Salisbury, N.C. — The Catawba College softball team hit seven home runs across two ends of a doubleheader sweep of Lees-McRae on Thursday in the opening games at Whitley Field this season.
GAME ONE | Catawba 9, Lees-McRae 1 - 6 innings
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Lees-McRae 13-4
- The Catawba Indians hit three of four home runs and six of eight extra-base hits in the game
- Catawba recorded both stolen bases in the contest
- The Catawba Indian starter allowed a run on four hits and four walks, striking out nine; Lees-McRae's staff allowed nine runs on 13 hits and three walks, striking out five
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Brianna Gallagher went a perfect 4-for-4 with two homers and a double with five RBI and two runs scored
- Grace Flynn was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored
- Abbey Nixon added two hits in her Catawba home debut with a double, an RBI and two runs scored
- Maddy Altiers also homered among two hits
- Kate Holland went the distance, allowing one run in six innings to earn the win, matching a career high with nine strikeouts
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Flynn singled and stole second to lead off the game
- Nixon drove her in on an RBI double the other way
- Gallagher followed up with an RBI single to score her, putting Catawba up 2-0
THIRD INNING
- Gallagher led off the third with a solo shot to left field
FOURTH INNING
- Adda Prescott and Rachel Pressley singled to lead off the fourth
- Flynn drove them both home on a single following a sacrifice bunt
- Gallagher sent Flynn home on an opposite-field RBI double, pulling her within a triple of the cycle and extending Catawba's lead to 6-0
FIFTH INNING
- LMC got on the board with Allie Johnston's solo home run
SIXTH INNING
- Gallagher's second homer of the game pushed Catawba's lead to 8-1
- Altiers pushed the game to mercy rule with a line drive homer to center field
GAME TWO | Catawba 13, Lees-McRae 5 - 5 innings
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Lees-McRae 12-9
- The Catawba Indians hit four of six homers and nine of 12 extra-base hits
- Both teams committed an error in the game
- Catawba had two of three stolen bases in the contest
- The Catawba Indian pitchers allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk, striking out seven; LMC's staff allowed nine earned runs on 12 hits, striking out one
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Gallagher added three hits in game two with a double, an RBI and three runs scored
- Flynn picked up two more hits in game two with a homer and two runs scored
- Altiers homered again with three runs driven in
- Alexis Monroe tripled and doubled twice, driving in a run and scoring two
- Dakotah Wilkins earned her first collegiate win in the circle, throwing 3.2 innings with four strikeouts
- Alex Baquie struck out two in a scoreless inning of work
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Lees McRae's Taylor Beurrier homered to lead off game two
- Johnston's two-run homer pushed the lead to 3-0
- Flynn answered with her own leadoff homer in the bottom half
- Gallagher doubled and Altiers homered to tie the game at 3
SECOND INNING
- Monroe tripled to lead off the second
- Prescott's safety squeeze scored her to lead 4-3
THIRD INNING
- Abby Hatley singled, stole second and advanced to third on an error to start the third
- Johnston's RBI single tied the game at 4
- An error helped Catawba extend the inning in the bottom half; Jordan McCorkle's one-out sac fly scored Gallagher from third to regain the lead
- Monroe's RBI double and Prescott's two-run homer pushed the lead to 8-4
FOURTH INNING
- Flynn and Nixon moved up to second and third with nobody out in the fourth
- Gallagher's RBI single made it 9-4 Catawba
- Aliter's sac fly got Catawba's run count to double digits
- Emily Coffey drove home a run on a fielder's choice
- Hayden Poole hit a pinch-hit two-run homer to push Catawba's lead to 13-4 after four
FIFTH INNING
- A one-out double scored a run for the Bobcats and put two more in scoring position
- Baquie forced an infield popup and struck out the final batter of the game
UP NEXT
- Catawba returns to Whitley Field on Friday with two games – taking on Davis & Elkins at 11 a.m. and Malloy at 3 p.m.
