NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The NC Wesleyan College softball team rolled to two big wins on Monday from the Fastpitch Dream Spring Break Tournament in Myrtle Beach.
Wesleyan first rallied from a three-run deficit in the 7th to knock off 2021 NCAA Qualifer Penn Tech College (Pa.) 12-9 in game one before pounding Marymount University (Va.) 14-3 with 16 hits. The Bishops totaled 32 hits and 26 runs in both games.
The Bishops improve to 5-3 on the season and will next go right back to action in Myrtle Beach with two more games tomorrow starting at 9:30 AM with Anna Maria College (Mass.) and Wilkes (Pa.) at 1:30.
In the first game of the day, Wesleyan trailed early 2-0, but then rallied with 3 runs in the 5th on RBI singles from freshman DH Molly Alejandrino and senior 3B Brianna Myers to take a 3-2 lead. The Bishops then added to it in the 6th with another 3-run inning as a Skyler Walker RBI triple was follwoed by a Meredith Mize RBI single and another Alejandrino RBI double to make it 6-2.
Unfortunately, PTC then got to Bishop freshman starter Laila Holloway in the 6th inning to score 7 runs and take a 9-6 lead. However, the Lady Bishops did not crumble and posted a 6-run spot in the 7th to take the lead for good. It began with a Walker RBI double followed by an Alejandrino two-run single that tied the game at 9. Wesleyan then added three more insurance runs on an Abby Todd RBI double, a Myers RBI groundout and Juliette Desmarais' RBI single.
Holloway threw 5 and 2/3 innings allowing 9 hits, 4 earned runs and 3 walks while freshman reliever Emily Humphrey (2-1) came on in the 6th to get the win throwing the final 1 and 1/3 innings scoreless with a strikeout.
Offensively, the top of the lineup in game one combined for 11 of the Bishop's 16 total hits with Walker, Mize, and Alejandrino each recording 3-hit games while outfielders Logan Winstead and Desmarais also had multi-hit games. Winstead and Mize also made stellar diving defensive catches as well in the win.
NCWC 14, MARYMOUNT 3
In the second game of the day, the Bishops poured on the offense from start to finish taking a 3-0 lead in the 2nd inning on a two-run triple from sophomore catcher MK Raynor and an RBI single from Winstead.
After MU had got to within 4-3 aftter 4 innings, the Bishops put it out of reach with a 4-run 5th inning to take an 8-3 lead. They scored their runs on RBI singles each from Alejandrino and Raynor while senior RF Chelsea Nixon also roped an RBI double.
Wesleyan then added 6 more runs in the 7th on another two-run triple from Raynor, an RBI triple from Walker while they also scored on wild pitches and a groundout.
In the circle, Humphrey (3-1) picked up her 2nd win of the day as she threw six solid innings allowing just 3 runs on 5 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts.