GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Bridgewater College softball team picked up a pair of victories over Guilford on Saturday in a key matchup in the ODAC landscape.
 
THE BASICS:
Final Score:
Game one – Bridgewater 4, Guilford 0
Game two – Bridgewater 5, Guilford 4
Records: Bridgewater 18-16 (11-5 ODAC); Guilford 13-15 (5-7 ODAC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game One:

• Jordan Wise got the offense started in the very first at bat as the BC leadoff hitter single the opposite way. Jazmyne Smith gave up her at bat with a sacrifice bunt to move Wise into scoring position, but the Quakers limited the damage, getting out of the inning scoreless.
• Delaney Lail went to work in the circle for BC after that and was on her game from the get-go as she put the Quakers down in order over the first three innings. BC had a chance to strike during that span, but left the bases loaded in the top of the third.
• Abby Byrum opened the top of the fourth with a triple and Kaelyn Ramsey immediately did her job with a flyout just deep enough to allow Byrum to tag and score to make it 1-0 for BC. Mckenna Mueller looked to extend the inning as she singled, but a pair of lineouts got the Quakers out of the frame behind by just a run.
• Lail continued to deal as she retired the first two batters in the top of the fourth before the Quakers ultimately broke up the no-hit bid with a single down the right-field line. A walk put multiple runners on for GC before a flyout to Sarah Kate Tozier in centerfield ended the frame. Guilford had another chance as a double and a stolen base put a runner on third with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, but a Lail strikeout silenced the threat.
• BC knew they needed to add on some insurance runs and that it did in the top of the sixth. Abby Byrum singled to open the frame and a bunt by Ramsey moved her into scoring position. Muelller dug in next and doubled to left field allowing for Byrum to score and make it 2-0. Peyton Gregory kept the offensive clinic going with a single to put runners on the corners before a sacrifice fly by Caroline Malandra made it 3-0. That flipped the order back to the top and a Wise base rip pushed Gregory around to score to make it 4-0. With the newly extended lead Lail went back to work and found her form again as she retired the final six GC batters in order to secure the win.

GAME STATS:

• Wise led the potent BC offensive attack with a 3-for-4 day at the plate and a RBI. Byrum and Mueller each added a pair of knocks as well to help the 11-hit tally.
• Shiloh Gray (6-4) went the advertised distance for the Quakers allowing just one earned run to go along with two strikeouts and a pair of walks.
• Lail (4-3) continued her run in the circle allowing just two hits on the way to the complete-game shutout. The rookie limited Guilford to just three base runners and had two separate streaks of seven or more batters retired in a row.

 
GAME TWO

• BC jumped in front right away as walks by Wise and Smith to open the game put two runners on and Lexi Schaaf delivered with a single to drive in Wise and make it 1-0. Byrum kept the offense going with a single, but a play at second put runners on the corners with two outs. Mueller delivered next with a drive to left field to make it 2-0 before GC got to the plate.
• Guilford struck back immediately after a groundout opened the bottom of the first. A single and a double got Guilford on the board before a two-out hit tied the game at 2-2. The Quakers went back to work in the home half of the second and took advantage of a pair of hits before a Makenely Mitchell base knock gave GC its first lead of the day at 3-2. BC went to Samantha Martin out of the bullpen and the senior limited the damage to stay behind by just a run.
• Bridgewater went down in order in the top of the third and Guilford used some small ball to extend the lead. A pair of hits and a sacrifice bunt put two runners in scoring position before a Morgan Singletary base rip made it 4-2 for Guilford after 3.
• Mueller looked to drive the comeback train all by herself as she belted a solo homer to cut the deficit In half to 4-3 in the top of the fourth. Ramsey tried to extend the inning with a single, but she was left stranded. Martin retired the Quakers in order in the bottom of the fourth and Smith led off the top of the fifth with a single to keep the momentum rolling. Lail followed as she reached on an error and a sacrifice bunt by Schaaf moved the pair into scoring position with just one out. Byrum stepped in next and delivered with a base-clearing double to flip the script and give the Eagles a 5-4 lead heading to the bottom of the fifth.
• Guilford did not go down quietly as singles in the fifth and sixth made things interesting, but Martin and the BC defense did their job to maintain the lead. A leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh gave Guilford one last effort, but that runner was caught stealing and quickly BC got the final two outs to hang on for the sweep.

GAME STATS:

• Byrum led the offense in game two with a 3-of-4 effort at the plate and a pair of RBI. Mueller and Wise each tallied multiple hits as well in the win and the BC shortstop drove in a pair of runs as well.
• Mitchell led Guilford in game two with three hits and a RBI. Chloee Stoner also pitched in a trio of hits for the Quakers. Dillon Northern (5-6) went the full distance for GC surrendering 10 hits and three walks compared to a pair of strikeouts.
• Martin's relief effort earned her the win in the circle and improved her record to 4-2 on the season. The senior gave up just one run in 5.2 innings and struck out three.

UP NEXT
The Eagles return home for a massive home matchup with No. 12 Virginia Wesleyan for a pair of games beginning at 2:30 p.m.