NEED TO KNOW:
Game 1 Score: Piedmont 2, Maryville 4
Game 2 Score: Piedmont 1, Belhaven 5
Records: No. 4 Piedmont, 18-21 (10-6 CCS); No. 3 Maryville, 32-11 (12-4); No. 2 Belhaven, 36-5

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Piedmont University softball team has been eliminated from the CCS Tournament following a morning loss to No. 3 Maryville and an afternoon loss to No 2 Belhaven. The Lions dropped the morning contest 5-1, forcing them to play an elimination game against Belhaven later in the day.

GAME 1 - Piedmont 2, Maryville 4

With just one hit between the two squads through the first two frames, it was Maryville to score the first runs of the game in the bottom of the third. Back-to-back defensive mistakes from the Lions allowed the first run to cross before a double to left scored the second unearned run of the inning.

The Scots grabbed insurance in the bottom of the fourth after a lead-off walk and a hit batter put two on with no one out. Piedmont starter Riley Ford worked a strikeout and a fly out to get just one out away from escaping the inning but another defensive miscue from Piedmont allowed a runner to score before she could end the inning.

Having just four hits through the first five innings, the Lions offense got them back in the contest in the sixth inning. A lead-off double from Kaitlin Isley and Jasmine Lowery reaching on a fielder's choice later in the inning set the table for Megan Steinmeyer's two-RBI single to bring the Lions within one.

However, the Scots were able to add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to give them some extra breathing room as they shut Piedmont down in the top of the seventh to take the 4-2 win.

GAME 2 - Piedmont 1, Belhaven 5

After a scoreless top half of the first, it was Piedmont that struck first in the bottom half. Jordan Green led off the frame with a single through the left side and then advanced to third one batter later. Jasmine Lowery took advantage of the runner in scoring position, launching an RBI single into right to give the Lions an early 1-0 lead.

Piedmont starter Megan Steinmeyer worked her way out of trouble in the second and looked to be settling in before running into problems in the fourth. A lead-off walk, bunt single and stolen base put runners at second and third with no one out. Two batters later, a one-out single scored a pair, giving the Blazers their first lead of the contest. The damage did not stop as a double and two more RBI singles followed as Belhaven claimed a 5-1 lead.

From there, the Lions offense manage just two more hits over the next three frames and remained unable to come back in the contest. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
--Piedmont struck out just one time all day.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
--Kaitlin Isley went 2-2 with a run scored against the Scots.
--Megan Steinmeyer went 2-2 with 2 RBI against the Scots.
--Jasmine Lowery went 1-4 with the only RBI against Belhaven.
--Summer McCranie tossed 3.1 innings of scoreless ball out of the pin.

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