The Belmont Abbey softball team dropped both games of its
Conference Carolinas doubleheader to visiting Pfeiffer University
this afternoon, falling 5-4 in the opener and 10-1 in five innings
in game two. The Abbey is now 10-33 overall and 4-14 in Conference
Carolinas, while the Falcons improve to 23-21 overall and 10-8 in
Conference Carolinas.
In game one, the Falcons jumped ahead 2-0 in the first and held
that lead until the bottom of the fourth when the Crusaders struck
for three runs, all coming with two outs. After a strikeout and a
popout to begin the frame, Candace Cady singled, and moved all the
way to third on a single by Desiree carron, who moved to second
when the throw to third was late. Jessica Bennett brought home Cady
with a single to left, followed by a single to center by Brittany
Memoli that plated Carron with the tying run. Jessica Inman
followed with a line-drive single down the rightfield line that
plated Bennett for a 3-2 Abbey lead.
Pfeiffer regained the lead one inning later with two runs, but
the Crusaders matched that run with one of their own in the bottom
half, as Carron singled home Katie Hobbs, who reached on a two-out
infield single to shortsop. The contest remained tied at four until
the top of the seventh when Shelby Fleming singled home Dacia
Ijames for the go-ahead run. Down to its final three outs, the
Abbey put the tying run at second base with two outs, but could not
get the run home as the Falcons held on for the win.
Ijames earned the win, allowing four runs on 11 hits in a
complete game effort. She struck out five. Carrie Markham took the
loss after giving up five runs on ten hits in seven innings.
In the second game, Pfeiffer scored one in the second and four
more in the third to open a 5-0 lead, and added five more in the
fifth, getting a bases-loaded single by Hannah Clark that drove in
all three runs. The Abbey struck for its run in the bottom of the
fifth as Tara Ruebel led off with a single to right and moved to
second on an error on the play. A groundout by Cady moved her to
third, and she scored on a ringing single to center by Alysia
Stewart for the only Crusader run.
Allison Braswell earned the win after surrendering one unearned
run on three hits in five innings. Carron took the loss after
giving up nine runs on nine hits in four innings.
Game One Box
Game Two Box
