COLUMBUS, Ga. (Feb. 28, 2020) – The No. 14 Truett McConnell University softball team traveled to Columbus, Georgia, for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NAIA Leadoff Classic, which will take place Friday-Sunday. The Lady Bears started out Friday with a 5-4 win over Thomas More University; however, TMU fell 8-0 in five innings against No. 18 William Carey University. TMU's overall season record moved to 8-2.

Game one saw the Lady Bears put up a run in the bottom of the second but TMU got hot in the fourth to score four runs, which featured three doubles by Mattie Brooks, Kathrine Kozlowski and Macey Dunaway, and two singles by Sarah Wills and Justine Kennington (5-1). Thomas More responded scoring three in the fifth (5-3) but it proved not enough.

Brooks and Dunaway led the way going 2-for-3, while Dunaway added an RBI. Kennington went 2-for-4, including a triple in the first inning. Kozlowski led in RBI's with two. Bethany Hyde made the start for the Lady Bears on the mound to earn her third win of her senior campaign.

Game two saw the Crusaders get out front early in the first (0-2) but it was only up from there as William Carey's batted balls forced TMU to make multiple defensive errors, which ultimately proved to be the difference (0-8). Kennington led the Lady Bears' offense with two hits, while senior Liz Bunton added another. From the mound, All-American Karley Hobbs recorded her first regular season loss since her freshman season. Hobbs is now 3-1 on the year.

Up next, the Lady Bears will face College of Coastal Georgia, who is receiving votes in the latest NAIA national top 25 poll, at 12:00 p.m., and then No. 5 Georgia Gwinnett College at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.