The Belmont Abbey softball team lost both of its games at Wingate this afternoon, falling 3-0 in the first game and taking an 8-0 loss in six innings in the nightcap. Wingate improves to 12-6, while the Abbey drops to 2-10.

"Today was very disappointing," Head Coach Ellie Hanover said. "This is college softball. We have got to come out ready to play."

In the opener, the Crusaders threatened to score first in the top of the first, asCarol-Anne Sherrill rolled a single to left and moved to second on a walk to Kinsey McClure, but a strikeout ended the inning.

Wingate jumped ahead for good in the third as Alexis Burrell ripped a double to left center, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an Abbey error. The Bulldogs closed the scoring in the fifth as Burrell drove a triple down the rightfield line and scored on Kelsey Maffucci's sacrifice fly to right. With two outs, Betsy Braswell doubled to right center, and after a walk, Brittany Loudermilt plated Braswell with a single to left to increase the lead to 3-0. The Crusaders did not threaten again as Wingate earned the win.

The Crusaders finished with three hits as McClure, Sherrill and Elmore all had one hit apiece. Burrell led finished with two of Wingate's five hits. Miranda Paul upped her record to 9-5 in the victory, tossing a complete-game shutout, scattering three hits and striking out four. Nikki Faust took the loss after yielding three runs on five hits in four and two-thirds innings, fanning three.

In the nightcap Wingate bolted out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first, and added two more in the third to take a 5-0 lead. The Crusaders nearly scored their first run in the fourth as Sherrill ripped a two out single. Faust followed with a double to center, but Sherrill was thrown out at the plate for the third out.

In the fifth the Abbey threatened again as it loaded the bases with nobody out. Carpenter led off with a walk and moved to second when Katie Childers was hit by a pitch. Brooke Baliles beat out an infield single to load the bases, but a strikeout and a double play lineout ended the inning.

Wingate widened its lead to 7-0 in the bottom of the fifth, getting an RBI triple and scoring again on an Abbey error, and it closed out the game in the bottom of the sixth as Mafucci doubled home Burrell to end the game.

Paul was credited with the win as she scattered two hits over four scoreless innings, fanning three. Brittany Southard was charged with the loss. She gave up three runs, two earned, on two hits in five batters faced.

The Crusaders finished with five hits as Sherrill registered two, while Baliles, Amber Faust and Emma Peek had one hit apiece.

Game One Box
Game Two Box