BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College softball team (6-15, 2-8 USAS) dropped both games of a mid-week USA South Conference doubleheader to Piedmont (20-9, 9-1 USAS) on Wednesday afternoon at the BC Softball Field. The Lions, sitting in first place in the USA South West Division, won game one 13-4 followed by a 7-0 victory in game two.
Graduate third baseman Emily White led the Tornados at the plate with a combined 4-for-6 performance across the two games. White extended her current hitting streak to ten games with multiple-hit outputs in each of the last six games. The native of Shelby, North Carolina is now hitting .569 on the year which ranks amongst the nation's elite.
Game One - Piedmont 13, Brevard 4 (5 inn)
Senior catcher Taylor Hannah went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored and White was 2-for-3 with an RBI-triple to lead BC in the opening game defeat to Piedmont. Senior centerfielder Jocelyn Folkers went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a sacrifice bunt, while junior shortstop Mikayla Morgan doubled to add to BC's cause.
Piedmont jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first inning to put Brevard in a significant hole early on.
The Tornados battled back however with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Hannah singled to lead off for Brevard, then advanced to second on a sac bunt by Folkers. White delivered with her 11th career triple to score Hannah, then scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to four runs.
Piedmont added three more runs in the top of the second to take a 9-2 lead.
Once again, BC was able to muster two runs as an answer in the bottom of the frame. With two outs, Hannah hit an RBI-single that scored sophomore designated player Olivia Martinez. Folkers followed with an RBI-single to center that scored junior outfielder Beth Hyatt.
Leading 9-4, the Lions added runs in each of the next three innings, while shutting out the Tornados en route to the run-rule victory in five innings.
Piedmont starting pitcher Emma McBrayer (10-2) earned the win after allowing two earned runs on eight hits. BC senior Kaitlynn Farmer (3-7) pitched 3.2 innings, along with sophomore Lindsey Tolle who threw 1.1 innings.
Game Two - Piedmont 7, Brevard 0
The second game of the doubleheader was a pitchers' duel for much of the contest before the Lions pulled away with runs in each of the final three innings.
Freshman Abby Delp (2-3) started in the circle for BC and shut out the Lions through the first 4.2 innings. Piedmont starter Martina Maloch earned the win with a complete-game shutout, allowing just four hits with no walks.
Offensively for the Tornados, White went 2-for-3 to go along with base hits by Folkers and freshman second baseman Gabby Hooper.
Piedmont used two home runs to produce four of its seven runs. Third baseman Kaitlyn Isley hit a solo homer in the first inning. Following runs in the fifth and sixth, Piedmont first baseman Kara Taylor hit a three-run shot to cap off the scoring.
Brevard will return to action on Saturday with a road trip to USA Conference foe Berea. First pitch for game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Berea, Kentucky.
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-BC-