HARTSVILLE, S.C. – UVA Wise fell in a pair of league games to Coker University Saturday afternoon on the road. The Cobras gained a 6-5 win in nine innings in the first game and secured a 6-0 shutout of UVA Wise in game two.
Coker (7-7, 2-4 SAC) scored two runs in the bottom of the first on an error and RBI single before a Jessica McWhorter single through the right side scored Madison King to pull ahead 3-0 through the first two innings.
UVA Wise (5-12-1, 2-6 SAC) tied the game with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Freshman Jenna McDermott drew a walk to leadoff the frame before scoring on an RBI single off the bat of senior Kaylee Jones. Senior Alexis Miles' single to the shortstop advanced Jones as freshman Kara Long loaded the bases with a single on the next at bat. With two outs, sophomore Megan Wilson walked sending home Jones with senior Casey Chamber's RBI single scoring Miles to end the top of the frame with the scoreboard reading 3-3.
The Cavs looked to put another run on the board an inning later with back-to-back singles putting runners on second and third, but a fly out to left field kept the score tied through the top of the frame.
Coker scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth as UVA Wise answered with an unearned run in the top of the sixth with sophomore McKenna Falwell adding a run for the Cavs on a Cobra error to keep the contest at 4-4 into the seventh.
Both teams put a runner on base in the seventh inning, but neither would have anything come of it with the score still 4-4 entering into extra innings.
With senior Raychel Lapallo placed on second to start the eighth, a sacrifice bunt by Wilson advanced Lapallo to third. Lapallo crossed home on a two-out sacrifice fly to left field off the bat of Chambers to regain the lead. A fly out to left ended the top half of the inning with UVA Wise in front 5-4.
Coker responded with a run in the bottom of the frame on a wild pitch to knot the contest once more, 5-5, into the ninth.
UVA Wise recorded one hit in the final frame but that would not be enough as the Cobras scored their final run on a wild pitch to take game one.
Lapallo fell to 2-5 on the season with the loss as she allowed 10 hits and struck out seven in 8 2/3 innings of work.
Coker's Hannah Fisher (5-2) earned the win as she scattered eight and struck out six across nine innings in the circle.
The Cobras jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the home half of the second. A leadoff single, sacrifice bunt, and another single put Coker in position to score with King's triple to left center driving home Ava Jay as the Cobras led into the third.
Senior Katie Russell led the third frame with a single through the left side as she advanced to third on back-to-back groundouts before another groundout ended the top of the inning with the Cobras still in front 1-0.
Coker notched three more runs in the bottom of the fourth before scoring one run in the fifth and sixth inning to extend the Cobras lead as Coker held on for the game two shutout.
Falwell (3-5) suffered the loss as she scattered eight and struck out six across six innings in the circle.
Coker's Jordyn Goodman (2-1) earned the win for the Cobras as she tossed a two-hitter in a complete game effort.
Softball is back in action Tuesday for a doubleheader against Carson-Newman set to begin at 1 p.m. at Cavalier Field.
