Tornados Drop Pair, Split Series vs. Carolina

CLEMMONS, N.C. - The Brevard College softball team (2-2) dropped both games of a non-conference doubleheader at host Carolina University (2-4) on Saturday afternoon in Clemmons, North Carolina.  The Bruins defeated BC 6-3 in game one of the twin bill, followed by a 7-1 victory in game two.  The two teams split the early-season series with Brevard sweeping a season-opening doubleheader over Carolina last Tuesday. 

GAME ONE - CAROLINA UNIVERSITY 6, BREVARD 3

Shortstop Mikayla Morgan led the Tornados offensively with a 2-for-4 performance with both base hits coming as doubles.  The junior from Robbinsville, North Carolina drove in two RBI, while also registering a stolen base.

Graduate third baseman Emily White went 1-for-2 with a run scored.  Right fielder Beth Hyatt and left fielder Brittany Franks each tallied a run scored and a hit as well.  

Freshman right-handed pitcher Gabby Hooper started in the circle and allowed just one earned run in 2.2 innings.  Freshman Grace Reynolds came in for relief and pitched the game's final 3.1 innings. Reynolds allowed two runs, both unearned, on just one hit. 

BC jumped ahead early in the top of the first as Hyatt reached base on a hit-by-pitch. A White single then promptly gave BC two baserunners with clean-up hitter Morgan coming to the plate. Morgan delivered with a two-RBI double to score Hyatt and White to give BC a 2-0 lead.

The Bruins added a run in the bottom of the first and then tied the game 2-2 with a run in the second.  Carolina then capitalized on two-run frames in the third and the fifth innings to pull away, while shutting out BC over the final six innings.

Defensive miscues proved costly for the Tornados with five of the six runs unearned following four errors.

GAME TWO - CAROLINA UNIVERSITY 7, BREVARD 1

The Bruins jumped out to a four-run lead after four innings, while continuing to keep the Tornado bats at bay. 

BC was able to score its lone run in the top of the fifth. Hyatt led off with a walk then advanced to second on a hit-by-pitch drawn by catcher Taylor Hannah. With one out, sophomore Olivia Martinez drew a walk to load the bases followed by a passed ball during Morgan's at-bat that scored Hyatt.  The Tornados were unable to further cash in during the frame as Hannah and Martinez were left on base.

Carolina went on to score the runs in the bottom half of the fifth, while shutting out BC over the final two innings to take the win.

Hannah proved to be the only Tornado with multiple hits in the second game, going 2-for-3 at the plate.  All seven hits for BC in the contest were singles.

Senior Savannah Jones pitched a complete-game seven innings in game two, allowing three earned runs while striking out five.

Brevard returns to action with a non-conference home doubleheader vs. Pfeiffer on Tuesday. Game one of the twin bill is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch at the BC Softball Field.

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-BC-