Hales homers thrice, walks off for Softball to cap Day One at Nan Whitley Invitational

Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College softball team split its two games on the opening day of the Nan Whitley Invitational on Saturday, falling to Flagler before walking off in a win over Converse.

GAME ONE | Flagler 9, Catawba 6

TEAM STATISTICS

- Flagler out-hit Catawba 13-8

- Both teams recorded three extra-base hits; Catawba had two of three homers

- The Catawba left five runners on base; Flagler stranded six

- Flagler recorded both stolen bases

- The Saints' pitchers allowed six runs on eight hits and five walks, striking out two; Catawba's staff allowed nine runs on 13 hits and three walks, striking out four

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Kary Hales was 4-for-4 with two homers, three RBI and two runs scored

- Grace Flynn went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored

- Kate Holland provided solid relief, allowing one run in 3.1 innings of work

HOW IT HAPPENED

SECOND INNING

- Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs for Flagler in the second; Morgan Hicks' sac fly put the Saints on the board first

- Hales hit a leadoff solo homer to left center to tie the game

- A sac bunt moved runners over to second and third, where Flynn drove them home on a two-RBI double to take a 3-1 lead

THIRD INNING

- The Saints once again loaded the bases with no outs in the third

- An RBI groundout and back-to-back RBI base hits put the Saints ahead 4-3

- Hales homered again with one out in the third in the bottom half

FOURTH INNING

- Two RBI singles and a three-run homer added to Flagler's lead in the fourth, ahead 9-4

SEVENTH INNING

- A walk loaded the bases for Catawba with one out in the seventh

- Hales' RBI infield singles and Maddy Altiers' RBI groundout cut Flagler's lead to 9-6

GAME TWO | Catawba 9, Converse 8

TEAM STATISTICS

- Both teams recorded nine hits

- Catawba had five of seven extra-base hits; both teams hit a homer

- The Catawba Indians left three runners on base; Converse stranded six

- Catawba's pitchers allowed eight runs on nine hits and six walks, striking out six; the Valkyries' staff allowed nine runs on nine hits and four walks, striking out five

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Hales was 2-for-3 with a homer, a double, four RBI and a run scored

- Kinsley Caldwell drove in two on a homer and scored twice

- Savanna Balderston added two hits, including a double, with two RBI and a run scored

- Kenzie Church doubled

- Kate Holland earned the win in the circle, pitching the final two innings without allowing a run on just one hit, striking out three

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- Converse rallied after its first two batters were retired, scoring the game's first run on an RBI base hit up the middle

SECOND INNING

- Cladwell gave Catawba the lead on a two-out, two-run homer to right center

THIRD INNING

- Converse retook the lead in the top of the third with a bases-loaded walk and consecutive singles that scored three runs

- Hales' sac fly and Altiers' RBI infield sac fly cut Catawba's deficit to 5-4

FOURTH INNING

- Sydney Watson's two-run homer returned the Valkyrie lead to 7-4

- Balderston drove home Caldwell on an RBI double in the bottom half, still trailing 7-5

FIFTH INNING

- Hales tied the game with a two-run homer in the fifth, her third of the day

SIXTH INNING

- A single, two walks and a wild pitch put Converse ahead once again in the sixth

- Church doubled to lead off the seventh; a wild pitch and a Balderston sac fly tied the game

SEVENTH INNING

- Holland kept Converse scoreless in the top half, allowing Brianna Gallagher's leadoff walk to be the potential go-ahead run

- Gallagher wheeled around from first to score the winning run on Hales' walk-off RBI double

UP NEXT

- Catawba returns to action on the road on Monday at Belmont Abbey; the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 and 3 p.m. starts