BREVARD, N.C. - Redshirt freshman Jordan Kielson earned her first victory in the pitching circle for the Brevard College Softball team (1-1) as the Tornados split a season-opening doubleheader against Bluefield College (1-1) on a rainy, overcast Wednesday at Ives-Lemel Family Field.
The victory marked first-year Head Coach Robyn Rohr's inaugural win at the helm of the Brevard College softball program.
Bluefield managed to take the first contest by a final of 8-4. BC senior Micayla McCoy started for the Tornados and highlighted Brevard's offense with a three-run homer down the left-field line. Kielson got the starting nod in game two, pitching five innings of one-run, three-hit ball while striking out three batters for her first win. The Canton, North Carolina native made waves at the plate as well, drilling a three-run homer to put the Tornados up for good in their 5-1 victory.
GAME ONE - BLUEFIELD 8, BREVARD 4
BC senior McCoy got the starting bid in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader, going 6.1 innings in the circle while striking out six batters. In addition to her work pitching, the Cullowhee, North Carolina native hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the second inning to score three of Brevard's four runs.
Junior third baseman Emily White led the Tornados with three hits in the contest while Mikayla Morgan and Summer Wilson each tallied stolen bases.
McCoy avoided early damage in the top of the first frame, pitching around a two-out double to send BC's offense up to bat in the bottom half of the inning. The Tornados attempted to string together a two-out rally after a single and walk, but left runners stranded at the corners.
Bluefield scored the game's first run, using a single, sacrifice bunt, passed ball, and RBI-single to score an unearned run and give itself the early advantage. However, back-to-back outs forced by McCoy limited the damage.
Morgan drew a walk that was followed by Wilson reaching base to set up McCoy with two runners on and nobody out. The senior sent the ball deep down the left-field line, clearing the fence to give the Tornados a 3-1 advantage. Brevard loaded the bases up with two outs in search of more runs, but a groundout ended the threat for the Tornados.
McCoy struck out three batters in the top of the third frame to get the BC bats back to the plate. After a Wilson single and stolen base, McCoy reached safely on an error that drove home Wilson, extending BC's lead to 4-1.
Both sides traded 1-2-3 fourth innings before Bluefield's offense got going in the top of the fifth frame. Off relief pitcher Ali Grace Hartman, the Rams struck for a pair of runs off two hits and an error to cut BC's advantage to one run, 4-3. McCoy was re-entered into the game to force the final out, halting Bluefield's scoring run.
The Tornados were unable to muster insurance runs in the bottom half of the fifth, sending the Rams back up to the plate in the top half of the sixth inning. The visitors used a pair of doubles and an error to scratch across the tying and go-ahead runs, taking a 5-4 lead with an inning and a half to play. Brevard's offense went down in order in the bottom of the sixth before Bluefield stretched its lead to 8-4 with a three-run seventh inning.
The Tornados mustered a hit and walk in the game's last frame, but couldn't find runs late as Bluefield took the season opener from Brevard.
GAME TWO - BREVARD 5, BLUEFIELD 1
Redshirt freshman Kielson got the start in the circle for the Tornados, impressing with five innings of one-run ball. The starting pitcher from Canton, North Carolina showed off prowess at the plate by drilling a three-run shot in her first at-bat as a Tornado.
Morgan and Kat Carroll each logged extra-base hits in the matchup, while Carroll led all hitters with a 3-for-3 outing at the plate. Brittany Franks and Makenzie Rice each recorded RBIs, marking their first of the early season. Beth Hyatt logged her first career stolen base in the victory as well.
Bluefield was able to pick up where it left off offensively from game one, as the Rams brought around a leadoff walk to score to take a 1-0 lead. Kielson then forced two-straight outs to limit the potential damage.
After a single, stolen base, error, and walk, Franks stepped up to tie the contest with a sacrifice bunt. BC threatened further with runners at second and third base but was denied additional scoring as the contest remained deadlocked at 1-1.
Kielson blew through the second frame, sitting down the Rams in order. In BC's offensive turn, the Tornados got runners on the corners but couldn't capitalize, keeping the contest tied up.
After a bevy of Bluefield substitutions in the bottom half of the fourth frame, the Tornados began a two-out rally started with a Morgan double that advanced Carroll to third base. Kielson pinch-hit for Hyatt and sent a towering fly ball over the left-field fence to break the tie and give her Tornado side the lead, 4-1.
Following her homer, Kielson emphatically sat down the Rams in order, completing her day in the circle. Lea Kendrick relieved Kielson in the top of the sixth frame, pitching around an error to keep the score at 4-1 in favor of the Tornados.
BC was able to add an insurance run by way of Rice's second-career RBI, as the Asheville, North Carolina native scored Alyssa Flynn to extend the Tornados' lead to a 5-1 margin.
The Rams attempted to put together one final rally, recording a pair of hits in the seventh frame. However, Kendrick was able to shut the door and preserve BC's and Coach Rohr's first victory of the 2020 campaign.
SCHEDULE UPDATE: Due to inclement weather in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina area and field flooding, Salem College's Spirit Invitational has been canceled. Stay tuned to bctornados.com and the official social media channels of Brevard College Tornados Athletics for future schedule change information.
The Tornados are slated to return to game action on Tuesday, February 25 when Brevard travels to Spartanburg, South Carolina to face Converse College in a doubleheader scheduled for 1 and 3 p.m.
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