GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Bridgewater College softball team split a pair of games with Greensboro on Sunday.
 
THE BASICS:
Final Score:
Game one – Bridgewater 2, Greensboro 1 (Eight Innings)
Game two – Greensboro 7, Bridgewater 3
Records: Bridgewater 1-3; Greensboro 1-1
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game One:

• Both sides went down in order in the first inning before Delaney Lail opened the offense with a single to center field. The Pride was able to erase the games first baserunner with a double play, but Abby Byrum kept the inning going with a single up the middle. Morgan Lucas dug in next and doubled to right center allowing for Byrum to put BC on the board. Lexi Schaaf kept the inning alive with a base rip, but Greensboro got out of the jam.
• The Pride got their first base runner via the walk in the home half of the second but left them stranded. After retiring BC in order, GC went to work in the third and put two runners on, but MacKenzie Cauthorn got out of the inning with the goose egg still intact thanks to a pair of flyouts to Mckenna Mueller at shortstop.
• Greensboro finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth as a pair of base knocks put two runners in scoring position. A sacrifice fly brough the runner home from third but a quick throw from Hannah Mahan in left field got the trailing runner looking to also advance on the play and end the inning with the game tied.
• Each side had chances down the stretch with runners in scoring position, but no one could push a run across in regulation. With international tie-breaking procedures in place, Molly Ecroyd was placed on second to start the top of the eighth. Peyton Gregory gave up her at bat with a sacrifice-bunt, pushing Ecroyd to third. Caroline Malandra stepped up and the rookie delivered with a single to bring in Ecroyd and break the stalemate. Malandra swiped second later in the frame and advanced to third on an error to add even more pressure for BC. Mueller reached on a walk, and she too advanced to second to put two runners in scoring position, but both were left stranded.
• Cauthorn came back out to polish off what she had started. The Pride used small ball to get the lead runner to third and put the potential game-winning run on first after a hit by pitch with two away. A ground ball to Mueller at short ended the game and got BC its first win of the campaign.

 
GAME STATS:

• Lail turned in the only multi-hit performance for BC in the win and added a walk for her 2-for-2 day.
• Cauthorn registered her first win of the season as she went the distance allowing just the one earned run and retiring five via the punchout.
• Greensboro was limited to only four hits in game one with Rigdon Lambeth accounting for half of them.

 
GAME TWO

• Malandra led off game two with a base knock but was left stranded at third after a double play ended the inning. Greensboro went to work out of the gate as its first three batters reached to load the bases. A pair of groundouts drove in a run each to make it 2-0 for the home side after one.
• The Eagles responded the next half inning. After two quick outs, Ecroyd singled and then swiped second before Andrea Savage drew a walk to put two runners on. Aniella Baldwin dug in next and singled to third base allowing for Ecroyd to score and get BC to within a run. The Eagles were not done there, as Malandra walked to jam the bases and Mueller singled to drive in Savage and tie the game.
• Lail started to get her legs under her in the circle as she worked out of a jam in the home half of the second. BC use this to keep the momentum rolling as Jazmyne Smith reached on a walk to start the inning. Schaaf laid down a bunt to push the pinch runner Peyton Gregory to scoring position and Lucas delivered with a base knock to push BC in front at 3-2.
• The rookie, Lail, got through the third and the fourth with the lead still intact. Both sides had chances, but neither capitalized until Greensboro got to the home half of the fifth. BC made a change in the circle and the Pride put two runners on right away. The Eagles got an out, but a series of base knocks would put GC in front 5-3 heading to the sixth.
• Jordan Wise started off the top of the sixth with a base hit for BC before the Pride turned a double play to get out of the inning scoreless. Greensboro tagged on two unearned runs in the bottom half of the sixth to stretch the lead to 7-3 heading to the seventh. Bridgewater did not go down quietly as Lail opened the frame with another base shot. BC looked to make something happen with some personnel moves, but the Pride was able to hang on.

GAME STATS:

• Seven different Eagles registered hits in game two led by Lail with another multi-hit effort in the heart of the order.
• Elena Williams took the loss in the circle for BC after going just less than an inning and allowing three earned runs. Lail went 4.0 to open the contest and Erica Nelson did not allow an earned run for the Eagles in the circle over the final 1.1 innings of play.
• Anna Frazier had a day in game two for the Pride with four RBI, a pair of hits and a pair of runs scored.

 
UP NEXT
The Eagles return to the valley before they head south for their spring break trip starting with a pair of games against Berry on Feb. 25 starting at 1 p.m.