Rocky Mount, N.C. - N.C. Wesleyan's softball team won a trio of games versus Huntingdon and LaGrange over the weekend to force a four-way tie for sixth place in the USA South standings. By virtue of the league's tiebreak procedures, the Bishops were awarded the #8 seed in next weekend's conference tournament and will face top-seeded Averett in Friday's first round. Prior to Sunday's opener, head coach John Brackett honored the five senior members of his squad: Laura Roberts, Kendra Hoes, Carla Matthews, Logan McNinch and Sarah Roberts.
After splitting Saturday's twinbill with Huntingdon, the Bishops needed a sweep of LaGrange on Sunday to continue their season. They did so in thrilling fashion, posting a pair of walk-off wins that each featured a two-out rally in their final at-bat.
In the first game, the Panthers led 3-0 entering the bottom of the fourth before RBIs by Roberts and Matthews got Wesleyan to within one. In the bottom of the seventh, a trio of two-out singles by Jasmine Edgren, Hoes and Matthews loaded the bases for Sarah Roberts, who delivered a two-run single to centerfield that emptied the Bishop bench.
Freshman Logan Lowery (7-8) won her fifth straight start, going the distance and allowing just one earned run on four hits. For the Panthers, Kara Patterson (2-2) suffered the loss in relief, while Dani Gravett had two of the Panthers' four hits in the game.
The second game saw Wesleyan take a 5-2 lead into the seventh thanks to RBIs from freshmen Sarah Bowyer and Kaitlyn Checkan. The Panthers, however, rallied in the seventh with three runs on four hits, three of which came with two outs. Playing by international tiebreak rules, both teams were held scoreless in the eighth, but LC scratched a run in the ninth for a 6-5 lead.
With their season on the line, Hoes and Matthews found themselves on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the ningth. Freshman Peyton Hyler tied the game with a single to center that plated Hoes, and sophomore Tiffany Manning followed suit with an RBI-single that brought home Matthews with winning run.
Edgren (10-5) picked up the win with a complete-game effort, allowing six runs (three earned) on eight hits. Roberts finished 3-for-5 at the plate and Bowyer drove in three runs to pace the offense.
Previously versus Huntingdon on Saturday, Lowery pitched the Bishops to a 4-3 win in the opener, while a three-run homer by the Hawks' Lindsay Selph gave HC a 3-2 win in the nightcap.
Wesleyan (17-15, 13-11 USA South) will now open the USA South Tournament versus Averett at 9:00am Friday morning. All games will be played at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex.