BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College softball team (1-3) opened its home schedule on a damp Saturday afternoon at the BC Softball Field, dropping both games of a doubleheader to visiting Johnson University (3-1). The Royals won the first game 8-0, before defeating the Tornados 12-4 in the second contest.
Game One - Johnson 8, Brevard 0
The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly and a double. An error led to an unearned run in the third inning to extend the lead to 3-0.
After a scoreless fourth. JU's Ella Hampton hit a three-run homer over the left-field fence. A solo home run was followed by Maddie Webber to complete the scoring for the Royals.
BC's lone hit came from sophomore outfielder Karley Queen who produced an infield single in the bottom of the seventh to break up a no-hitter bid by Johnson University starter Madison Pritchard. Queen also delivered a sacrifice bunt earlier in the contest as did catcher Olivia Martinez.
Sophomore starting pitcher Abby Delp went the entire seven innings in the circle for Brevard.
Game Two – Johnson 12, Brevard 4 (6 Innings)
BC looked to turn the tables in game two, yet had to contend once again with an early deficit as the Royals duplicated game one via a two-run opening frame.
The Tornados opened the second game with an offensive charge as senior shortstop Mikayla Morgan blasted a lead-off double to left field. Queen then effectively moved Morgan to third with a sacrifice bunt. An RBI-single by senior Katelynn Olive followed to score Morgan and cut the deficit in half.
A four-run second inning that included a home run and another score in the third though stretched Johnson's lead to 7-1.
The fourth inning proved to be BC's most fruitful of the doubleheader beginning with a 1-2-3 inning issued by pitcher Lindsey Tolle and the Tornado defense. The Brevard offense then delivered with two outs in the bottom half of the inning. Following a walk by Sara Barnes, freshman Ivelysse Leighton hit a single to put runners on first and second. A Beth Hyatt single then loaded the bases for Brevard for the first time in the doubleheader.
In the next at bat, Morgan delivered with a two-RBI single to score Barnes and Leighton. Queen followed with another single to load the bases again. Olive then registered an RBI on a hit-by-pitch that scored Hyatt to round out the three-run, four-hit inning for the Tornados.
Johnson responded however with five runs over the next two innings to capture the run-rule victory in six innings.
For the game, Morgan went 2-for-2 with a double, a run scored, a sacrifice and two RBI. Olive went 1-for-3 with two RBI and Leighton was 2-for-2 with a run scored.
Delp once again started for Brevard with Tolle (3.1 innings) and sophomore Grace Reynolds (1.2 innings) pitching in relief for the Tornados. Starter Sami O'Neal was the winning pitcher in game two for the Royals.
Brevard will return to action with neutral site contests against Huntingdon and Averett on Saturday, March 4 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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-BC-