WISE – UVA Wise softball split its doubleheader with Limestone University at Cavalier Field Tuesday afternoon. The Saints took game one 9-7 as the Cavs rallied from behind to earn an 11-5 game two win.
Limestone scored the first run of the day on a solo shot to left field off the bat of Madison Chapell in the top of the second.
Senior Alexis Miles responded with a two-out bomb to center field in the home half of the frame to knot the contest.
The Saints managed to push across seven runs in the top of the third to extend the margin. Macey Rycroft's single to center plated Jaylin Adkin before Limestone added four runs in a row to take an 8-1 advantage.
A home run for freshman Kara Long in the bottom of the fourth with two outs put the Cavs down 8-2 with a strike out ending the inning.
Trailing 9-2, senior Kaylee Jones' homer to left center scored freshman Jenna McDermott as senior Katie Russell followed with a blast to center field on the next at bat. Miles recorded her second homer of the game with a shot to left center to score Long as the Cavs attempted a late rally, down 9-7 at the end of six innings.
UVA Wise would not be able to record another hit as Limestone held on for the 9-7 game one win.
The Saints Chapell notched a game-high four hits, scoring two runs and tallying three RBI.
Limestone's Haley White improved to 13-6 as she scattered four hits and struck out four in 5 2/3 innings of work.
The Cavs registered eight hits with Long and Miles each posting two while Miles batted in three runs.
Senior Raychel Lapallo fell to 6-7 with the loss, yielding five hits and striking out one across 2 1/3 innings.
Limestone jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first of game two with back-to-back singles followed by a one-out homer to left by Chappell for her second of the day.
UVA Wise answered In the bottom of the inning as Long scored on a passed ball to cut the deficit to 3-1.
The Saints posted one hit in the second but would not be able to score as Falwell struck out three in the second frame.
Falwell helped herself with a leadoff blast to center field in the bottom of the inning. The Cavs scored one more run on an error to knot the game at 3-3 heading into the third.
Limestone drove in one more on an RBI single by Audra Butler to plate Vic Brewington, regaining the lead for the Saints in the top of the third.
Another Miles' homer scored three to put UVA Wise back in front, 6-4. With one on and two-out, senior Casey Chambers knocked a two RBI home run to right field to extend the margin to 8-4 as the Cavs left one stranded to end the third. UVA Wise drove in two more on RBI singles from Miles and McDermott to go ahead 10-4 into the fifth.
Limestone plated one more run in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly, trailing the Cavs 10-5.
UVA Wise tacked on another in the bottom of the sixth as Falwell scored on a passed ball to take an 11-5 lead.
The Saints managed to get a runner on third in the top of the seventh, but nothing would come of it as the Cavs secured the 11-5 game two victory.
Miles finished with three hits and four RBI as Barrett and McDermott each added a pair of hits.
With their home runs today, Miles and Jones have both tied the program career home run record set by former player Brittany Lawson with 31 career home runs each.
Limestone's Chloe Thomas fell to 1-2 as she scattered nine hits and struck out one.
Falwell (8-7) picked up the win as she yielded seven hits and fanned nine in a complete game effort.
Softball will return to action this weekend with back-to-back doubleheaders. The Cavs will first take on Mars Hill Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. before a Sunday doubleheader at Tusculum with game one set to start at 1 p.m.
