Wingate, N.C.----The Limestone College Saints swept a doubleheader at Wingate University in NCAA Division II softball action Tuesday afternoon. The Saints won the first game 5-1, while scoring eight runs in the seventh inning to take game two 12-5. Limestone improves to 12-5 overall, while the Bulldogs fall to 6-12 on the season.
Game One: Limestone 5 Wingate, 1
Sydney Turner drove in a pair of runs to lead the Limestone offense in game one, while
Siara Shelton added a homer and two runs scored.
Macie Parker and
Emma Swearingen each added an RBI, while
Ashley Parnell had three hits and a run scored.
Sophomore pitcher
Aubrey Reep (Eastover, N.C.) was one-for-two with a double and an RBI to lead the Bulldog offense, while classmate
Jessica VonCannon (Locust, N.C.) added a run scored.
Wingate got on the board in the first when VonCannon drew a one-out walk, then scored when Reep ripped an RBI double off the wall in right.
Limestone answered with four runs in the third, starting with Shelton's solo homer. Swearingen's sacrifice fly put the Saints on top, while Turner's two-run single made it 4-1. Parker was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth, making the final margin 5-1.
Courtney Smith got the win, moving to 6-0. She allowed a run on three hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking four. Reep took the loss, falling to 5-5. She allowed two earned runs on eight hits in seven innings, striking out seven and walking three.
Game Two: Limestone 12, Wingate 5
Shelton had a double, two homers and four RBI to lead the Limestone offense in game two, while
Mary Hart drove in three more runs. Parker added an RBI and two runs scored, while Parnell collected two hits, an RBI and run scored. Kat Tate also had an RBI for the Saints.
Sophomore infielder
Emma Swenson (Matthews, N.C.) was two-for-four with two RBI to lead the Wingate offense. Reep added an RBI, while junior outfielder
Naomi Sapp (Guyton, Ga.) contributed an RBI and run scored. Sophomore infielder
Jordan Floyd (Wilmington, N.C.) collected a hit and two runs scored for the Bulldogs.
Shelton's homer highlighted a two-run second inning for Limestone, while Tate drew a bases-loaded walk in the third to make it 3-0.
Wingate scored four times in the fifth to take the lead. Reep drew a bases-loaded walk to get the 'Dogs on the board, while Swenson followed with a two-run single to tie it. Reep scored the go-ahead run on a Limestone error to make it 4-3.
Hart's RBI groundout in the sixth put the Saints back on top, but Floyd scored on another Limestone error in the bottom of the frame to give the Bulldogs a 5-4 advantage.
Limestone scored eight times in the top of the seventh to regain the lead. Shelton's homer tied it, while Parker's RBI bunt single put the Saints back on top. Hart's two-run single made it a three-run game, while Shelton's two-run double capped the scoring, making it 12-5.
Smith got her second win of the day in relief, moving to 7-0 by allowing an unearned run on one hit in two innings. Freshman right-hander
Sam Hogan (Albemarle, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 1-4. She allowed nine runs (two earned) on seven hits in five innings, striking out four and walking three.
Wingate is back in action Saturday, traveling to Young Harris for a 12 p.m. doubleheader.