Joseph Marvin: Assistant Sports Information Director
MACON, Ga. - The Brevard College Tornados Softball Team (15-16, 7-3 USAS) picked up a doubleheader sweep over the Wolves of Wesleyan College (6-14, 1-7 USAS) on Sunday afternoon.
The Tornados pushed through late offensively in game one to claim a 3-0 victory before using a 15-hit performance to come-from-behind in the second game, 10-4.
GAME ONE
The Tornados and Wolves battled through a scoreless affair through the first five innings of the first game as starting pitchers Micayla McCoy (9-8) and Jillian Crosby (2-8) battled fiercely.
McCoy went the whole way for Brevard, pitching a complete game, seven-inning shutout. McCoy allowed just four hits while striking out two Wolves.
Brevard's offense got going late, scoring three runs in the game's final two innings.
Emily White added insurance in the seventh inning with an RBI single, as she went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
McCoy drove in the game's first run with an RBI single, going 1-for-2 with a walk.
Mari Cook enjoyed a 2-for-2 performance, drawing two walks as well. Jocelyn Folkers scored on an error, while Summer Wilson tallied a stolen base.
BC opened the game up by threatening with runners on the corners before being silenced. McCoy took the circle in the bottom of the first, working around a leadoff single to retire the Wolves.
Brevard fell in order in both the top of the second and third innings, while the Wolves amassed just one hit over that span.
The Tornados placed runners on first and second in the top of the fourth with just one out but were unable to convert as Wesleyan pitcher Crosby forced back-to-back fly outs. McCoy let up a one-out single in the bottom half of the frame, but Wesleyan failed to cash in.
Both sides went down 1-2-3 in the fifth inning as the scoreless affair moved into the sixth inning.
White sparked BC's offense in the top of the sixth with a one-out single. This was followed by a Cook single, putting runners on first and second with just one out. McCoy stepped into the batter's box and drove in BC's first run of the contest with an RBI single, plating White. However, that was all the damage that could be done as the Wolves recorded back-to-back outs to end the frame.
After giving her team a slim, 1-0 lead, McCoy sat the Wolves down in order once again in the bottom of the sixth inning. BC held a slim one-run lead heading into the final frame.
Breana Allen sparked BC's second scoring rally, pinch-hitting for Folkers and singling with one out. Folkers came back into the ballgame to run as Ali Grace Hartman got a pinch-hit appearance for Lauren Dowell.
Hartman put a ball in play that scored Folkers via a Wesleyan error, extending Brevard's lead, 2-0.
Sara Lallier singled to advance Hartman to third base before White drove Hartman in with an RBI single, pushing the Tornados' lead up to 3-0.
McCoy retired the last two Wesleyan batters after a one-out single to seal Brevard's 3-0 game one victory.
GAME TWO
The Wolves opened up the contest by tagging BC starter Ali Grace Hartman for three runs in an inning and a third. Wesleyan used an RBI double, single, and a score on an error to take a 3-0 lead after two frames.
In the third inning, BC's offense caught fire, as the Tornados scored four runs on six hits.
Folkers connected for a leadoff solo home run, the second homer of her freshman season, to get the Tornados on the board. Dowell singled and stole second, which was followed by a White RBI single, cutting Wesleyan's lead to 3-2.
With two outs in the same frame, McCoy hit a triple that scored Cook, tying the contest at 3-3. This was followed with a Kaitlynn Farmer RBI double that gave BC a 4-3 lead.
Farmer (2-0) remained in the contest to pitch, earning the victory as the pitcher of record after two and two-thirds innings of four-hit, one run ball, allowing no earned runs.
Hartman came back into the game to pinch hit in the top of the fifth inning, raking a two-RBI double to reclaim Brevard's lead, 6-4.
The Tornados used three runs in the sixth inning followed by a single run in the seventh to finish off the doubleheader sweep, 10-4.
McCoy came in to pitch game two in the fifth inning, going three innings of six-hit, shutout work to earn her second save of the season. McCoy becomes the first Tornado of 2019 to earn a win and a save on the same day.
Three Tornados had multi-hit games in the back end of the doubleheader, including a three-hit performance from Cook. Dowell went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI while batting leadoff for Brevard, while White went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
All told, Brevard recorded six extra-base hits in the second game, including four doubles, a triple, and a homer.
The Tornados will look to continue their winning ways next weekend as it hosts back-to-back USA South doubleheaders. First, Brevard plays host to LaGrange College on Saturday, April 6 at 12 and 2 p.m. before Huntingdon College comes to town on Sunday, April 7 at 12 and 2 p.m.
To follow along with all the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Athletics, please follow the Tornados on Twitter and Instagram @bctornados, subscribe to 'Brevard College Tornados'' on YouTube, follow 'Brevard College Tornados' on SoundCloud, or like Brevard College Athletics on Facebook.
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