CLINTON, S.C. – A five-game losing skid was effectively tossed in the wastebasket for the Presbyterian College softball team on Saturday afternoon, gaining a big lift in the pitcher's circle from sophomore Peyton Duncan to overthrow Drexel in what amounted to a split. After the Dragons earned a 5-2 win in Game 1, Duncan and co. posted that same final margin in the rematch only with the opposite side on top.

Five different Blue Hose mustered at least one RBI as head coach David Williams' club shared W's with their Pennsylvania visitors, totaling nine hits as a unit while coming away as the victors in the defensive-themed second meeting.

The rubber match will be enacted tomorrow morning at the same site, with Presby taking on the Dragons one more time at 10:00 AM. ESPN+ will have the call as PC aims for their 23^rd home victory over the past 12 months.

 
NOTABLES
 
- Kelby Goodrum, Kara Starnes, Maddi Wood, and Mallory Fletcher each logged two hits throughout the day, with Fletcher performing her fifth multi-hit effort over the past two seasons in the round one loss.

- Shifting between catcher and DP duties as a sophomore, Wood has now emerged as Presbyterian's most efficient batter from a statistical standpoint, displaying a .321 mark on the season over 28 at-bats. An opening-inning double in Game 2 from the Clinton native has given her six extra-base connections on the campaign.

- Duncan helped the Blue Hose shelve any attempts at a Drexel sweep in the back half of the DH, transitioning from a sole inning of relief in the first bout to pitch the full distance in the victory. She only conceded three hits and walked just one of 27 batters faced.

- Senior second baseman Kaitlyn Tucker inches ever closer to a school record by watching four balls on two occasions, now just two walks away from becoming PC's all-time leader in that department (the number to beat is 85).

 
GAME ONE – DREXEL (2-9) def. PRESBYTERIAN (5-11) – 5-2
 
- A run-scoring base hit from newbie Kasey Wolfe allowed the Blue Hose to jump ahead in the first frame, bringing home Goodrum in the contest's fourth at-bat.

- However, Drexel's defense settled in from that point and only allowed PC to round the diamond once more in the bottom of the 5^th. That score turned out to be a sacrifice fly from Jillian Hewes, what was leaning towards the eventual game-winner until a four-run final stanza by the Dragons.

- Lindsay Nelson tossed the full seven in a five-K win, giving Jenna Greene the L despite six strikeouts herself from the super-senior.

 
GAME TWO – PRESBYTERIAN (6-11) def. DREXEL (2-10) – 5-2
 
- Once again, Coach Williams' crew were the ones to strike first, although on this occasion the lead was never relinquished thanks to a four-score 1^st against starter Allison Hoppe.

- Presbyterian gave Duncan plenty of cushion by the time she first stepped into the circle, gaining half of those four scores via bases-loaded walk and the other two courtesy of Wood's aforementioned double.

- While the Dragons may have cut into the lead with an error-assisted fly ball in the 3^rd, the result was never in doubt thanks to Presby's pitching prowess and one more concession score in the bottom of the 4^th while Owens was at-bat.

 
UP NEXT
 
- Now at 6-11 through the first month of the season and starting off March with a 1-1 split, the Blue Hose will aim for a second consecutive win over Drexel when the sun comes up on Sunday. Following round three, they'll remain home on Tuesday to battle Wofford in an affair that was pushed back six days due to weather concerns earlier this week.