BEREA, Ky. – The Brevard softball team completed a doubleheader sweep of Berea (10-10, 2-1) on Friday afternoon as it moved to 5-3 on the 2018 campaign.
In the first game, four Tornados finished with multiple hits, including Amber Hong, who was a perfect 3-of-3 at the plate as Brevard took down the Mountaineers in five innings. Teammates Sara Lalier (2-4, four RBI, double) and Paige Atkison (2-4, three RBI, triple) were responsible for a bulk of the Tornado offense with a combined seven RBI.
Brevard also received two RBI from Emily White, who capped off the first game with a 1-for-3 outing from the plate that included two runs scored. Ricki Kuhn joined her teammates with a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-3 at the plate, while tossing one inning and surrendering just two hits to five batters faced on the mound.
Breanna Allen (2-1) picked up the win after going four complete innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out two Mountaineer batters.
The Tornados struck early, scoring four runs on five hits in the top of the first. Hong had the first hit of the game and White followed by reaching on a fielder's choice. Atkison extended the inning with a two-out double, scoring White in the process, for the game's first run.
Lalier followed with a bases-clearing triple that plated Kuhn and Atkison for the three-run advantage. Olivia Presley delivered an RBI single that brought Lalier home from third before the inning ended on a grounder at first.
Jordan Hawk manufactured the fifth Brevard run of the game in the second when she reached on a single. After stealing second, Hawk moved to third on a single off the bat of Hong. White sent a grounder back to the mound, advancing Hong to third and scoring Hawk on the play as the lead reached 5-0.
Berea answered with one run in the home half of the third, but Brevard tacked on four runs on three hits in the fourth for a 9-1 advantage. With Hawk at second following a walk and a wild pitch, Hong delivered a single to put runners on the corners.
White drew a walk, loading the bases for Atkison, who connected on a single that brought scored Hawk and Hong for a 7-1 lead. Two batters later, with White at third and Logan Baker pinch running for Atkison at second, Lalier put two more Tornado runs on the board with a single.
The Mountaineers put their second run of the game on the board in the fourth, but Brevard answered in the fifth when Olivia Pauldin led off the frame with a single. Hawk again walked and Pauldin eventually moved to third on a wild pitch, before a Hong walk loaded the bases for White.
White delivered a double for Brevard, scoring Pauldin in the process, but Hawk was tagged out at third on the play. Atkison recorded the final out of the inning as Brevard topped double figures for the first time this season.
GAME 2: Brevard 10, Berea 1
Ricki Kuhn finished 3-of-4 from the plate, tallied four RBI, scored one run, recorded a double and smashed the first home run of the season for the Tornados to lead the way for the offense in the second game. Kuhn was also clutch on the mound, tossing a complete game one hitter that included four strikeouts as she improved to 3-2 in the 2018 slate.
Joining Kuhn with solid outings at the plate were Paige Atkison (0-1) and Sara Lalier (1-4, run), who were responsible for two RBI each.
In similar fashion to the first game, Brevard used four runs in the first inning to establish itself. Amber Hong drew a walk and Emily White added a single as the pair moved into scoring position on an error by the catcher. Atkison grounded to second, scoring Hong and moving White to third in the process.
Kuhn blasted a two-run home run, moving the Tornado lead to 3-0, and Lalier extended the inning by reaching on an error at short stop. Olivia Presley came through with a single, advancing Lalier to third, who scored on an error by the catcher for the final run of the frame,
The Tornados tacked on one run in the second when Kuhn delivered a bases-loaded single that scored Hong from third.
Chloe Quick started off the Brevard third with a single into right field before stealing second with Brittan Miller at the plate. Two batters later, with Miller at first following a walk, Jordan Hawk singled to plate Quick for the 6-0 Tornado lead.
Two batters later, with the bases loaded, Atkison flied to right field scoring Miller on a sacrifice fly for the second out of the third. Kuhn reached base on an error at first and Lalier followed with a two-RBI single that scored Hong and Hawk for the 9-1 Brevard advantage.
Breanna Allen helped Brevard score its final run of the game in the fifth when she drew a two-out walk. Elizabeth Traxler followed suit, moving White into scoring position, before Kuhn delivered a double that brought home White from second on the play. Berea managed its only run of the game in the bottom of the inning.
The Tornados' road trip continues this weekend when they face Covenant on Saturday, March 17 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.