Joseph Marvin: Assistant Sports Information Director
TUCSON, Az. - The Brevard College Tornados Softball Team (6-7) split a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon in Tucson, Arizona.
Game one featured plenty of drama as the Tornados escaped with a 5-4 triumph over Waldorf University (3-5) in extra-innings, scoring in the top of the final frame before turning a game-clinching double play on a fly out to secure the victory.
After the thrilling victory, the Tornados fell to Dakota Wesleyan University in six innings by a final score of 11-1.
GAME ONE
Micayla McCoy (3-1, 1.68 ERA) earned her third victory as a Tornado by going the distance for the fourth time this season. McCoy pitched eight innings, allowing three earned runs on 11 hits, striking out five Vikings in the process. McCoy also drove in the game-winning run in the eighth inning, scoring Jocelyn Folkers on a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom half of the same inning, Waldorf loaded the bases, only to be denied when Tornado center fielder Sara Lallier caught a fly ball and turned a double play, throwing the Waldorf runner out at the plate to secure Brevard's 5-4 triumph.
Olivia Presley enjoyed a multi-hit performance in game one, going 2-for-5 at the plate. Mari Cook collected two RBI's, while McCoy and Pauldin each added an RBI of their own. Folkers came around to score twice, as Presley, Emily White, and Lauren Dowell also scored in the contest.
Cook and Pauldin plated the game's first two runs in the first inning before Waldorf answered back in the bottom half of the frame, trimming BC's lead to 2-1.
A bases-loaded walk and a passed ball gave Brevard a 4-1 lead in the top of the second, as the Vikings weren't able to answer back until the bottom of the fourth inning. The Tornados held a 4-2 advantage through four innings.
The Vikings were able to cut the Tornados' lead to 4-3 in the fifth before scoring the game-tying run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly.
Brevard threatened in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with two outs, but it was to no avail as the Vikings escaped.
McCoy sat Waldorf down in order in the bottom of the seventh frame, sending the contest into extra innings, the first extra-inning affair of 2019 for the Tornados.
Brevard selected Folkers as their chosen runner to put on second to start the extra frame. After a Lallier strikeout, Presley singled to advance Folkers to third. McCoy then plated the go-ahead run on a sac-fly to push Brevard up 5-4.
The Vikings played small ball with their selected runner at second, utilizing a sacrifice bunt to move a runner to third with one out. Two infield singles loaded the bases before a fly ball double play ended the contest in favor of the Tornados.
GAME TWO
Breana Allen (1-5, 5.55 ERA) earned the start for the Tornados in the second game of the third day against Dakota Wesleyan University (5-15), BC's second game of the day against an NAIA side.
Allen went 1.1 innings before being relieved by Savannah Jones, Ali Grace Hartman, and Summer Alexander.
Brittany Franks, who went 1-for-2, plated the Tornados' lone run of the contest in the fifth inning. McCoy, Dowell, and Pauldin each picked up a hit in the contest.
The Tigers used back-to-back two-run frames to open up action with a 4-0 lead. A big three-run inning broke the game open for Dakota Wesleyan before Franks earned BC's first run. The Tigers maintained a 7-1 advantage through four innings.
A four-run sixth inning did the Tornados in, as Brevard fell 11-1 in their sixth game of the Tucson Invitational Games (TIG) Spring Break Tournament.
Brevard closes its time out west tomorrow with contests against Millikin University at 11 a.m. ET before facing Dickinson State University at 3:30 p.m. ET. Updates can be found @BCTornados on Twitter as they become available.
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