(RV) Softball Runs Past St. Andrews

Laurinburg, N.C.- The softball team stayed on the road for their next Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader. The schedule (and weather) took the team to the state of North Carolina for a doubleheader day against the St. Andrews University Lady Knights. 

Game One: 

Two four-run innings helped the Lady Bulldogs take the first game in five innings. The first of the run-filled innings occurred in the third inning.  

Destiny Painter started a two-out scoring rally with a bunt single to third. A passed ball moved Painter to second while Emily Mikkola joined the bases with a single and got to second via a stolen base. Taylor Penning brought the first runs of the four-run inning aboard with a double scoring both Painter and Mikkola. A single by Malyssa Jeter brought Penning across home plate to make the score 3-0. Jeter became the final run of the inning, scoring on Courtney Sneed's fielder's choice.  

The remaining four runs came in the fifth inning. After a Mikkola single, a pair of errors helped the team move ahead 6-0. The errors came on the at-bats of Penning and Jeter, with Mikkola and Penning both scoring on the latter error, and Jeter stood on third. A single by Loryn Sherwood brought Jeter across home plate, moving the team one run away from setting the run-rule in motion. The run-rule came official when Painter hit a single that Sherwood scored on to move the team ahead by eight runs. St. Andrews did not score a run in the bottom of the fifth, and the first game ended in five innings due to the run-rule. 

Penning a game-high two RBIs. Cheyenne Strong got the win on the mound, striking out five in the five-inning game. 

Game Two: 

The team scored two runs in the first inning of game two. Caroline Moore reached the game via an error and moved to second on a bunt-single by Sneed. A passed ball moved both runners a base, and Moore scored on a Penning ground out. Sneed scored a few moments later on Jeter's single to left field, giving the team a 2-0 lead after the first inning. St. Andrews cut the lead to one run in the third inning. 

In the fifth inning, TWU extended their lead. Moore opened the inning with a walk, moving to second base via a stolen base. Sneed followed with a single, moving to second via a stolen base as Moore was on third. A double by Penning brought both runners home, moving the score to 4-1. Jeter doubled to score Penning, making the score 5-1 after the fifth inning.  

The sixth inning saw two more runs score. Both went for the Lady Bulldogs, as Kaley Bradley and Moore became the sixth and seventh runs for the team. Bradley got on base with a bunt single, moving to second on a passed ball. A fielder's choice got Moore on base, and after a passed ball moved Moore to second, both the runners scored on Sneed's single, helping the team win the second game 7-1 to sweep the doubleheader.  

Baylie Davis picked up the win on the mound, striking out four batters in six innings. Penning led the team with three RBIs while Jeter and Sneed added two RBIs each.  

Tennessee Wesleyan (15-8, 11-3 AAC) stays on the road for a doubleheader on Monday. The team will face Columbia College in a conference series beginning at 12:00 p.m.