Softball Battles But Loses At Second-Ranked North Georgia, 2-1 & 4-0

Kinsey McClure Drove In The Abbey Run In Game One

The Belmont Abbey softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader at the second-ranked North Georgia Saints this afternoon, losing the opener 2-1 and falling 4-0 in the nightcap. North Georgia moves to 11-1, while the Abbey falls to 1-7.

"Today was a great experience for us," Head Coach Ellie Hanover said. "It was probably the most intense game we've ever played. My girls came out so strong and so ready to play. Nikki pitched the game of her life and I was really proud of her. She was the tough luck loser but held her own against the number two team in the country. We faced an All-American pitcher and although we didn't have the greatest day at the plate we managed to string a couple things together and score a run. A couple of our kids hit the ball well, just right at people. Seeing this type of pitching and competition will only help us in the conference. We will work very hard at practice tomorrow and Friday  to prepare for Coker on Saturday."

In game one, North Georgia struck first in the bottom of the third with an RBI single, but the Crusaders got it right back in the top of the fourth. Amber Faust reached on an error, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Kinsey McClure's single down the rightfield line.

The score stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth when North Georgia pushed across the go-ahead run on a single up the middle. The Abbey went down in order in each of the next two innings as the Saints earned the 2-1 win.

Saints starter Jessica Coan earned the win to move her record to 6-1. She gave up an unearned run on one hit in a complete-game effort, fanning 18 and walking one. Nikki Faust dropped to 0-4 in the loss after allowing two runs on seven hits, striking out seven, in six innings of work. McClure's RBI single was the lone Abbey hit.

In the nightcap North Georgia plated two runs in the bottom of the second, the first on a leadoff homer and the second on a single. A bases loaded walk in the third pushed the advantage to 3-0. North Georgia closed the scoring in the sixth when the final run came in on a wild pitch.

Melissa Dickie earned the win for the Saints, tossing a complete-game shutout, allowing just one hit and striking out four. She also walked five. Kelly Schweizer had the lone Abbey hit, a single in the seventh. Her record moves to 5-0. Brittany Southard fell to 0-1 after yielding three runs on six hits in two and one-thirds innings.

Game One Box
Game Two Box