NEED TO KNOW:
Game 1 Score: Piedmont 7, Maryville 6 (F/8)
Game 2 Score: Piedmont 4, Maryville 3
Records: Piedmont 17-8 (6-0 USAS); Maryville 13-13 (4-2 USAS)
DEMOREST, Ga. – Piedmont University's softball team managed to grind out a pair of one-run wins on Thursday afternoon as the Lady Lions swept a doubleheader over the Maryville Scots to improve their conference record to 6-0.
The Lady Lions walked it off in the eighth inning of game one thanks to a game-winning two-RBI double from freshman
JASMINE LOWERY to give Piedmont the 7-6 win. Game two was just as close as the Piedmont defense worked its way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh to fend off a Maryville rally and hold on for a 4-3 victory.
Game 1 – Piedmont 7, Maryville 6 (F/8)
Piedmont's offense jump-started this doubleheader as the Lady Lions scored in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from
EMMA MCBRAYER before hanging three runs on the board in the bottom of the second.
A pair of hits were aided by a pair of Maryville errors in the second as
KAITLIN ISLEY notched an RBI single in the inning and later scored one of Piedmont's three runs on an error. That inning placed the momentum solely on Piedmont's side, but the Scots and their ace Megan Ackerman didn't go down quietly.
Maryville got on the board in the top of the third on an RBI groundout from Jenica Brown before Piedmont answered with another run in the bottom of the fourth. Another RBI single from Isley in that frame extended Piedmont's lead to 5-1, but Ackerman limited the damage and gave her offense a chance to stay in it.
The Scots did just that and took hold of the momentum with three runs in the top of the fifth inning to make it a 5-4 ballgame. Ackerman worked back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth innings before the Scots rallied in the seventh to tie the game after three straight two-out hits.
Maryville's defense delt with some trouble in the bottom of the seventh as
REBEKAH STEGMAYER found her way to third base with only one out, but she was ultimately caught in a rundown when
KARA TAYLOR grounded to third in the next at-bat.
Heading to extras, the Scots plated a run on Ava Whitmire's RBI single that scored Campbell White, who started the inning at second base as part of the international tiebreaker rule.
Piedmont was ready to meet the challenge as
MADISON HENRY and McBrayer each singled to lead off the bottom half, loading the bases for the freshman Lowery. Lowery delivered with a ringing 2-RBI, walk-off double down the left field line to conclude a seven-pitch at-bat.
McBrayer earned the win in game one after she allowed just three earned runs in her eight innings of work.
Game 2 – Piedmont 4, Maryville 3
Just as they did in game one, the Lady Lions opened the scoring in a big way as they plated three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Stegmayer and Isley each tallied RBIs in the inning to get the Lions out front early.
MARTINA MALOCH pitched a pair of clean innings to start the second game but ran into trouble in the top of the third as three straight hits for the Scots loaded the bases with no outs. Amaya Goodloe would score the Scots' first run of the inning on an error in the infield before a sac fly from Emily Hill scored Jenica Brown to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Piedmont added an important insurance run in the bottom of the fourth as
DREW GRAHAM tripled to lead off the inning and then scored just a couple pitches later on a sac fly from
LEXI CHITWOOD. That proved pivotal as the Scots answered back in the top of the sixth with back-to-back hits to make it a 4-3 ballgame.
Maryville made it interesting in the top of seventh as another string of back-to-back hits loaded the bases with two outs. With the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second, McBrayer came on in favor of Maloch looking to get the final out of the day.
McBrayer did just that as she got Kaliyah Hensic to ground to Isley at third base as she stepped on the bag to end the threat and help the Lions escape with their 11-game winning streak still intact.
Maloch earned the game two win after allowing 11 hits but only two earned runs while McBrayer was credited with her second save of the season.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
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MARTINA MALOCH and the Piedmont defense imbodied a "bend but down break" mentality in game two as Maloch allowed 11 hits in the game but also managed to strand 11 Maryville baserunners.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
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JASMINE LOWERY was the hero in game one as her two-RBI walk-off double lifted the Lady Lions to a 7-6 victory.
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KAITLIN ISLEY got her first at-bats of the season in the doubleheader, and she delivered with a 5-for-6 day at the plate while totaling three RBIs and a run scored.
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REBEKAH STEGMAYER had an under-the-radar but productive day as she went 4-for-6 at the plate with four runs scored, four stolen bases, and an RBI.
UP NEXT:
- The Lady Lions will look to keep rolling on their 11-game winning streak this weekend as they travel to Montgomery, Alabama for a USA South conference doubleheader with the Huntingdon Hawks. First pitch of game one on Saturday, April 9, is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW:
- To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont University 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.
