CLINTON, S.C. – Game number 25 of 25 this semester to take place at the PC Softball Complex unfortunately ended with an opposite result than what was the desire, as the Presbyterian College softball team was defeated by Gardner-Webb on Sunday Senior Day, hence signifying a series victory for the visitors by a 6-2 difference.

Lath Freeman, Jenna Greene, Layna Johnson, and Rebecca Clark were each honored for their immense contributions to the program in a pregame ceremony, responsible for 92 overall wins and 32 Big South triumphs since their arrival in 2020. Their final home appearance would end with a two-run gathering in the 7^th frame, although too little to fully dig out of a six-score hole that had been mustered over the prior three innings.

Now at 6-11 in conference matchups underneath a league that will only send its top four to the postseason tourney two weeks from now, the Blue Hose find themselves two games back of a potential #4 seed, hoping to reach that designation by closing the '23 slate at USC Upstate next Friday and Saturday.
 
NOTABLES
- Entering a series finale with a rubber match on the horizon for the second straight time, PC was upended with a four-hit showing against Gardner-Webb starter Kalyn Kyle, with three of those connections coming in the last stanza. Blue Hose starter Jenna Greene tossed six full innings in her last home appearance of the year, striking out four and allowing just two earned runs.

- Sophomore designated player Morgan Hess published her eighth multi-hit game this spring after breaking the school record for career home runs in yesterday's doubleheader, while Clark and Mallory Fletcher added one swing each during the squad's comeback try in the eleventh hour. Over the last showing in front of Presbyterian's home fans, Clark lined up a two-score double in her final at-bat, the seventh extra-base swing by the senior in the last three months.

- Infield mishaps would recur for the Blue Hose in a defensive-minded tone through the game's first four chapters, resulting in two unearned scores by the Runnin' Bulldogs that allowed them to cushion a late-game advantage. Freshman Peyton Duncan tossed the game's last three outs as she and Greene added up for six K's.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Kyle and Greene went blow-for-blow at each other during another low-scoring affair that has epitomized a great deal of Presbyterian's home encounters, with the former gaining the victory – her second in a row after taking Game 2 yesterday evening – beside 17 strikeouts over the past 24 hours.

- Gardner-Webb boosted its run count by one over the 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th innings to gain their largest lead of the series, forcing PC to turn on urgency mode in their last chance. While Hess, Fletcher, and Clark provided a small spark to begin the rally, the home side went down swinging in the game's final play that hoisted G-W to the win.
 
NEXT UP
- A must-win scenario awaits head coach David Williams' squad next weekend as the '23 closer creeps in, making the short drive to Spartanburg to face off with USC Upstate for the final three regular season dates. The action will begin on Friday at 3:00 for a DH, scheduled for a 2:00 PM climax the following afternoon.

- Projected as the preseason favorite in the conference back in February, the Spartans have reached a 10-8 league record to go along with 34 victories altogether, as the Blue Hose and their South Carolina neighbors both exploded out of the gates with a double-digit number of wins before taking their first L.

- Friday's two-parter will denote USC Upstate's first outing in two full weeks, having swept Gardner-Webb in their last appearance with a 12-3 Boiling Springs win over the third and final decision.