NEED TO KNOW:
Game 1 Score: Pfeiffer 4, (#14) Piedmont 2
Game 2 Score: (#14) Piedmont 7, Randolph 6
Records: Piedmont 4-3; Pfeiffer 7-2; Randolph 1-2
 
Raleigh N.C. – The 14^th-ranked Piedmont University softball team split a pair of close contests to start day two of the Grand Slam Triangle Softball Classic, moving the Lady Lions to 5-3 on the young season.
 
Piedmont fell 4-2 in extra innings versus Pfeiffer to start the day before outlasting Randolph 7-6 in game two.
 
Due to inclement weather expected in Raleigh on Sunday, the tournament schedule was changed to include extra games on Saturday night. Piedmont will play Greensboro College at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night with Sunday's games subject to change.
 
Game 1 – Pfeiffer 4, Piedmont 2 (F/8)
 
The Falcons continued their hot start to the year with a dramatic extra-innings win over Piedmont on Saturday. Pfeiffer got the scoring started in the bottom of the third inning when it loaded the bases with just one out.
 
Peyton Farley would draw a bases-loaded walk to score Adison Campbell for the first run, setting up a sacrifice fly to centerfield from Mattie Hinson to score Ashlyn Kennedy to put Pfeiffer ahead 2-0.
 
Piedmont was quick to respond in the top of the fourth inning as REBEKAH STEGMAYER was hit by a pitch and DREW GRAHAM was walked to start the inning. That set up a big opportunity for KARA TAYLOR, who delivered with a game-tying two-RBI double to centerfield.
 
To that point, Piedmont had made some noise on the bases, but hadn't cashed in as double plays ended scoring chances in each the first and second innings.
 
Despite flipping the momentum and having a runner on with no outs in the fourth, Piedmont would ultimately strand Taylor at second as the pitcher's duel would take command of the game after that.
 
Both Piedmont's MARTINA MALOCH and Pfeiffer's Ashlyn Kennedy were stout in the contest as both maintained the 2-2 game through the end of regulation.
 
To start the eighth inning, the international tiebreaker rule went into effect as HANNAH CALLAWAY entered the game as a pinch runner at second base. Callaway wound up getting back-picked during the next at bat as Piedmont would go down in order to end the top of the inning.
 
Hinson led off the bottom of the inning for Pfeiffer with a walk-off two-run homer to give the Falcons their sixth win of the season.
 
The Lady Lions did not earn their way on base once after the fourth inning as Kennedy improved her pitching record to 5-0 after throwing eight innings and allowing just two hits and two earned runs.
 
Game 2 – Piedmont 7, Randolph 6
 
The fight wasn't over for Piedmont as game two was just as close throughout. The deadlock wasn't broken until the bottom of the third inning when REBEKAH STEGMAYER scored via an era, giving Piedmont a 1-0 lead.
 
That one run opened the floodgates for both offenses as Randolph evened the scored in the top of the fourth before Piedmont broke it open with three more in the bottom half. A pair of errors aided a trio of hits in the inning with RBIs coming from EMMA MCBRAYER and MEGAN STEINMEYER.
 
The Wildcats scored two more to start the fifth inning, but the Lady Lions one-upped them yet again with three runs of their own in the bottom half. Three straight hits from DREW GRAHAM, KARA TAYLOR, and MADISON HENRY got things started for the Lions as all three would eventually come around to score as Piedmont went up 7-3.
 
Randolph plated two more in the sixth inning thanks to four hits of their own to make it 7-5, then threatened again as Piedmont had to hang on for dear life in the final frame.
 
The Wildcats loaded the bases with just one out in the seventh and used a fielder's choice to plate their sixth run. With the bases loaded again with two outs, McBrayer got Dominique Irving to ground out to second, stranding the tying run at third to secure a nail-biting 7-6 victory.
 
McBrayer moved to 3-0 on the season with the win.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- KARA TAYLOR totaled three RBIs in the first two games as each of her two hits were doubles.
- REBEKAH STEGMAYER did her job at leadoff yet again as she scored a run and stole a base in each of the first two contests on Saturday.
 
UP NEXT:
- Piedmont plays Greensboro College tonight, Saturday, February 26, at 7:00 p.m. in Raleigh to continue the Grand Slam Triangle Softball Classic. Due to rain, Sunday's schedule to subject to change.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW:
- To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont College Athletics, be sure to visit PiedmontLions.com and connect with the Green and Gold on social media. Follow the Lions on Twitter: @PiedmontLions, Instagram: @PiedmontLions, and Facebook. To follow each Piedmont athletic program on social media, use the Social Media Directory at PiedmontLions.com or click here.