Bishop Softball Sweeps Meredith on Senior Day

Beth Braswell, courtesy of Callie Cline
Beth Braswell, courtesy of Callie Cline

photo gallery: https://calliecline2348.smugmug.com/NCWC-Softball-vs--Meredith/

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - The NC Wesleyan College Softball Team kept their East Division Tournament Playoff hopes alive by sweeping Meredith College 3-0 and 4-3 on Senior Day Saturday.

Senior pitcher Beth Braswell helped the Bishops to a game one win by pitching a complete game shutout where she allowed only 3 hits and one walk while striking out six to pick up the win, her 10th of the season. 

The game was scoreless over the first 3 innings before Wesleyan broke through on an error from Meredith on a Bryona Knight batted ball that drove in Braswell from third.

The Bishops then padded their lead with two runs in the 6th as freshman catcher MK Raynor scored on a passed ball before senior CF Nichole Mooney drove in senior 2B Meredith Booth on her single. Seniors Meredith Mize and catcher Summer Phillips each led the Bishops with doubles as well.

Seniors Braswell and pitcher Grace Preston then teamed up to shut down the Angels in game two by holding MC to 7 hits and 3 runs with 6 strikeouts in the 4-3 win. Preston threw three innings allowing 5 hits and 2 runs while Braswell finished the game tossing the final four innings allowing only two hits and one run with 5 strikeouts to get her 11th win.

Wesleyan jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a Mooney sacrifice fly that scored Booth before Meredith took a lead on a two-run homer in the 4th. Mize's sac fly then tied the game at 2 in the 6th before Braswell followed with a two-run homer of her own to give the Bishops all the insurance they needed with a 4-2 lead. Braswell now has 3 home runs on the year. 

NC Wesleyan improves to 14-12 with the wins and 8-4 in the East while MC falls to 6-18 and 4-8 in the division.

The teams will next play each other again on Sunday in Raleigh in non-conference action.