CLEVELAND, Ga. (April 4, 2019) – Senior Brie Levy led the No. 16 Truett McConnell University softball team to a run rule win in game one (11-2) and the Lady Bears went on to win decisively in game two (5-3) against Appalachian Athletic Conference foe Montreat College. The Lady Bears improved to 31-7, 16-2 AAC on the year while the Cavaliers declined to 20-23, 11-12 AAC.
GAME ONE (11-2)
After Sara Sullivan sparked the inning with a single to left-center, Levy's first dinger came to follow on a 1-1 count to immediately put the Lady Bears at a two-run advantage (2-0). Montreat responded with two runs of their own to tie the game back up but TMU rallied in the bottom of the fourth. The bases were loaded after Liz Bunton was hit by a pitch, freshman Alicia Price singled to left field and Kathrine Kozlowski bunted and reached on a base hit. Jaden Morrison sent pinch runner Kataryna Fuller home for the first run of the inning (3-2) and another hit by pitch sent home TMU's second run (4-2). However, Levy's grand slam over the left field fence on the first pitch put the game out of reach (8-2).
After a three-up three-down top of the fifth, Price led off with a double to right field. A ground out allowed Price to run home (9-2) and Sullivan's single through the hole at second base scored Morrison and Kaitlynn Johnson which put the run rule into effect (11-2).
LEADERS
Levy led the way with six RBI's going 2-for-3 with two runs. Sullivan and Price each followed going 2-for-2.
Sophomore Karley Hobbs earned her 21st win of the season after throwing a complete game allowing four hits, walking one and striking out two.
GAME TWO (5-3)
After a scoreless first inning, Bunton scored first for the Lady Bears in bottom of the second on a wild throw (1-0). The Cavs went on to get back out front with two runs in the top of the third (2-1) but TMU came up big in the bottom of the fourth.
After freshman Briley Lawson led off with a double to right field, Lawson ran home on a defensive mistake to tie the game back up with two apiece. Kozlowksi, however, put TMU in the lead for good on a sacrifice bunt squeeze (3-2). Freshman Lauren Mosely's single to left field drove home Price to give the Lady Bears a two-run cushion (4-2). Montreat recorded their third and final run of the game on a defensive mistake in the top of the sixth (4-3) and pinch hitter Peyton Wilson's sacrifice fly to left field drove in Price for the Lady Bears' final run of the day (5-3).
Hobbs backed up by stellar defense forced another three-up three-down inning at the top of the seventh to fasten TMU's seventh AAC sweep.
LEADERS
Price led going 2-for-3 while Johnson, Lawson, Bunton, Mosely and Morrison each tallied a hit apiece.
Hobbs earned her second win of the day after pitching another complete game allowing six hits, one earned run while striking out four. Hobbs has yet to record a loss on the year (22-0).
UP NEXT
The Lady Bears will host No. 3 Georgia Gwinnett College on Tuesday, April 9, at 1:00 p.m., and are back on the road Tuesday, April 16, at Bluefield College, and again on Thursday, April 8, at St. Andrews University.
