Softball opens up SAC play with split at Limestone

Gaffney, S.C. —- The Catawba College softball team opened up South Atlantic Conference play on Tuesday, falling in game one at Limestone before earning a 10-4 in game two to earn a split versus the Saints.

GAME ONE | Limestone 3, Catawba 2

TEAM STATISTICS

- Limestone out-hit Catawba 6-5

- The Saints recorded all four extra-base hits

- Limestone left four runners on base; the Catawba Indians stranded nine

- Catawba recorded the lone stolen base of game one

- Both pitchers went the distance; Limestone's starter allowed two runs on five hits and four walks, striking out five, while Catawba allowed three runs on six hits and one walk, striking out nine

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Kate Holland recorded a career-high nine strikeouts in the start, taking the tough-luck loss in the circle

- Kary Hales singled and drove in a run

- Christina Brendle and Savanna Balderston singled and scored

HOW IT HAPPENED

SECOND INNING

- Two Limestone doubles scored the game's first win in the second

FOURTH INNING

 - Abbigail Heywood recorded her second RBI base hit of the game for Limestone in the fourth, as the Saints led 2-0

FIFTH INNING

- Brianna Gallagher scored an RBI on a fielder's choice

- Hales' sac fly added another run to tie the game in the fifth

- Limestone's Tayler Jenkins lifted a go-ahead homer in the bottom half

GAME TWO | Catawba 10, Limestone 4

TEAM STATISTICS

- Catawba out-hit Limestone 13-8

- The Catawba Indians recorded seven of eight extra-base hits and four of five homers

- Limestone committed five of six errors in game two

- The Saints left nine runners on base, while Catawba stranded 10

- The Catawba Indians had both stolen bases in the win

- Catawba's pitching allowed two runs on eight hits and four walks, striking out three; Limestone's staff allowed eight earned runs on 13 hits and seven walks, striking out one

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Gallagher was 2-for-3 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored

- Brendle added three hits and a run scored

- Courtnee Carter doubled twice and drove in two

- Kenzie Church, Kirstyn Herman and Kinsley Caldwell also homered

- Alex Baquie earned the win in the circle, going the full seven innings, allowing two runs and striking out three

HOW IT HAPPENED

THIRD INNING

- Brendle recorded a lead-off single in the third to set up Gallagher's two-run homer

- Carter brought another home on a bases-loaded walk

- A two-run error pushed the Catawba lead to 5-0 in the third

FOURTH INNING

- A walk, an error and a single loaded the bases for Catawba with no outs in the fourth

- Molly Strider pushed the lead to six on a sac fly

- Carter's double to right center brought in another to lead 7-0

SIXTH INNING

- Skylar Page got Limestone on the board in the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer

SEVENTH INNING

- High school teammates Church and Herman hit back-to-back pinch-hit solo homers with one out in the seventh

- Caldwell followed with a two-out solo homer to lead 10-1

- Three singles brought in another run for Limestone before an error produced two more names, cutting the deficit to 10-4

UP NEXT

- Catawba continues SAC play on the road on Saturday, facing Lenoir-Rhyne for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.