Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Demorest, GA - The Piedmont College softball team finished the regular season portion of their USA South schedule earlier today by sweeping visiting Greensboro College in doubleheader action at Walker Athletic Complex.  The Lady Lions won game one 8-2 before taking the encore 6-1 to also wrap the home portion of their 2014 schedule finishing with a 24-2 record in the friendly confines including a 12-0 mark in six home USA South doubleheaders.

Holding the nation's #9 ranking, Piedmont went into Sunday's action wanting to close out their USA South season in style and did just that though it was the Pride who got on the board first with a sac fly in the top of the opening inning leading to a 1-0 lead for Greensboro.  The Lady Lions would be held scoreless in the first two innings, but picked up a pair of runs in the third to take the lead away from the visitors as an Allison Vaughn double to left center and an Olivia Duncan single to the same spot drove in single runs for the girls from Demorest to take a 2-1 lead after three complete.

After Greensboro tied it up in the 5th with a single down the left field line scored Sarah Tompkins to push the board level, the Lady Lions would put up another pair of scores in the home half of the same inning as a pair of Pride defensive miscues proved costly.  Up 4-2 after the mistakes in the field by the visitors, Piedmont would add a four-spot in the bottom of the 6th as insurance taking an 8-2 lead just before the final inning. 

Going 4-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored in game one, Vaughn was the main culprit in that Piedmont 6th as her single with runners on the corners scored two as Abby Atkinson came all the way around from first to put the Lady Lions up four with nobody out in the inning.  Back-to-back walks to Olivia Duncan and Jordin Ellingson loaded the bases for PC, an opportunity that both Laura Carter and Abby Smith took advantage of as they each singled to left to drive in a run each, accounting for the four in the inning.

With an 8-2 lead in the 7th, Piedmont starter Jordin Ellingson had enough to work with though she gave up two singles to lead off the final inning before recording the final two outs by getting Greensboro batters to chase at strike three.  Ellingson went the distance in the win, tossing seven innings allowing two runs on six hits while not issuing a walk and striking out a half dozen on the day.  The sophomore pitcher moves to 19-2 on the year and likely is in the conversation for USA South Pitcher of the Year as well as All-Region and perhaps All-American awards.

After the 6-run win in game one, Piedmont would get six runs total in the encore but that was more than enough as they gave up just one score to the visiting Pride in game two.  Getting the start in the circle for PC in game two was the senior Brittney Head who tossed seven innings without allowing an earned run on five hits as she also did not issue a walk on the afternoon. 

Head's performance in the circle would help her earn win #15 of the season as she is now 15-1 in 2014 as Piedmont again trailed after the top of the first by a single run as the Pride this time got a run on a double by Sarah Connolly.  However, an Abby Smith single drove in the tying run in the Piedmont 2nd to level the two before a 4-run Piedmont 5th broke the game wide open for the home team. 

Vaughn would rack up another pair of RBIs on her single with two runners on base as she started the scoring spree in the 5th followed by another Duncan RBI, her league-leading 42nd of the season.  The inning would be capped off scoring-wise by a monstrous home run by Tori Mitchell as she cleared the MonsterWall newly installed at Walker Athletic Complex this season with her solo shot to put Piedmont up 5-1 after five complete. 

The Lady Lions added another for comfort in the 6th when Avery Migues singled to the gap in right center to score Abby Smith, but the damage had already been done by the 4-run Piedmont 5th that broke a 1-1 deadlock and sent PC to yet another USA South win, 6-1 in the encore.

The pair of wins moves Piedmont to 35-3 overall and improves their conference record to 23-1 as the Lady Lions secured the #1 seed in the upcoming USA South Championship Tournament with a win over Averett University yesterday afternoon.  Today was the 11th time that Piedmont has swept a USA South opponent in doubleheader action this season as PC has now won 31 of its last 32 games. 

Before the Lady Lions head north to start championship play, Piedmont will take on their in-state rival as 9th ranked PC pays a visit to 18th ranked Emory this coming Wednesday, April 9th.  The matchup of ranked teams will start at 2:30 pm in Atlanta, Georgia.