WISE, Va. – UVa-Wise softball split a pair of Mountain East Conference home games Tuesday in a key matchup with Concord University. The Cavaliers (20-19, 10-8 MEC) were defeated 7-5 by the visiting Mountain Lions (21-15, 10-8) in game one of the doubleheader before earning an eight-inning 8-7 walk-off win in game two.
 
Going into an extra inning in game two, the Cavs got a walk-off RBI single from senior designated player Mindy Combs (Lebanon, Va.) in the bottom of the eighth inning when her base hit went over the third baseman's head. The walk-off run was scored by senior second baseman Alexa Hernandez (Woodbridge, Va.), who had advanced to third off of a pair of walks and a single by sophomore third baseman Samantha Ely (Jonesville, Va.).
 
The Cavs recorded 14 hits in the second game of the doubleheader and were able to overcome five errors, coming back from a 7-6 deficit in the bottom of the seventh.
 
A UVa-Wise throwing error in the top of the first allowed Alayna Furr to score for Concord and give the Mountain Lions a 1-0 lead. The Cavs responded in the bottom of the inning when freshman left fielder Shannon Bennett (Covington, Va.) knocked a two RBI doubled to right center field for senior shortstop Erika McLaughlin (Haymarket, Va.) and freshman center fielder Ava Hockey (Virginia Beach, Va.) to reach home plate.
 
The Mountain Lions retook the lead in the top of the fourth after a pair of runs scored, but a four-run bottom of the inning gave the lead back to UVa-Wise. Concord's Furr singled through the right side for an RBI as Kristen Rose scored, before Lauren Lewis was walked with bases loaded. Down 3-2, Hernandez was walked with the bases loaded before an Ely double brought in Hockey and freshman catcher Lucindy Lawson (Duffield, Va.). The Cavs took a 6-3 lead when McLaughlin grounded out to second base for an RBI, allowing Hernandez to score.
 
Concord made it a one-run game in the visiting portion of the fifth after two unearned runs, Nicole Neri was walked with bases loaded and Furr singled up the middle for another RBI to bring home Rose. A pair of Cav errors on the same play in the top of the seventh allowed both Rose and Kylie Kent to score, giving the Mountain Lions a 7-6 lead.
 
Needing a run in the home portion of the seventh inning to keep the Cavs alive, sophomore right fielder Zoe Millard (Glen Allen, Va.) delivered with an RBI double to center field for Combs to reach home. Combs' RBI single to left field, with Hernandez scoring, in the bottom of the eighth gave UVa-Wise the 8-7 extra-inning game two win.
 
Both Ely and Combs went 3-for-5 at the plate in the second game to lead the Cavs. Ely recorded two RBI along with Bennett, while Hockey and Hernandez scored twice.
 
Redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Taylor Brandts (King George, Va.) went the distance to claim the win for the Cavs, only giving up two earned runs to improve to 11-6 on the season. Concord's Sarah Herndon took the loss after 2 1/3 innings of work, dropping her record to 9-11 for the year.
 
Game one of the day saw each team record seven hits as the Mountain Lions came back from a 5-0 deficit, scoring six runs in the fifth and one in the seventh to claim the win.
 
After two and a half scoreless innings, a sacrifice bunt by Hockey and Mountain Lion error in the bottom of the third allowed Millard to score from second base to give UVa-Wise a 1-0 lead.
 
The Cavs then scored four times in the home portion of the fourth, increasing their advantage to 5-0. A Hernandez double to right field cleared loaded bases before McLaughlin singled to center field for Hernandez to score.
 
Concord scored its first run of the afternoon in the top of the fifth when Neri reached on a fielder's choice sacrifice to bring home Rose. Still in the fifth, Lewis hit a two-run homer over the center field wall before Herndon smacked a three-run shot over the left field wall. Down 6-5 after the big fifth inning by Concord, UVa-Wise was not able to get anything going in the bottom of the fifth or sixth.
 
The Mountain Lions tacked on another run in the top of the seventh when Alycea Watson singled up the middle for an RBI, allowing Lewis to score. Concord right-handed pitcher Herndon retired three-straight UVa-Wise batters in the bottom of the seventh to make the 7-5 score final.
 
Hernandez led the Cavs in game one with three RBIs while Millard scored two runs, Ely went 1-for-2 at the plate and was walked twice.
 
Herndon earned the win for Concord after seven inning in the circle, striking out five batters and retiring 10 of the last 11 she faced. Brandts took the loss for UVa-Wise in seven innings of work, recording only one strikeout.
 
The Cavs will now embark on a 10-game road trip with five MEC doubleheaders, beginning Saturday with a trip to Shepherd University. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
 
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