ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - The NC Wesleyan College top seeded softball team dropped a heartbreaking first round tournament series to 6th seed Meredith College 5-2 and 2-1 in Rocky Mount Thursday afternoon. The Bishops led 1-0 late in game two before Meredith rallied to steal the game.

MEREDITH 5, NCWC 2

Meredith got out to a quick lead scoring on an error and a wild pitch in the first inning before a home run in the 2nd made it 3-0. Wesleyan would then get two back in the bottom of the 2nd on a Bryona Knight RBI single while freshman 3B Brianna Myers also came in to score on a wild pitch.

Meredith (14-22) then added some insurance runs in the third innings scoring on a hard hit ball to the shortstop Meredith Mize to plate two. Sophomore pitcher Beth Braswell would then shut the Angels down for the final 4 innings, but the Wesleyan offense could not provide any more runs off the Meredith starter in dropping game one 5-2.

Braswell tossed all 7 innings allowing five hits and 5 runs (2 earned) on 2 walks and 8 strikeouts, but fell to 12-5 on the year finishing with a 2.08 ERA and 116 strikeouts.

Knight and Braswell led the Bishops with two-hit games while Myers and senior RF Hannah Ivester also recorded hits. Braswell had the only extra-base hit while Knight also stole a base.

MEREDITH 2, NCWC 1

Senior pitcher Shelby Godwin was shutting out the Angels allowing just one hit and one walk through 6 sharp and efficient innings. However, after sophomore catcher Kayla Molivas drove in the go-ahead run (Mize) in the 6th on a single, Godwin entered the 7th trying to close out the win. Unfortunately, Meredith would connect on 3 hits and take advantage of a throwing error to walk off with a 2-1 win to advance to the conference tournament in LaGrange, GA next week.

Godwin ended up allowing 4 hits and 2 runs (one earned) on a walk and 3 Ks over 6 and 1/3 frames. Mize and freshman LF Rylee Wheeler led the Bishops with two-hit games while Mize stole a base, scored a run and drew a walk. Sophomore CF Nichole Mooney led the Bishops with a double as well while sophomore 3B Chelsea Nixon also turned two double plays and made some outstanding plays at third base.

Wesleyan finishes the season as regular season EAST Division Champions with a record of 20-13 overall and 12-4 in the conference, their first regular season title since 1996.