STAUNTON, Va. – The Brevard College softball team (4-12, 1-5 USA South) kicked off a stretch of six games in three days, as the Tornados traveled to Staunton, Virginia to take on Mary Baldwin University (9-10-1, 3-3 USAS) in a USA South Conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon.
The Tornados fell in two very close contests, 4-1 and 4-2, as Brevard went to 1-5 in USA South play while Mary Baldwin improved its conference record to a .500 mark at 3-3.
GAME ONE – MARY BALDWIN 4, BREVARD 1
Jasmine Webb drove the only run of the contest in for the Tornados with a fifth-inning RBI double that brought Lauren Mann around to score. Mann and Beth Hyatt added singles as BC was held to three hits and one run by MBU starting pitcher Emily McCreery (7-4) who pitched all seven innings striking out 12 batters while allowing just three hits and a run.
BC starter Abby Delp (2-7) lasted three innings allowing five hits and three earned runs with two strikeouts, while Lindsey Tolle added three innings of relief with a hit and an earned run via a fifth-inning solo home run by Mary Baldwin.
The Fighting Squirrels got on the board first with an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. That effort was followed by a third-inning RBI single and a bases-loaded RBI walk making it a 3-0 contest through three frames.
Mann singled in the top of the fifth and Gabby Hooper moved her over with a sacrifice bunt. Webb followed that up with a double to center field that brought Mann in to score, cutting the deficit to two runs 3-1.
Mary Baldwin answered with a one-out solo home run in the bottom half of the frame, while McCreery shut the Tornados down in the final two innings to secure the game-one victory 4-1.
GAME TWO – MARY BALDWIN 4, BREVARD 2
Game two of the doubleheader turned into a pitcher's dual through much of the low-scoring contest. The game was deadlocked after the top of the second inning, 1-1 before each team combined for four scoreless frames. BC took a late 2-1 lead after a wild pitch brought the go-ahead run across to score. Mary Baldwin answered with two leadoff singles followed by a one-out, walk-off three-run homer to left field that lifted the hosts to victory, 4-2.
Six different Tornados logged hits in game two with Hooper, Hyatt, Mann, Mikayla Morgan, Karley Queen, and Serena Rodgers-Luckey all logging singles. BC stole a season-high six stolen bases as well, with Hooper and Rodgers-Luckey each swiping a pair of bags while Hyatt and Mann each added one apiece.
Mary Baldwin's Allison Crum carried the Fighting Squirrel offense with a 2-for-4 performance while scoring a run and driving in all four runs for MBU in the game.
BC starter Grace Reynolds (2-4) did all she could in the circle to keep the game within striking distance. The sophomore held MBU to just one run over the first six innings before Crum's three-run blast. Reynolds went six and one-third innings allowing seven hits and four earned runs while striking out two batters.
The Tornados are back in action tomorrow as Brevard heads to Buena Vista, Virginia for a twin billing against Southern Virginia University beginning at 12 p.m.
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-BC-