RALEIGH, NC— Following a 2-1 loss in game one, the William Peace University softball team bounced back to split Wednesday doubleheader against Meredith with an 8-7 win in game two, the Pacers' sixth straight game decided by one run.
Game One: Meredith 2, William Peace 2WPU clung to a 1-0 lead after four innings, but Sarah Watson and Brittany Bucklin both hit solo homer runs in the fifth, as Meredith held on to win, 2-1.
Morgan Farmer (11-3) was pinned with the loss, despite allowing only two earned runs on seven hits, three walks and five strikeouts in another complete game effort.
Farmer was also the only Pacer with multiple hits. She went 2-for-3 and was inches away from a two-run home run in the third that plated Kacie Haithcock, who reached base with a leadoff walk.
Taylor Jackson (8-5) out-dueled Farmer for the win, going the distance and holding the Pacers to a run on five hits, two walks and five strikeouts.
Game Two: William Peace 8, Meredith 7Down to their final out and trailing, 5-4, the Avenging Angels rallied for three runs and a 7-5 lead. WPU answered with three runs of their own though in the bottom half of the inning, as
Kelsey Durham scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch.
Farmer and
Morgan Bryant both singled to put runners on first and second with one down. Durham came up next and hit a sinking liner the other way that reached the fence, as the right fielder's diving attempt came up short. Durham ended up on third and raced home on a pitch to the backstop.
There was no doubt about Lindsey Wiggin's seventh long ball of the season, a two-run blast in the third that puts her with the second most in the USA South. Wiggins also leads the league in runs scored with 33. Freshman Kaci Haithcock connected for the first home run of her career an inning later, another two run-shot to dead center.
Caroline Womble went 4-for-4 and scored twice. Womble ranks second in the conference with a .474 batting average, and she leads the league with 45 hits. Farmer recorded another multi-hit game, finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Bryant and
Lindsey Coley added two hits apiece.
Despite only throwing 12 pitches,
Kim Cook (4-0) came away with the victory, recording the final out of the seventh after things fell apart. Durham started and surrendered seven runs on 10 hits, two walks and three strikeouts over the first six-and-two-thirds.
Lauren Marbrey started for Meredith (13-13, 3-7 USAS) but didn't factor in the decision. Jackson came back to pitch in relief and was tacked with the loss, giving up three runs on seven hits and a strikeout in three innings of work.
Watson, Courtney Sanders and Bryce Smith notched two hits apiece. Maria Annunziata broke a 5-5 tie in the seventh with a two-run dinger the other way. It was Annunziata's ninth of the season, which pulls her even with
Brittany Propri for tops in all of NCAA Division III. Eran Artigues hit a solo homer in the second, but she missed home plate in the midst of celebrating with her team and was called out on the Pacers' appeal play.
The WPU softball team will back in action this Friday, hosting Covenant College for their annual Strikeout Cancer Doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
For the latest news and updates from William Peace University Athletics, please visit:
http://gopeacepacers.com/.
