NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The combination of Olivia Presley and Jordan Hawk, who finished with two RBI each, helped the Brevard softball team win its first game of the season by a 7-3 margin over Sage in the morning session of the Fastpitch Dreams Tournament.
Presley finished 1-for-3 at the plate, recording a double and scoring one run in the process, while Hawk capped off the game hitting 1-for-4 with a triple and one run. Breanna Allen picked up the complete game win, moving to 1-1 on the season, after scattering seven hits and three runs over seven innings of work. She also recorded two strikeouts and did not allow a walk.
Teegan Bullock manufactured the first run of the game, reaching on a bunt single. Bullock eventually moved to third base where a sacrifice fly to left field by Sara Lallier made for a 1-0 lead. The following inning, with Ricki Kuhn at third after reaching on a single, Bullock scored her teammate on a single.
Facing a 2-0 deficit in the home half of the third, Sage picked up its first run on a single by Amanda Kiriakos that plated Destiny Wierzbicki. Two batters later, Katy Rimawi brought home Ali Visco from third to knot the game at 2-2.
The game would remain scoreless until the top of the sixth when Brevard scored five runs to break the game wide open. Lallier led off the inning with walk and Amber Hong followed with a single to put two runners on for the Tornados. Hawk followed with a bases clearing triple to move the Brevard lead to 4-2.
Ricki Kuhn reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Hawk from third, to extend the lead to three. Pauldin stopped up in the clutch with a double to left that plated Kuhn for the 6-2 advantage. The final Tornado run of the inning came two batters later when Brittan Miller scored Pauldin from third on a sacrifice fly.
Sage scored its final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth when Kristen Silk stole home with Kiersten Duncan at the plate.
GAME 2: HILBERT 6, BREVARD 4
Hilbert took advantage of two errors in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie and move in front 2-0. With one out, Nateal Papasergi reached on an error at second and Angela Johnson drew a walk to put two runners on base. Two batters later Maia Delaney reached on an error at first, plating Papasergi from third and Johnson from second in the process.
The Hawks added to their lead in the fifth, when a throwing error from centerfield allowed Melanie Basile to advance to second base. Morgan McNeill followed with a single to the outfield, scoring Basile for the third run of the game. Three batters later, with the bases loaded, Angelia Johnson delivered a single that scored McNeill from third.
Alyssa Barnas followed with a single into left field, plating Jenna Castricone from third to give the Hawks a 5-0 advantage. The final run came on a passed ball that brought Papasergi home on the play.
Brevard (1-3) made its offensive surge in the seventh after Paige Atkison opened the inning with a single to left. Sara Lallier followed with a double to center, but ended up at third following an error by the centerfield that allowed Atkison to score the first Tornado run of the game.
Amber Hong was plunked by a pitch, putting runners on the corners, before a long out to left field allowed Lalier to trim the lead to 6-2. Two batters later, Brittany Franks delivered a single to second, advancing Kuhn to second and Hong to third for Chloe Quick. Quick came through with a clutch single to right field, scoring Kuhn and Hong, but the rally ended on a fly out to right field by Emily White.
Brevard completes the three-day event on Friday when the Tornados square off against Mary Washington (11:30 a.m.) and Penn State-Abington (1:30 p.m.)