BLUEFIELD, Va. (Apr. 12, 2021) – After dominating game one of the Appalachian Athletic Conference twin bill at Bluefield College with a 10-2 run rule win in five innings, the No. 15 Truett McConnell University softball fell 5-4 after a late surge by the Rams on Monday afternoon. The split put the Lady Bears at 25-11, 18-4 AAC on the season, while the Rams moved to 14-14, 8-12 AAC.
 
GAME ONE 10-2 | 5 INNINGS
Sara Sullivan reached on a walk and put the Lady Bears up on the board first right away on Briley Lawson's double to deep right-center (1-0) in the first. Mattie Brooks immediately followed up with a double of her own to left-center, which drove home Lawson, to give TMU an early 2-0 lead. After pitcher Bethany Hyde's three-up three-up outing in the bottom of the first, which included two strikeouts, the Lady Bears went on to record an explosive five-run inning in the second.
 
Katherine Kozlowski singled to left to score Mikayla Sullens (3-0), Alicia Price scored on Sullivan's single to center (4-0), Kozlowski scored on Brooks' walk (5-0), and a Bluefield dropped fly ball allowed Sullivan and Lawson to score their second runs of the game (7-0). Still holding Bluefield hitless and scoreless, Sullens sparked a three-run inning for TMU in the third with a leadoff infield single. Katie Carruth scored on a Sullivan walk (8-0), and Price and Kozlowski scored on Lawson and Brooks' ground outs (10-0). The Rams were capable of scoring a run in the third and fifth innings (10-2), but the game already proved to be out of reach as the mercy rule was forced into play after Bluefield's one-run fifth inning.
 
LEADERS
Overall, TMU recorded a total of seven hits to Bluefield's two. Price was perfect at the plate (2-for-2) with two runs and one walk. Brooks led with three RBIs (1-for-3) and a double, while Sullivan (1-for-2), Lawson (1-for-3) and Barrett (0-for-3) all added two RBIs apiece. Lawson also had a double.
 
Hyde made the start and earned the win after pitching 4.1 innings of one hit, two runs, nine walks and seven strikeouts. Ellie McCloy relieved for 0.2 innings recording one strikeout.
 
GAME TWO 4-5 | BLUEFIELD'S LATE SURGE
Following two scoreless innings, Brooks hit a two-out single to left, which led to a defensive error that allowed Lawson to score TMU's first run of the game in the third (1-0). Barrett followed up with an RBI single that Brooks from second (2-0) and Kozlowski drove home Barrett with a double to left (3-0). The top of the fifth saw Lawson smack a solo shot over the left field fence on the first pitch to round of TMU's runs on the day (4-0). Despite a four-run cushion heading into the sixth inning, the Rams rallied to score five runs to ultimately avoid the AAC sweep with a single run win (4-5).
 
BY THE NUMBERS
Overall, the Lady Bears had 10 hits in comparison to Bluefield's six, with four of them taking place in the sixth inning. TMU was individually led by Lawson who went 2-for-4 with an RBI, homerun and two runs. Brooks, Barrett and Kozlowski also went 2-for-4. Barrett and Kozloski had one RBI apiece, while Anna Thomas and Justine Kennington added one hit apiece. 
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Bears return home to the TMU Softball Complex on Thursday, Apr. 15, for another AAC doubleheader with Bryan College at 2:00 p.m. TMU will hit the road on Saturday, Apr. 17, for their conference regular season finale at Milligan University at 2:00 p.m.