BREVARD, N.C. – Freshman pitcher Jordan Kielson threw a complete game as the Brevard College softball team (2-2) used a big offensive surge in the sixth inning of the second game to earn a doubleheader split against NCAA DII Converse College (3-13) on a chilly Thursday afternoon at Ives-Lemel Family Field.
The doubleheader, originally scheduled to be played in Spartanburg, South Carolina, was considered a home matchup for Converse played on the Brevard College campus.
Kielson (2-0) pitched the entirety of the second game, allowing just three hits and an unearned run while striking out three batters. The Canton, North Carolina native also assisted on a whopping nine defensive putouts.
Makenzie Rice had a breakout game for the Tornados in game two, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of RBI's and a double. Mari Cook and Emily White also recorded multi-hit performances, while Mikayla Morgan racked up a two-RBI triple.
GAME TWO: BREVARD 8, CONVERSE 1
In the top half of the first frame, BC's offense was able to make some noise following a walk and a hit-by-pitch, but the Tornados stranded runners on second and third base. Kielson pitched around a leadoff walk to thwart any Converse scoring opportunities leaving the game scoreless.
Brevard's Cook, a junior from Beaufort, South Carolina, led off the top of the second frame with a triple that was immediately followed by Rice's RBI single that put the Tornados up 1-0. Converse escaped further damage with three-consecutive outs to end the frame. With runners on second and third base and two outs, Converse hit a rocket towards BC's White, who stabbed the ball in a fantastic place to prevent the Valkyries from scoring in the frame.
White showed her prowess at the plate with a one-out double in the top of the third frame, but BC couldn't take advantage, leaving the score 1-0. Following a Converse leadoff double, a Tornado throwing error caused the Valkyries to plate their only run of the contest unearned in the bottom of the third inning, tying the game at one run apiece.
After Rice notched a one-out single and pinch-runner Beth Hyatt stole second base, Kat Carroll singled and advanced on an error to score the go-ahead run, putting BC up 2-1.
Kielson would retire the next six batters that she faced for consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth frames.
Cook's leadoff double sparked BC's monumental sixth inning, as Rice doubled home Cook on the ensuing at-bat to push BC's advantage to a 3-1 margin. Serena Rodgers-Luckey recorded her first collegiate hit and scored on Morgan's two-RBI triple that pushed Brevard up by a four-run margin. Morgan scored on a double steal attempt with Jocelyn Folkers, while Folkers came across to score on a White double down the left-field line. Lil Bearden singled home White to wrap up BC's scoring in the frame, pushing the Tornado lead to an 8-1 margin.
Kielson worked around a two-out hit-by-pitch to keep the Valkyrie deficit at an 8-1 margin. The freshman closed out the game by pitching around a two-out single, clinching the Tornados' and Head Coach Robyn Rohr's second victory of 2020.
GAME ONE: CONVERSE 9, BREVARD 1 (6 Innings)
Senior right-hander Micayla McCoy (0-2) got the nod in the pitching circle for the first game of the doubleheader, lasting five innings while letting up three runs on five hits, striking out four batters in the process.
Carroll, Cook, and Folkers each tallied a multi-hit performance, where Carroll notched a double while Folkers and White each drilled a triple.
Folkers drove in an early run in the top half of the first frame that was followed by Converse scoring on a hit-by-pitch in the bottom half of the first inning.
The Tornados threatened in the second inning, however, a runner's interference call ended BC's scoring opportunity, leaving the contest deadlocked.
With one out and runners on second and third in the bottom of the second inning, Converse roped a two-RBI double that pushed the Valkyries up by a two-run margin.
Folkers notched a two-out triple in the top of the third frame, however, the Tornados were unable to bring the scoring chance home.
Following scoreless stints in the third and fourth frames, Converse's offense broke the game wide open with five runs on just two hits and an error. The Valkyries held an 8-1 advantage over the Tornados prior to a sixth-inning where Converse walked off by run-rule with an RBI groundout that sealed the Valkyries' third victory of the 2020 campaign.
BC is scheduled to play at home again on Saturday when the Tornados host Averett University for a doubleheader at 3 and 5 p.m.
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-BC-