Rocky Mount, N.C. - Freshman Peyton Hyler blasted two homeruns and junior Carla Matthews went 7-for-12 with five RBIs over the weekend, leading their N.C. Wesleyan softball team to a pair of doubleheader splits with Ferrum College and the University of Mary Washington at Edge Field. Wesleyan posted 10-9 and 5-3 victories in the openers, while both losses came in one-run extra inning affairs.
On Saturday versus Ferrum, the Bishops overcame a late 7-3 deficit by plating seven runs in the sixth inning of game one. Matthews got things started with an RBI-single to center, while Sarah Bowyer and Jasmine Edgren later added two-run singles of their own to cap the inning.
The Panthers threatened in the seventh, scratching two runs and advancing runners to second and third with two outs. In for her first save, however, was freshman hurler Logan Lowery who forced a groundout to shortshop to seal the victory.
Edgren picked up the win in the circle and helped her own cause offensively by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Matthews finished 3-for-3 with a trio of RBIs.
In the nightcap, Lowery went head-to-head with Ferrum ace Courtney Rudd in what proved to be a pitcher's dual from the start. Hyler got Wesleyan on the board first with a solo blast in the second inning, but the Panthers scratched a run in the fourth to eventually force extras.
Playing by international tiebreak rules, Ferrum plated a run in the top half of the eighth, and Rudd sat down the Bishops 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the frame to secure the split.
On Sunday versus UMW, Edgren (4-2) again picked up the win and Lowery the save (2) in the opener, which NCWC took by a 5-3 tally.
Brittany Manning, Sarah Roberts and Matthews each ripped two hits for the Bishops, who racked up ten hits as a team. Roberts' RBI-double in the third put NCWC up 3-2, while Manning's RBI-single the following inning proved to be the gamewinner. Hyler added an insurance run with her third homer of the season in the fifth.
Game two saw the Bishops and Eagles battle to a 4-4 tie after seven complete. Again playing by international tiebreak rules, the two teams traded runs in the ninth and tenth innings. UMW went up 7-6 with a run in the 11th, and the Bishops would eventually strand the tying runner at third in their half of the inning to end the game.
Freshmen Kaitlyn Checkan and Tori Paul each drove in runs for the Bishops, as did Manning, Roberts and Matthews (2). Lowery (1-6) suffered her third straight one-run loss, despite a stellar 11-inning performance.
Wesleyan (5-9) returns to action on Wednesday when the Bishops host a non-conference doubleheader with Guilford College. Game one is slated for a 3:00pm start.