Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Maryville College's Kazdyn Cooper and Rachel Taylor led the way for the Scots, as MC picked up its eighth win of the season in a split with N.C. Wesleyan.
Taylor picked up her first career home run with a solo shot to center field in the 3-2 win over the Battling Bishops, while Cooper had a complete two-game effort for the Scots. The freshman third baseman posted a 3-for-5 day, while tossing in two runs and an RBI.
The victory matches the Scots' win total from last season, as they moved to 8-18. MC is 5-11 in USA South action. Also, with Taylor's blast, Maryville has tripled its home run total from 2014.
Maryville fell in the first game of the evening, 3-2 in extra innings, before posting the come-from-behind win in the day's final game.
The Bishops struck first in the top of the second inning during the day's second game. A Brittany Manning RBI single up the middle scored Carla Matthews from third to give N.C. Wesleyan a 1-0 advantage.
Maryville College matched N.C. Wesleyan with a run in the bottom of the inning. Cooper walked, before Cydnee Morrisette moved her to second on a sacrifice bunt. Rachel Taylor slapped an RBI single to center, scoring Cooper for a 1-1 score.
A bad hop on a ground ball gave Jasmine Edgren an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Kaitlyn Checkan on the play, as the Bishops boasted a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth.
Maryville's Taylor evened the score with a solo shot over the 220 mark in center field. Savannah Cook doubled off the left-field wall, stealing third only two pitches later. Caitlyn Hogg scored the speedster with a groundout to the pitcher, helping Maryville to the win, 3-2.
The Scots saw Taylor finish 2-for-2 with a run scored and two RBIs. Cooper went 1-for-2 with a run scored, while Cook was 1-for-3 with a run scored. Jessica McMahan went 3-for-3 in the game.
After three innings of scoreless ball in the day's first game, the Battling Bishops broke the silence. A single to left and two walks loaded the bags for N.C. Wesleyan, before a sacrifice fly by Matthews scored Kendra Hoes from third. A two-out RBI double by Peyton Hyler scored Sarah Bowyer to give the Bishops a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth.
Cooper singled to center to begin the bottom of the fourth. Morrisette sacrificed her to second, before Cooper moved to third on a groundout by Lexie Randolph. Jennie Burks used an RBI single to left to score Cooper for a 2-1 score.
McMahan reached on a fielding error, before Megan Mihaliak singled to center. Cooper used a hard hit RBI single to left-center to score the speedy McMahan from second and knot the score at 2-all going to the sixth inning.
The Scots loaded the bags in the bottom of the seventh, but were unable to plate a run, as the game went to the eighth inning.
Going to extra innings, Hoes was put on second base per NCAA rules. She scored two pitches later on a wild pitch and a throwing error by the catcher to give the Bishops a 3-2 win.
Maryville was led by Cooper, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. McMahan was 1-for-3 with a run scored, while Hogg was 2-for-4.
N.C. Wesleyan saw Hoes go 1-for-3 with two runs scored, while Matthews and Hyler each added RBIs.
Maryville will face another USA South home series double-header on Wednesday, April 1. The Scots will host Piedmont College with a 2 p.m. first pitch.
