Sarah Olin, Staff Writer
The Armstrong State University softball team split their pair of games Saturday, Feb. 27, losing 2-1 to the Bellarmine Knights in Game 1, but defeating the Wingate Bulldogs 3-2 in Game 2 at the Mid-South Classic in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Junior Tori Bates kept the scoreboard at zero through the first seven innings. Bellarmine’s Kelly Ely’s RBI single gave the Knights a 1-0 lead, but senior Peyton Roth’s RBI single tied the game at 1-1.
The Knights took the lead again in the tenth inning, scoring a run on an error. The Pirates’ last chance to tie up the game was smothered when sophomore Autumn Parrish’s drive to center field was caught at the fence to end the game.
Bates took the loss for the Pirates, giving up five hits and two unearned runs, while striking out 10. Ally Foster took the win for the Knights, giving up two hits and one walk, while also striking out 10.
In the second game, Wingate took the lead in the second inning on an RBI single to make the game 1-0. However, the Pirates responded in the fourth inning with a three runs on an error and a double by freshman Macy Coleman.
An RBI single by Misty Doran gave Wingate another run, but freshman Morgan Duff of the Pirates took the mound to shut down Wingate to end the game at 3-2.
Jane Trzaska took the win for the Pirates in her five innings of work, while Duff allowed one run over her two innings to count towards her second save of the season.
The Pirates had to overcome a lot of adversity after the first loss and wanted to turn things around to prepare for the rest of the games.
“We took the loss to Bellarmine hard,” Bates said. “It was a long game that had a lot of ups and downs. We took that loss and turned it into motivation to bounce back and prove ourselves.”
And bounce back the Pirates did.
The tournament continued Sunday with the Pirates sweeping the pair of games, edging out Lenoir-Rhyne, 2-1, and Queens (NC), 5-1.
In the first game, the Bears took the lead with an unearned run in the fourth inning to make the game 1-0. In the sixth inning, the Pirates came charging back to score twice on an RBI triple by Coleman and an RBI single from Trzaska who picked up the one-run win.
In the second game, freshman Logan Harrell put the Pirates on the map with RBI singles in the second and fifth innings making the game 2-0. Queens (NC) scored a run in the sixth, but in the top of the seventh, junior Hannah Reppert crushed a three-run home extend their lead out for the big victory.
The Pirates are now standing at 14-6 and will close out their non-conference schedule this weekend. They will hit the road this Saturday, March 5 for a doubleheader against Fort Valley State.
