BEREA, Ky. – The Berea College softball team dropped a pair of games today in their first games at home against Asbury University at the Berea College Sports Complex.
The games were hard-fought contests as the Mountaineers fell to the Eagles 7-5 in the first game and 4-3 in the second.
Game One: Asbury 7, Berea 5
The Eagles started the game hot as three runners crossed home plate in the top of the first inning to take an early lead. The Mountaineers chipped into the deficit in the bottom of the first as with two runners on base freshman
Hayleigh Gnagie hit a single to bring junior
Juliann Kirby home to trail 3-1.
Asbury pushed their advantage to six runs over the next two innings with an RBI single in the top of the second and a three-RBI home run in the top of the third. The Mountaineers continued to fight back as Gnagie once again brought in a run for Berea with an RBI single. The single by Gnagie advanced senior
Ashley Spencer to third where she added another run for the Mountaineers on a passed ball as Berea trailed 7-3.
The Mountaineers continued to climb closer to the opposition as junior
Aubrey Sowders cut the deficit to three runs with a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Berea brought the game to within two in the bottom of the fifth inning with an RBI single by freshman
Madison McIntosh, but the Eagles held the Mountaineers scoreless in the final two innings.
Senior
Caroline Nelson had a productive afternoon on the mound as she pitched 4-1/3 innings and struck out three of the 16 batters she faced.
Game Two: Asbury 4, Berea 3
In game two of the afternoon, it was the Mountaineers who scored first as a pair of RBI singles in the bottom of the first from Sowders and senior
Savannah Fallis gave Berea a 2-0 advantage. However, a four-run inning by the Eagles in the top of the third saw the lead switch hands that Asbury wouldn't give up. The Mountaineers were able to get one more run on the afternoon as Kirby recorded a fifth-inning home run as Berea eventually fell 4-3 to the Eagles.
On the mound, McIntosh tossed seven innings and struck out three of the 29 batters she faced.
The Berea College softball team continues their home stint on Thursday as they host Spalding University. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at the Berea College Sports Complex.
