BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The Bridgewater College softball team picked up a 2-0 win in game two of its doubleheader on Saturday with Ferrum behind 11 strikeouts from Delaney Lail.
 
THE BASICS:
Final Score:
Game one – Ferrum 8, Bridgewater 6
Game two – Bridgewater 2, Ferrum 0
Records: Bridgewater 13-14 (6-3 ODAC); Ferrum 5-19 (3-5 ODAC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game One:

• Ferrum jumped on the board in the top of the first as a sacrifice fly drove in the day's opening run and gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead. FC backed that u by retiring BC in order and getting a runner on in the top of the second, but back-to-back strikeouts by McKenzie Cauthorn kept it just a 1-0 edge for the Panthers.
• Lail opened the bottom of the second with a single and the Eagles were in business. A sacrifice bunt moved Lail's pinch runner, Molly Ecroyd, into scoring position and a Single later in the inning by Andrea Savage evened the game as Ecroyd scored easily. BC held Ferrum scoreless in the top of the third and looked to take the lead in the home half of the inning. McKenna Mueller was tagged by a pitch, and she moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Sarah Kate Tozier walked to put a pair of runners aboard and Jazmyne Smith delivered with a single to drive in Mueller and put the Eagles up 2-1. A Lail walk loaded the bases and a Kaelyn Ramsey flyout allowed for Tozier to tag-up and score to make it 3-1.
• The Panthers got back into the game with one swing in the top of the fourth after a pair of BC errors put two runners aboard. A single back up the middle drove in both runners and tied things back up at 3-3. Savage kept up her hot start to the twin bill with a single to open the bottom of the fourth. Cauthorn wasted no time in moving Savage as a triple by the Eagles game-one starter put the Eagles back in front at 4-3. Mueller followed and did her drive with a deep flyout to bring in Cauthorn and make it 5-3 after four innings.
• FC answered the call again with a pair of RBI singles to knot things back up at five and they were still threatening with the bases loaded before the classing 5-2-3 double play ended the inning. Smith put the team on her back to open the bottom of the fifth as she hammered a ball to deep left field and it left the park to make it 6-5.
• The game took a turn in the top of the sixth as a single and a walk out runners on with just one down. Riley Young stepped in next for Ferrum and did damage with a three-run homer to left center to make it 8-6. Both sides went up and down in the bottom of the sixth and the top of the seventh, but a single from Smith in the bottom of the seventh kept hope alive with one out. Lail followed with a walk and put the potential go headed run at the plate but a pair of flyouts gave the Panthers the win.  

GAME STATS:

• Smith and Savage led BC offensively in game one. Smith went 3-for-4 at the plate and added a pair of RBI while Savage tallied a pair of hits and rove in a run.
• Wyemma Thomas (2-6) took the win for Ferrum as she tossed a complete game. Breanna Weaver led the Panthers offensively with three hits and a pair of runs scored.
• Cauthorn opened the game for BC and went the opening 4.0+ allowing three earned runs and tallying four strikeouts. Erica Nelson (0-2) took the loss with a trio of earned runs.  

GAME TWO

• Lail opened game two on the top of her game as she sat the Panthers down in order including her first punchout of the day. The Eagles had a chance to hop on the board immediately as Smith singled and worked her way to third and Lail walked to put runners on the corners before a strikeout ended the inning.
• The rookie recorded all three outs in the top of the second with a lineout and two more strikeouts to the tally. This time her offense capitalized as Abby Byrum opened the frame with a single and worked her way to third before her high-school teammate Savage drove her in and made it 1-0. Savage worked her way to second and a Mueller double to the wall in left drove her in and made it 2-0 after two innings.
• Lail continued to maintain the perfect game hopes through the top of the third and and got two outs in the top of the fourth before the Panthers broke up the bid with a single, but another Lail strikeout ended the inning and maintained the lead.
• Byrum singled to open the home half of the fourth, but she was left at third. Lail tallied three more strikeouts to the ledger in the top of the fifth as she kept the game rolling.
• The Eagles put runners on in the fifth and the sixth, but could not do anything with it, keeping it a 2-0 game. Lail opened the top of the seventh by inducing a pop up and a ground out, but a walk kept the Panthers' hopes alive. The game ended the most appropriate way possible as Lail sat down the Panthers' pinch-hit bid via the strikeout.  

GAME STATS:

• Smith kept her hot streak and her hit streak alive with a 3-for-3 effort. Byrum also went 3-for-3 at the dish and scored a run.
• Ferrum tallied just three hits in game two coming from three different contributors. Kylie Atkins (2-6) took the loss after allowing both earned runs and tossing the game's opening three innings.
• Lail went the advertised distance and picked up her first collegiate win in the circle.  The rookie allowed just three hits and a walk to go along with the 11-strikeout performance. Her 11 punchouts is the most by a BC pitcher since Brantley Swift struck out nine hitters in 2022.

 
UP NEXT
The Eagles hit the road on Sunday to take on Sweet Briar starting at 1 p.m.