Mars Hill, N.C.----Wingate University senior right-hander
Stacey Houser (Mooresville, N.C.) tossed a two-hit shutout to lead the Bulldogs to a 3-0 win in game one of Friday's South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader at Mars Hill University, while the Lions collected a walk-off 6-5 victory in game two. The Bulldogs move to 17-9 overall and 2-4 in the SAC, while Mars Hill is now 8-15 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
Game One: Wingate 3, Mars Hill 0Junior infielder
Katie McLaurin (Laurinburg, N.C.) was one-for-one with two RBI to lead the Wingate offense in game one. Senior catcher
Taylor Laskey (Cherryville, N.C.) added two hits and a run scored, while freshman
Naomi Sapp (Guyton, Ga.) contributed a hit and a run scored for the Bulldogs.
Wingate got on the board in the top of the first, getting singles from Sapp and Laskey, along with a walk to load the bases. McLaurin drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the first run, while a Mars Hill error allowed a second run to score.
Senior outfielder
Jordan Wilson (Gastonia, N.C.) reached on a two-out single in the third, then scored on McLaurin's RBI double to make it 3-0.
That would be plenty for Houser, who moved to 10-6 on the year. After allowing a leadoff single in the second, the three-time All-SAC selection did not allow another hit until a one-out walk in the seventh. Houser allowed just two singles on the day, striking out four and walking two in a complete game shutout.
Jamie Booze took the loss, falling to 0-2. She allowed three runs on six hits in seven innings of work, striking out three and walking three.
Game Two: Mars Hill 6, Wingate 5Ragan Broome drove in a pair of runs to lead the MHU attack in game two, while
Krista Romine added a homer.
Taylor Lail contributed an RBI and a run scored, while
Casey Stanek and
Erin Vickery each added an RBI for the Lions.
McLaurin had a homer and two RBI to lead the Wingate offense in game two. Laskey was two-for-three with a double and an RBI, while senior outfielder
Shannen Adams (Ayden, N.C.) also homered for the Bulldogs.
Mars Hill jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, starting with Romine's solo shot to start the frame. Broome added a sacrifice fly to push the lead to two. Vickery's RBI groundout in the second made it 3-0.
Wingate got on the board in the third. Senior infielder
Mellena Helms (Concord, N.C.) drew a leadoff walk, then moved to second on a bunt single from Sapp. Helms scored on Laskey's RBI double to make it 3-1.
The Bulldogs got within a run in the top of the fourth when Adams connected on her second homer of the season and her career, a solo shot to right to make it 3-2.
Wingate scored twice in the fifth to take the lead. Singles from
Misty Doran (Century, Fla.) and Wilson put two on for McLaurin, who tied the game with an RBI single. Freshman
Elizabeth Swenson (Matthews, N.C.) drove home Wilson with an RBI groundout to give the 'Dogs a 4-3 lead.
Mars Hill tied it in the fifth on Broome's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth. The Lions regained the lead in the sixth on Lail's RBI single.
Wingate had the answer in the top of the seventh when McLaurin led off the frame with her second homer of the year, a solo shot to left to make it 5-5.
Booze led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, then moved to third on a Wingate error. After a pair of strikeouts, Stanek came through with a pinch-hit two-out RBI single, plating Booze to give Mars Hill the walk-off win.
Shelby Culler got the win, moving to 4-2. She allowed a run on two hits in 2 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking two. Houser took the loss, allowing two earned runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking two.
The Bulldogs are back in action Wednesday, traveling to Queens for a SAC doubleheader at 2 p.m.
