LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. – The Methodist softball team turned in a pair of solid performances on Friday, winning both ends of a doubleheader against host Covenant College, 9-5, 7-2. With the wins, MU improves to 12-12 (6-6 USAS) on the season, while the Scots fall to 9-9 overall and 2-8 in conference play.
Game 1 – MU 9, CC 5 The Green and Gold got on the board first on and RBI-double from
Kelsey Harrington, scoring
Sarah Stapleton. Harrington scored on the next play, as Covenant made back-to-back throwing errors, and MU gained an early 2-0 lead.
The Scots responded in the bottom of the frame, as Morgan Lane doubled to right center to plate Kasey Hart, who doubled one play prior to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Another error by Covenant in the second scored
Kristen Bailly, and Methodist went ahead 4-1 on an RBI-single by Stapleton.
After the Scots tacked on a run in the second, Methodist pushed its lead to 5-2 on a single by
Allyson Aycock to plate
Ally Griffin. Covenant knotted the game, 5-5, in the bottom of the third, registering three runs on a home run by Lane and a two-RBI single by Amanda English.
The Monarchs regained the lead in the top of the sixth, 8-5, scoring one on a sacrifice fly to center by
Lindsay Tippett and two on another error by the Scots.
An RBI single by Stapleton in the sixth drove
Jordan Pietrolaj home, tallying Methodist's final run.
Harrington went a solid 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored while Stapleton finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Emily Hester earned the win for the Monarchs, pitching 6.1 innings and allowed two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts.
Christine Bowman saw the mound for 0.2 innings in relief and allowed three runs on five hits.
For Covenant, Lane was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored and English was 2-for-2 with two RBI.
Joni Johnson was handed the loss, pitching the last 5.0 innings and giving up four runs on nine hits.
Game 2 – MU 8, CC 6 Unlike game one, Covenant was the first to reach the board in the nightcap, grabbing a 1-0 lead in the first before the Methodist bats got going.
MU grabbed a 3-1 advantage in the second, a three-run inning that began with back-to-back walks by Griffin and Bailly. After a pitching change for the Scots, a single by Aycock scored Griffin and a double to left field by Stapleton two batters to left field scored Aycock and
Brittany Miller, who singled on a bunt.
After CC got a run back in the second, the Green and Gold answered back with four runs in the top of the third. To begin the scoring, Aycock singled to center field to plate Harrington, and Miller single to left field scored Griffin. A walk by
Cayley Oldham forced a run in and a sacrifice fly by Stapleton added another, giving Methodist a 7-1 lead.
Covenant made things interesting in the bottom of the frame, scoring four runs to come within one run of the Monarchs, 7-6. Back-to-back doubles by Hart and Jordan Brett tallied two and singles by English and Jami Johnson scored the Scots' last two runs. Methodist's relief pitcher,
Nicole Heinrich, held Covenant from tying the score, striking out Kaitlyn Sirmons for the last out of the inning.
Griffin was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Miller was 2-for-2 with an RBI. Stapleton was 1-for-4 with three RBI and Aycock added two RBI.
Heinrich was awarded the win, tossing 4.1 innings and allowing no runs and only three hits with two strikeouts. Miller started for MU, pitching 2.2 innings and giving up six runs on seven hits.
Brett went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored and Johnson was 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Cris Gant took the loss, pitching 1.0 innings and allowed one run with three walks.
Methodist is back in action tomorrow as it travels to Maryville, Tenn. to take on host Maryville in a doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m.
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