed two hits in the inning with the second by J. Crews also batting in a runner.

Freshman OLIVIA DUNCAN kept her eye on the ball and found her second double in the bottom of the fifth to start an inning that saw four hits and two runs by the Lady Lions. Duncan, Hamby, Dennis and Megan Kesler each reached on hits. With another strong defensive sixth, the Lady Lions took advantage of Averett's second pitcher in the bottom. Abby Atkinson reached on a fielder's choice before McClain and Morgan both walked to the load the bases. All three were brought in by a Duncan triple; her third and final hit on four at-bats. Hamby, also three for four hitting in game one, singled to score Duncan.

Junior Brittany Head led the Lady Lions defense in game one, giving up only two runs and striking out four to maintain her miniscule ERA at 1.43.

In game two of the conference series, Piedmont scoerd first again. In the bottom of the first, McClain tripled before scoring on a Cougar passed ball. Averett came out swinging in the second inning with two hits and one run.

The Lady Lions took the lead back in the bottom of the second and didn't let go. L. Head singled, Kesler doubled, and freshman pitcher Jordin Ellingson tripled (her second of the season) to score both. TAYLOR MORGAN sac-flew to bring in Ellingson on the tag.

The Lady Lions would score four more runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth to increase the deficit over Averett. McClain singled in the fourth to score Kesler. In the fifth, Kesler brought Hamby in from second with her own single. The sixth saw Duncan score Whitney Wolfe and McClain on a single of her own to finish the scoring on the day.

Ellingson only gave up one run in her complete game two with six strikeouts; she moves to 9-1 overall. McClain and Kesler led the hitting in game two with four and three hits each respectively.

The Piedmont College softball team is now 19-3 on the season with a USA South conference record of 9-1. Their next match is a USA South conference doubleheader tomorrow against Mary Baldwin College. It is scheduled for a 12pm start at Walker Field weather permitting.