ATHENS, Tenn. (March 27, 2023) - On Monday, the No. 23 Truett McConnell University softball team hit the road to face Appalachian Athletic Conference competitor Tennessee Wesleyan University, where the Lady Bears rallied together to secure game one with a score of 3-1, but fell in the bottom of the ninth to a score of 4-5 in game two.
GAME 1 | 3-1
The Lady Bears were first to hi the board in the top of the first inning after a misplayed ball hit by Jenna O'Brien allowed Briley Lawson to score (1-0). The second inning saw the same fate for TMU as Mattie Brooks led the way with a single, followed by Hailey Cronic who put the ball into play to advance Brooks. With runners in scoring position, a passed ball by the Bulldogs offered the Lady Bears the opportunity they need to make the score 2-0. Pitcher Kyleigh Sanders kept the Two offense quiet until the fifth inning when the Bulldogs reduced the lead to one (2-1). The sixth inning saw both teams evenly matched, while the top of the seventh was sparked by a Justine Gorton single, followed by a Lawson sacrifice bunt and a Kyndall Gipson RBI single to score Gorton to make the final score 3-1.
LEADERS
Gipson was featured going 3-3 a the plate , along with recording one RBI. Lawson followed going 2-3 at the plate with one run, while Gorton went 1-4 with one run. Sanders recorded her ninth win of the season after pitching seven complete innings and tallied five strikeouts.
GAME 2 | 9 Innings
The Bulldogs did not hesitate to respond in game two, as they opened the gates with four runs in the top of the first (0-4), forcing the Lady Bears to work hard from behind. The top of the second saw TMU work to decrease the gap, as a double to high filed hot by Rachel Morgan scored O'Brien, followed by an Ellie Abner single to left field to score Morgan (2-4). Pitcher Olivia Haag stepped in to put a hold on the Bulldogs offense, while TMU cut at the lead in the top of the sixth inning with a Cronic RBI single, and evened the play in the top of the seventh with a clutch Lawson RBI single to right field to push the game into extra innings (4-4). The game would not be secured until fate aligned with TWU in the bottom of ninth, ultimately resulting in a final heart breaking score of 4-5.
LEADERS
O'Brien led the way going 2-4 at the plate with two RBIs, while Cronic went 2-3 at the plate with one RBI and one walk. Lawson and Abner individually went 1-4 with one RBI, followed by Morgan who went 1-4 with one run and one RBI. Haag was featured pitching through eight innings, while recording three strikeouts and allowing zero walks and one run.
UP NEXT
The Lady Bears return home for an AAC battle against Point University on Wednesday, March 29, with game times set for 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
