WISE, Va. – The UVa-Wise softball team split a pair of Mountain East Conference home games Saturday afternoon against the University of Charleston. The host Cavaliers (16-15, 6-4 MEC) dropped game one of the doubleheader 12-1 in five innings before claiming a 4-1 game two victory over the visiting Golden Eagles (19-6, 8-2 MEC).
The two games were complete opposites as the Cavs were only able to manage three hits in game one before collecting nine in game two. Defensively, UVa-Wise held Charleston to just one run in the second game of the day after giving up 12 runs and 13 hits in the first contest.
The first inning of play in game two saw nobody score before the Golden Eagles' Jenna Evans singled up the middle in the top of the second for an RBI, bringing in Kelly Browning to give Charleston a 1-0 lead. UVa-Wise responded in the bottom of the inning when freshman catcher
Lucindy Lawson (Duffield, Va.) hit a three-run dinger over the center field wall, scoring senior designated player
Mindy Combs (Lebanon, Va.) and junior first baseman
Olivia Cleary (Riner, Va.) to give the Cavs their first lead of the afternoon at 3-1.
In the bottom of the third, senior shortstop
Erika McLaughlin (Haymarket, Va.) hit a solo home run over the right field wall to increase UVa-Wise's advantage to 4-1.
Neither team was able to plate any more runs over the next 3 1/2 innings as redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher
Taylor Brandts (King George, Va.) was very effective inside the circle. Brandts struck out a season-high tying eight batters in 28 faced, going the distance to pick up the win and improve to 7-4 on the season.
At the plate freshman center fielder
Ava Hockey (Virginia Beach, Va.) went a perfect 3-for-3, while sophomore third baseman
Samantha Ely (Jonesville, Va.) was 2-for-3.
Jessie Rowe (7-3) of Charleston took the game two loss after six innings in the circle.
The doubleheader opener was much different than the Cavs' game two win. An RBI bunt single in the visiting portion of the first inning by Charleston's Laura Ashlock drove in Katelyn Hamilton for an unearned run, giving the Golden Eagles an early 1-0 lead.
Charleston would then mount its lead to 4-0 in the top of the second when Rachelle Toppings reached on a throwing error, allowing pinch runner Allie Lee to score from third base. Later in the inning the Golden Eagles got a two-run homer from Hamilton over left center field, both unearned runs because of the error with already two outs.
The Cavs lone score of the game came in the bottom of the second inning on a solo home-run shot over the left center field wall by freshman right-handed pitcher
Delany Turner (Leesburg, Va.).
A five-run fourth inning and three-run fifth propelled the Golden Eagles to the game one victory. Jenna Evans singled up the middle for two RBI in the top of the fourth as excellent base running by Ashlock and Browning gave the Golden Eagles to more runs. Charleston extended its lead to 9-1 in the inning when Bethany Williams homered over the center field wall for three more runs, scoring Carlson and Jenna Evans.
Ashlock hit the Golden Eagles' third home run of the game in the top of the fifth when she homered a two-run shot down the right field line. Charleston would make it a 12-1 game after Browning tripled down the right field line and then scored on a wild pitch.
The Cavs were unable to get anybody across home plate in the bottom of the fifth despite a Bennett double to left field, making the 12-1 score final.
The Golden Eagles' Ashlock (3-for-3), Browning (3-for-3) and Williams (2-for-2) were all perfect at the plate in game one. Alli Burdette (10-1) claimed the win for Charleston as she struck out six batters in five innings of work.
Turner took the loss for the Cavs after tossing for two innings, dropping her mark to 6-5 on the year.
The Cavs will now play away from home for just one doubleheader Wednesday at Charleston, first pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier softball news, statistics, complete schedule and more.
