Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College softball team opened its home campaign on Tuesday, using a nine-run fifth inning in game two to force a mercy-rule victory and the split versus Belmont Abbey at Whitley Field.
GAME ONE | Belmont Abbey 8, Catawba 4
TEAM STATS
- Belmont Abbey out-hit Catawba 11-8
- The Crusaders had all three extra-base hits
- Both teams committed an error
- BAC's pitchers allowed four earned runs on eight hits and three walks, striking out one; the Catawba Indians' staff allowed six earned runs on 11 hits and two walks, striking out seven
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Madison Taylor went 2-for-3 with a run scored
- Molly Strider drove in a pair of runs; Bri Herring drove in another
- Aniyah King also recorded a pair of hits
- Alex Baquie allowed two earned runs in five innings of relief, striking out six
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Bri Gallagher and Kary Hales forced two-out walks and advanced on a wild pitch
- Strider drove them in on a two-out single to give Catawba the early 2-0 lead
SECOND INNING
- McKenzie Allison hit a one-out triple for Belmont Abbey
- The Crusaders drove her in on a two-out single through the right side
- The Catawba Indians loaded the bases with one out
- Herring singled to center to score a run before Savanna Balderston scored on a wild pitch to take a 4-1 lead
THIRD INNING
- BAC struck for three in the third inning to tie the game
FOURTH INNING
- The Crusaders added three more in the fourth to take a 7-4 lead
SEVENTH INNING
- Foster Sharpe's RBI double added an insurance score and Adison Yoder closed the door for the save for Belmont Abbey in game one
GAME TWO | Catawba 12, Belmont Abbey 4 - 5 innings
TEAM STATS
- Catawba out-hit Belmont Abbey 9-3
- The Catawba Indians recorded three of five extra-bases hit and hit the lone homer of the day
- Both teams committed two errors
- Catawba's pitchers allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks, striking out four; BAC's staff allowed 10 earned runs on nine hits and four walks
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Gallagher went 2-for-2 with a homer, four RBI and two runs scored
- Riley Tucker added a 2-for-4 game with a double, three RBI and two runs scored
- Grace Flynn was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored
- Courtnee Carter added a pair of runs scored and a run driven in
- Tucker allowed an earned run in three innings of work, while Baquie earned the win in relief, facing the minimum six batters and striking out three
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Gallagher lifted a two-out homer to left-center to give Catawba the early lead
THIRD INNING
- A one-out error came back to bite Catawba, as the Crusaders scored four runs in the frame to take a 4-1 lead
- The Catawba Indians got two outs in the bottom half on Herring's RBI double and Gallagher's sac fly
FIFTH INNING
- Catawba batted around in the fifth inning, exploding for nine runs on six hits and an error in the frame; Tucker's two-RBI double ended the game via mercy rule
UP NEXT
- Catawba returns to Whitley Field on Saturday for a big weekend of softball, as the Catawba Indians are set to face Shippensburg at 11 a.m. and Lees-McRae at 3 p.m.
