CLEVELAND, Ga. (Apr. 15, 2021) – The No. 15 Truett McConnell University softball team competed in an Appalachian Athletic Conference match up with Bryan College Thursday, inside the TMU Softball Complex, where they recorded another conference sweep with a final score of 4-3 in game one and 6-2 in game two. The Lady Bears increased to a season record of 27-11, 20-4 AAC, while the Lions fell to a record of 15-13, 12-10 AAC.
GAME ONE 4-3
The bottom of first saw TMU dominating on offense, with Briley Lawson on first from a misplayed ball to the third baseman, continuing to score from a double to deep left by Mattie Brooks (1-0). Lauren Barrett topped off the inning with a two-run homerun over the center field fence, putting TMU up 3-0 at the top of the second. Bryan hit the board in the top of the second and third, along with tying the game up in the top of the fourth (3-3). It wasn't until the bottom of the sixth that the Lady Bears gained momentum to take back the lead, sparked by another Brooks double, followed by a Justine Kennington double down the right field line to send the winning run home (4-3). The top of the seventh saw three straight strikeouts from pitcher Karley Hobbs to steal the first win of the day.
LEADERS
Brooks led the way going 2-for-3 at the plate, with two runs and one RBI, while Kennington went 2-for-3 with one RBI. Anna Thomas went 2-for-3, followed by Barrett who went 1-for-3 with one run and two RBIs. Pitcher Bethany Hyde pitched the first five innings, including six strikeouts, four hits, and three runs. Hobbs recorded the save, pitching the sixth and seventh inning, while earning four strikeouts with zero hits and zero runs.
GAME TWO 6-2
Barrett put TMU up on the board first in the bottom of the second with a homerun over the left field fence, her second homerun of the day (1-0). Bryan immediately retaliated in the top of the third with a run of their own to even the score (1-1). The Lady Bears broke it open in the bottom of the fourth with Brooks and Barrett on from back-to-back singles and Brooks continuing to score from a Kennington single to right-center (2-1). A dropped pop up hit by Ellie Abner to right field allowed Kennington to score (3-1), followed by Ashleigh Lawson stealing home on a wild pitch (4-1) and an RBI single to left from Sarah Wills to make the score 5-1. The Lady Bears and the Lions tallied one more run apiece, with the game ultimately clinched by TMU with a final score of 6-2.
LEADERS
Brooks and Barrett individually went 2-for-3 at the plate with a single run and RBI, while by Kennington who went 1-for-2 with one RBI and one run. Thomas had a hit of her own, followed by who Wills tallied a single hit and RBI. Sara Sullivan, A. Lawson and Abner all recorded a run apiece, while pitcher Hobbs recorded her second win of the day, including four strikeouts, two hits and only two runs scored.
UP NEXT
The Lady Bears will travel to Milligan College Saturday, April 17, to compete in their final AAC regular season game of the season.
