The Presbyterian College softball team pounded out nine runs and eight hits in the final two innings, to break open a 2-2 tie and come away with the 11-2 win in the opening game of a Big South doubleheader this afternoon against Campbell in Buies Creek, N.C. The Camels held PC to just two hits en route to a 4-0 win in game two.
PC moved to 23-21 overall and 8-10 in the league, while Campbell goes to 25-24, 11-9. The Blue Hose and Camels wrap up the series with a single game Saturday at 1 p.m.
Game One: PC 11, Campbell 2
Leading PC in game one were Kersten Legacki with two hits and four RBI, Rogers with her two hits and three RBI, and Abby Allen who posted two hits as well. Courtney Lawton and Erin Ruff both posted just one hit apiece, but each had two RBI in the game.
Brittany Bruce paced Campbell with two RBI, while Kerstine Womack led the team in hits with two.
Kensley Loudermelk earned her second win in a row (2-5) after going the distance, giving up just two runs off four hits. She struck out five in the winning effort. Courtney Roberts picked up the loss for Campbell (8-8) after pitching 5.2 innings and surrendering five hits off four errors, while striking out five.
After a quiet two and a half innings of play, the Camels scored two in the bottom of the third off a two-run shot by Bruce, her second of the season. She drove in Courtney Klingler who opened the frame with a walk.
Rogers collected her sixth home run of the season the next inning for the Blue Hose, to cut the margin to one, 2-1.
A RBI single by Legacki in the top of the fifth plated pinch runner Alyssa Goodin, and the Blue Hose knotted the game at 2-2
PC loaded the bases in the top of the sixth off a single by Allen, and walks by Kayla Dunlap and Jordan Ashley. Legacki capitalized with a base-clearing triple to center to break the game open for the Blue Hose, 5-2.
Jill McLean led off the top of the seventh with a walk. She came home the next at-bat after Rogers launched her second home run of the game, this one over the left field wall to propel PC to the 7-2 lead.
After a single by Shelby Petik, Erin Taylor and Allen, the Blue Hose loaded the bases with no one out. Lawton stepped up to the plate and laced a double to left center, driving in two runs to make it 9-2. A Ruff triple three batters later drove in two more and PC took the 11-2 lead.
Campbell was unable to stage a comeback in the bottom of the frame and PC came away with the 11-2 win.
Game Two: Campbell 4, PC 0
PC was led by Petik, who's two hits were the only for the team. Sydney Seigler took the loss (11-11), giving up just four runs off four hits, while striking out four.
Four different players collected hits for Campbell, with Churchill pacing the team in RBI with three off her one hit. Katie Baker threw a complete game, two-hit shut-out for the Camels for the win (11-9). She struck out eight in the win.
Neither team could get anything going the first half of the second game, the first hit by either team coming from a single from Petik in the top of the fourth.
Everything changed in the bottom of the fourth after Campbell put runners on base in the bottom of the fourth off a single by Womack and a hit by pitch from Klingler. Churchill homered down the left field line for her second of the season and the Camels suddenly led 3-0.
Campbell had a chance to score in the bottom of the fifth after Martinet hit a single to first. Womack, who was on second, tried to stretch an extra base but was tagged out at home after Taylor fired a direct hit to Ashley at home for the tag to end the inning.
Olivia Scarborough made it 4-0 for Campbell with her sixth home run of the season, this one a solo shot over the left field wall.
Petik led off the top of the seventh with a single, her second and the team's second of the game, but Baker struck out the next two batters and forced a ground out to third for the final out as the Camels came away with the 4-0 win.
