Posted: Mar 20, 2021
MACON, Ga. - The Brevard College softball team (3-3, 2-0 USAS) earned a doubleheader sweep over Wesleyan College (3-13, 1-3 USAS) on Saturday afternoon in the Tornados' conference-opening contests in Macon, Georgia.
The Tornados used a complete-game shutout from senior pitcher Micayla McCoy to earn a tight, 1-0 victory before coming back from an early deficit in game two, using a three-run third inning to edge the Wolves, 3-2.
GAME ONE - BREVARD 1, WESLEYAN 0
McCoy, a senior from Cullowhee, North Carolina, pitched the 17th complete game of her Tornado career, striking out four batters en route to the shutout victory. McCoy also picked up a hit and stole a base in the game, while freshman Autumn Lollis went 2-for-3 at the dish to lead BC's offense. Taylor Hannah logged a hit for BC, while Makenzie Rice came around to score Brevard's only run of the contest in the top of the fifth frame.
Wesleyan's Kimberly Dick struck out a game-best 10 batters, while three Wolves reached via hit and one via walk.
Both sides went down in order through the first two innings before Brevard put together a brief third-inning rally. The Tornados got a pair of two-out singles, but were stranded after a key strikeout. Wesleyan was able to advance a runner to within 60 feet in the bottom of the inning, however, McCoy was able to force a fly out and end the threat.
McCoy attempted to help herself out in the top of the fourth with a single and stolen base, but consecutive outs stranded the Tornado pitcher at second base.
Rice was hit by a pitch as the first batter in the top of the fifth. Serena Rodgers-Luckey was able to move her over with a sacrifice bunt before a fielding error on Hannah's at-bat caused Rice to come home and score, breaking the 0-0 tie.
Wesleyan threatened in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out double and the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff single, but McCoy was able to escape both jams to wrap up her 11th victory as a Tornado.
GAME TWO - BREVARD 3, WESLEYAN 2
BC's senior tandem of Brittany Franks and Emily White led the way for the Tornados in the backend of the twin billing. Franks went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI's, while Emily White added a 2-for-3 day with an RBI-double and a run scored. Kaitlynn Farmer (2-2) got the start in the circle for the Tornados, going the distance for the first time in her BC career. Farmer let up seven hits and a pair of runs while striking out a batter.
Wesleyan's Savannah Pollock drove in both of the Wolves' runs early to give the hosts a 2-0 advantage. Pollock scored on a wild pitch in the first inning before tripling home Wesleyan's second run in the bottom of the second frame.
A pair of Wesleyan errors set up White with two runners on, and the senior delivered with an RBI-double that cut Wesleyan's lead in half. Franks drove home the tying and go-ahead runs with a two-RBI single that gave Brevard the 3-2 advantage.
The hosts threatened in the bottom half of the inning, placing a runner just 60 feet away with two outs before Farmer forced a groundout that ended the third inning. The Wolves were able to get a baserunner aboard in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, but Farmer and the Tornado defense shut the door on the conference sweep, holding onto the 3-2 triumph.
BC and Wesleyan will meet on Sunday at 1 and 3 p.m. in a non-conference set to finish out a four-game series between the two sides.
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-BC-