The Presbyterian College softball team used a home run in game one to come back from a two-run deficit in the eighth inning and another home run in game two to come from back from one down, as the Blue Hose defeated the Winthrop Eagles in dramatic fashion, taking game one in eight innings, 12-11, and the second game, 3-1, this afternoon at the PC Softball Complex in Clinton, S.C.
PC improved to 12-20 overall and 4-5 in the Big South, while Winthrop dropped to 13-26, 2-9.
The Blue Hose stormed out of the gates with five runs in the first inning. After Winthrop walked three straight, Morgan Durham hits a two-run single to bring in two, while Rachel Hopper hit a two-run triple to make it a 4-0 game. Mary Ellen Morris grounded out to second but collected a RBI as well, to give PC the 5-0 lead.
In the second inning Morris, who went three-for-five with three RBI in the first game, singled in Durham, who had reached on her second straight hit, to make it 6-0.
Winthrop began chipping away at the lead in the third inning. The first four of five batters reached base with Megan Chapman and McKenzi Corn recording RBI singles. Chapman scored the third run off a single by Chelsey Schoenfeldt as Winthrop cut the lead to three, 6-3.
Kristy Noble made it 6-4 with a home run to center field in the fourth.
Winthrop scored three runs in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run double by Noble, to take the 7-6 lead. The Eagles increased it to 9-6 with two in the sixth.
PC came back in the bottom of the sixth with three runs, capped off by a two-RBI double by Hopper and a RBI double by Morris. Cat Tarvin led off the inning with a single and after a ground out by Petik, the next two batters walked to set up the two doubles.
Neither team scored in the seventh to send the game to extra innings.
Winthrop led off the eighth with back-to-back singles, which were followed by two straight walks, the second bringing in the go-ahead run. Alex White grounded out to second to make it 11-9.
Morris opened the bottom of the eighth with a single to short, which set up Leslie Hensley, who hit her team-leading fourth home run of the year to tie the game at 11-11.
The next at-bat, Tera Powell reached first on a Winthrop error and advanced to second on the same play. She was then sacrificed over to third and scored off the game-winning single by Tarvin as the Blue Hose took the 12-11 extra inning win.
Kensley Loudermelk, who had come in relief, pitched two innings and surrendered two runs off two hits to pick up the one of two wins for her on the day.
Winthrop opened the scoring in the second game with a run in the third. Kristy Noble, one of three to collect a hit in the inning, singled up the middle to reach base. She came home two batters later off a single to right field by Corn, which made it a 1-0 game in favor of the Eagles.
PC struck in the bottom of the fourth when Morris, who went one for two in the game, knocked her second home run of the season, this one a two-run shot over the left field wall that drove in Erin Taylor, who led off the inning with a single.
The Blue Hose scored the next inning Shelby Petik singled in Tarvin, who was on base off a walk.
Loudermelk held Winthrop to just three base-runners the next three innings to give PC the doubleheader sweep. She took the win in the second game as well, going 7.0 innings, scattering eight hits and one run with five strikeouts, to go to 6-4 on the year.
Morris led the PC offense today, going four-for-seven with five RBI off a home run and a double. Hopper recorded four RBI off two hits on the day.
PC and Winthrop take to the mound in the third game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be streamed live over the internet, weather permitting, at www.BigSouthSports.com as part of the Big South Network sponsored by State Farm. Fans can sign up and watch for a nominal fee.
Presbyterian College 12, Winthrop 11 (Apr 06, 2012 at Clinton, S.C.) (Game 1)
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Winthrop............ 003 132 02 - 11 16 2 (13-25, 2-8 BSC)
Presbyterian College 510 003 03 - 12 13 2 (11-20, 3-5 BSC)
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Pitchers: Winthrop - Becker,Natalie; Schoenfeldt,Chelsey(1) and Blea,Kelly.
Presbyterian College - Hensley, Leslie; Loudermelk, Kensley(7) and Marshall, Jennifer;
Taylor, Erin.
Win-Loudermelk, Kensley(5-4) Loss-Schoenfeldt,Chelsey(5-14) T-2:53 A-129
HR WINTHROP - Noble,Kristy (5).
HR PC - Hensley, Leslie (4).
Weather: cloudy, 60s
Presbyterian College 3, Winthrop 1 (Apr 06, 2012 at Clinton, S.C.) (Game 2)
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Winthrop............ 001 000 0 - 1 8 0 (13-26, 2-9 BSC)
Presbyterian College 000 210 X - 3 4 1 (12-20, 4-5 BSC)
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Pitchers: Winthrop - Becker,Natalie and Blea,Kelly. Presbyterian College - Loudermelk, Kensley
and Taylor, Erin.
Win-Loudermelk, Kensley(6-4) Loss-Becker,Natalie(7-11) T-1:35 A-129
HR PC - Morris, Mary Ellen (2).
Weather: partly cloudy, 60s
