CLINTON, S.C. – For the second consecutive day, the Presbyterian College softball team put up one win and one loss in the Blue Hose Invitational – albeit this time swapped from yesterday's order of those results – collecting another mercy-rule W over Norfolk State (9-1) on Saturday before slowing down a bit in the fourth bout of the weekend against Tennessee Tech (12-2).

PC compiled 20 hits in the second day of the round robin tourney (just one less than their number in the previous two matchups), with the trio of Kelby Goodrum, Gracie DeCuir, and Kasey Wolfe each acquiring their own three-hit outing.

Wolfe, in particular, showed the promise that her freshman year already palpably possesses, selected as the starter in the Norfolk State encounter and in turn pitching five innings for her first individual victory.

It was a high-scoring doubleheader from Presby's perspective – seeing 22 combined scores in the second half of their busy weekend – claiming their second win over NSU before the Golden Eagles moved to 4-0 in the nightcap.

Presbyterian is just halfway through a season-opening nine-game home streak, staying in Clinton next weekend as they host the Pinnacle Invitational. There, they'll take on the likes of Morehead State, Youngstown State, and Valparaiso within a period of 72 hours.

 
NOTABLES
 
- DeCuir and Wolfe led the way offensively for head coach David Williams' club, each scrounging up four hits with three runs scored and four RBI between them. Additionally, Goodrum and senior second baseman Kaitlyn Tucker mustered six smacks total (three apiece).

- PC conjured up a pure team effort in the eight-score triumph against the Spartans – playing only six frames to achieve that decision – by needing just two extra-base hits to get the job done convincingly.

- The red-and-grey order lined up five runs in the bottom of the 6^th to put the contest to sleep, defeating Norfolk State by an added margin of 22-1 in their two beatdowns.

- Over the entire four-game weekender, DeCuir seized an impressive .750 average at the plate (six-of-eight with two doubles). As if that wasn't enough, the sophomore has scored five times with a team-best .818 on-base percentage.
 

GAME ONE – PRESBYTERIAN (2-1) def. NORFOLK STATE (0-4), 9-1 – SIX INNINGS
 
- Wolfe did her part in keeping NSU quiet for another commanding victory, canning five hitters while only conceding a single run in the 4^th. By that point, Presby was still in front by a 2-1 clip thanks to Goodrum and Kendall Owens putting PC on the board in the previous half-inning.

- That one-score edge didn't last very long, increasing swiftly after Goodrum notched a two-RBI triple that brought DeCuir home. The junior shortstop went all the way around the diamond in one swing, sprinting to score after an outfield error gave her the avenue.

- In Goodrum's next at-bat, she was responsible for another crucial run by wrangling in Logan Grice on a left-center single, her fourth RBI over the past two days that crept the deficit up a notch at 5-1.

- This was only the beginning of PC's five-run 6^th, stacking four additional scores from Tucker, Wolfe, and pinch-hitter Molly Mattas' doing. All of those plays were standard base hits, gradually breaking the Spartans down into another lopsided victory.

 
GAME TWO – TENNESSEE TECH (4-0) def. PRESBYTERIAN (2-2), 12-2
 
- The skies unexpectedly opened for a large portion of the nightcap, a rematch of a one-run affair from the previous afternoon that drifted much farther apart on Saturday. Both clubs fought through rain showers that flipped on and off, although the TTU bats awoke at the right time to end the game on a 10-0 bolt.

- Wolfe continued to prove that her dynamic debut weekend was no fluke, doubling and singling in the 1^st and 3^rd stanzas to hand the Blue Hose their two-run output. Tucker and outfielder Kara Starnes came home on those swings, tying things up near the halfway mark.

- Tennessee Tech skyrocketed in the 6^th after four straight scoreless turns, scoring nine times in that gust off of pitchers Jenna Greene and Peyton Duncan. Emily York was given the W for the visitors, tossing the last 3.1 innings and keeping Presby from dishing out any more damage.

- After a 2023 season in which TTU grabbed only six wins, they leave Clinton with a 4-0 record after similarly beating Norfolk State twice.

- Despite the L, Greene now needs just two more strikeouts to become the first player in program history to land 600 K's. On Friday, she earned her 50^th career win which is the most all-time in PC's 16-year Division I record book.

 
UP NEXT
 
- As mentioned, the Blue Hose will remain on their home base for a five-game arrangement spanning from Feb. 16-18. The first two of those meetings will take place next Friday, facing Morehead State and Youngstown State at approximately 2:30 and 5:00 PM.