RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC Wesleyan College softball team fell 4-3 to quality non-conference foe Kean University (N.J.) in the first game of the William Peace Triangle Classic on Saturday in Raleigh.
Wesleyan got out to a 2-0 lead after a Logan Winstead RBI single in the 2nd inning and a Beth Braswell solo home run in the third.
Kean (5-0) unfortunately got to Bishop starter, Braswell, in the 4th for one run and then 3 more runs in the 5th. Wesleyan then rallied in the 7th inning with back-to-back singles from Nichole Mooney and Meredith Mize with Braswell driving in Mooney with a fielder's choice. But catcher Kayla Molivas flied out to center to end it.
Braswell tossed 6 innings allowing 4 runs on 6 hits with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts to suffer her first loss (2-1).
Wesleyan falls to 4-2 overall as they also lost 11-3 to Lynchburg later Saturday.
In the Lynchburg defeat, LC piled up 17 hits off 3 Bishop pitchers en route to the win. Junior starter Grace Preston threw 3 and 1/3 innings allowing 9 hits and 6 runs with a walk while reliever Alexis Wynne allowed 2 runs on 4 hits over 1 and 2/3 innings. Freshman Danica Spencer also tossed an inning.
Offensively, Wesleyan totaled 7 hits, all singles, from SS Meredith Mize, freshmen Makayla Himes and Kayla Hawley, sophomore 3B Brianna Myers, catcher Summer Phillips, senior 2B Ashlyn Gosnell, and outfielder Rylee Wheeler.
The Bishops were back at it Sunday with two more games in the Triangle Classic starting at Noon with Rowan University (N.J.) and at 3 PM with Randolph.