CLEVELAND, Ga. (March 8, 2023) – The Truett McConnell University softball team opened home field play on Wednesday, inside the TMU Softball Complex, where a strong TMU offense shut down the Montreat College Cavaliers to secure their first Appalachian Athletic Conference sweep with a final score of 7-4 and 9-5. The Lady Bears are now sitting at a record of 8-2, 2-0 AAC, while Montreat falls to a record of 5-14, 1-7 AAC.
 
GAME 1 | 7-5
Both teams were evenly matched until the fourth inning when the Cavaliers hit the board with their first run of the game, followed by a second run in the top of the fifth inning to pull ahead by two (0-2). The Lady Bears did not hesitate to respond as a Hailey Cronic single to right field scored Mattie Brooks and Jenna O'Brien to even the play (2-2). Grace Folds followed with a single to the left side to advance Cronic, while Justine Gorton reached first off a misplayed ball by the infield. With bases loaded, Kyndall Gipson showed her grit as she sent the ball over the left field fence for a TMU grand slam (6-2). Montreat was capable of adding two more runs in the top of the sixth (6-4), but the Lady Bears were not shaken as they added their seventh run to the board in the bottom of the sixth after a sacrifice fly from Folds scored O'Brien from third. Kyleigh Sanders stayed sharp on the mound to shut down the Cavaliers offense, ultimately resulting in a final score of 7-4.
 
LEADERS
Gipson led the way offensively going 2-2 at the plate, along with recording four RBIs and one run. Cronic followed up going 2-3 at the with two RBIs and one run, while O'Brien was 1-3 at the plate with two runs.  Sanders recorded her fourth win of the season from the mound, along with tallying eight strikeouts and allowing only three hits.
 
GAME 2 | 9-5
Montreat hit the board in the top of the first inning to take an early lead, but the advantage didn't last for long as the Lady Bears evened the score in the bottom after a hard-hit ball from Ellie Abner scored Gorton from third (1-1). The Cavaliers did not back down as they stole the lead in the top of the third inning (1-3), but an executed ball from Briley Lawson sent Gorton home, putting TMU down by only one run (2-3). Montreat once again added to their score, while TMU gained momentum in the bottom of the fourth, starting with an error in right field off a ball hit by Folds allowing Cronic to score (3-4), followed by an RBI single from Lawson to score Fold from third (4-4). O'Brien recorded an RBI single of her own to give TMU the lead (5-4), while a Boatright triple down the right field line scored two more runs for the Lady Bears (7-4). A Rachel Morgan single to left, followed by a Cronic single to center field ultimately put the game out of reach as the Cavaliers final run came in the top of the sixth, resulting in a 9-5 victory for TMU.
 
LEADERS
Gorton led the way for the Lady Bears going 3-4 at the plate, along with tallying three runs and two stolen bases. O'Brien followed up going 2-3 at the plate with one RBI and one run, while Boatright went 2-4 at the plate with two RBIs and one run. Lawson went 2-4 at the plate with two RBIs, followed by Morgan and Cronic who individually went 2-4 at the plate. Gipson recorded her fourth win from the mound, along with tallying six strikeouts.
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Bears are back in action on Friday, March 10, where they are set to face St. Xavier University at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00p.m.