Joseph Marvin: Assistant Sports Information Director
Photo Credit: Tori Brayman '22
BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College Tornados Softball team (15-20, 7-7 USAS) dropped its second-consecutive conference doubleheader to the Huntingdon Hawks (24-12, 9-3 USAS) at Ives-Lemel Family Field on Sunday afternoon.
The Hawks of Huntingdon claimed a 7-1 victory in game one before taking a 1-0 final in extra innings later in the afternoon.
GAME ONE
Huntingdon utilized a big four-run third inning in the first game to catapult itself to victory. The Hawks scored a lone run in the second frame before piling on four runs in the third inning thanks to six hits.
BC got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning before Huntingdon was able to widen its margin with a two-run sixth frame, giving itself all the cushion that it needed for the 7-1 win.
Micayla McCoy (9-11) went four innings in the front end of Sunday's twin bill, allowing nine hits and five runs, four of which were earned. Following McCoy, Kaitlynn Farmer and Summer Alexander made appearances in relief.
McCoy had a solid first game at the plate, going 2-for-3 along with her second triple of 2019. Jocelyn Folkers also went 2-for-3 while collecting BC's only RBI of the day.
The Hawks scorched the base paths by stealing five bases in the first game. Huntingdon was the beneficiary of six costly Tornado fielding errors in game one. BC's six errors are its most in a single game since a February 24 contest against Montreat College.
Huntingdon's Madison Hunt (14-3) collected her 14th victory of the season with a dominant complete-game outing. Hunt allowed just one run on seven hits while striking out six Tornado batters.
GAME TWO
McCoy earned her second start of the afternoon in the pitcher's circle for Brevard, lasting the entire game. McCoy's outing in game two marked the 12th time in 2019 that she has pitched a complete game.
The junior from Sylva, N.C. dominated in her eight innings of work, allowing just four hits and no earned runs while getting one Hawk batter to strike out.
Mari Cook was the only batter on either side to collect a multi-hit performance, as the sophomore first baseman went 2-for-4.
Contrary to game one, Huntingdon was unable to steal a single base in Sunday's second game. The Hawks benefited from two fielding errors on the Tornados' part, including one in extra innings.
All told, the Tornados stranded nine baserunners in the second contest of the doubleheader.
BC's first big scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the second after a one-out single and walk placed runners on first and second base. However, Huntingdon was able to work out of the jam by striking out back-to-back Tornado batters.
The Tornados led off the fourth inning with two straight singles by McCoy and Cook, as Brevard looked to break the scoreless tie. The Hawks forced a fly out, fielder's choice, and a strikeout on the next three batters to escape the jam unscathed.
Brevard once again found itself with two runners aboard, this time in the fifth inning with one out. However, the threat proved fruitless as a line out double play ended BC's scoring chance.
For the second-straight inning, BC places two runners on with one out but was denied a scoring opportunity thanks to back-to-back strikeouts in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Both pitchers worked through the seventh inning without damage as the contest moved into extra innings.
The Tornados only once thus in 2019 faced extra innings. BC played an extra-inning thriller in Tucson, Arizona, claiming a 5-4 victory over Waldorf University on March 7.
Huntingdon placed Claire Tomberlin on second base to begin the extra inning. Tomberlin was advanced to third via a Hawk leadoff single, as Huntingdon threatened immediately with runners at the corners and nobody out.
The Hawks grounded out in the next at-bat, moving their runner to second base. Lydia Lewis then reached on a muffed throw error, loading the bases for Huntingdon with one out.
Huntingdon's Alyssa Singleterry was walked with the bases loaded, scoring the Hawks' placed runner Tomberlin to give themselves a 1-0 lead.
McCoy and the Tornados avoided further damage in the inning, recording outs on a fielder's choice and pop out to end Huntingdon's half of the inning.
BC attempted to equalize the game in the home half of the extra inning. Head Coach Bob Lowe selected Lauren Dowell as his runner to place on second base. With one out, Dowell advanced to third base on a passed ball. However, she was stranded there as Huntingdon starting pitcher Lauren Melton (6-4) got a strikeout and a groundout to clinch the Hawks' sweep over the Tornados.
BC closes out its 2019 USA South Conference schedule on Wednesday, April 10 when it treks to Demorest, Ga. for a meeting with Piedmont College (23-6, 11-1 USAS) at 2 and 4 p.m.
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