The Maryville College Scots softball program dropped two heartbreakers on Saturday to a very talented Birmingham Southern College squad.
Maryville took the Panthers – once ranked as high as No. 25 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III poll last season – to extra innings during the day's first game, eventually falling on a walk-off home run. The Scots put up an even bigger fight in the second game, but the Birmingham-Southern escaped with a 7-4 victory.
"We competed very well today," Head Coach Leah Kelley said. "Birmingham-Southern was 32-8 last year. We just need to finish teams. Leaving 12 runners on in the first game will not win games."
Maryville's senior pitcher Kayla Aloisi shined during the day's first game, allowing only five hits in 7.2 innings of work. The 5-foot-5 pitcher landed two strikeouts, while only walking one hitter in the game.
"Kayla pitched a phenomenal game against a very disciplined hitting lineup," Kelley said. "She controlled the game from the start and kept their hitters off balance. She deserved to get a victory in that game, but we could not push a run across the plate to back her up. Kayla showed tremendous leadership and set the bar for our younger pitchers."
Those 12 runners left aboard cost the Scots, as Haley Crumpton found a walk-off solo shot in the bottom of the eighth inning for the Panthers to escape with the 1-0 victory.
Maryville saw Rachel Taylor go 1-for-1 in the game with two walks, while Alexus Murray found her first collegiate hit with a single to right field in the second inning. The freshman went 1-for-3, while fellow freshman Casey Joliff also deposited her first hit in an MC uniform during her 1-for-4 day. Joliff used a single through the left side in the fourth inning for her first career hit.
Savannah Cook and Jessica McMahan each went 1-for-4 to finish out Maryville's five-hit attack, as Morgan Corso tallied two walks on the day.
Birmingham-Southern saw Torrie Garner go 2-for-3 in the day's first game, while Kaley Eastwood went 1-for-2. Crumpton was 1-for-4 with the game's only run and RBI.
During the second day of the game, Maryville's Elizabeth Wheeler shined during her first collegiate game.
The true freshmen went 2-for-3, while finding her first collegiate hit down the right-field line during the second inning. Two innings later, the designated player would blast a three-run shot to left field for her first career homer.
"Wheeler is a tremendous hitter," Kelley said. "They made a pitching change, and I told her, 'She is coming into this game cold, so she will try to get ahead early. Jump on the first pitch and hit it there (pointing to left field).' My gosh, she did. Wheeler is a tough out, and I was happy to see her hard work paying off. That is a first of many."
Wheeler finished her day going 2-for-3, while scoring three of Maryville's four runs in the 7-4 loss. Wheeler had three RBIs and a run scored in the game.
The Panthers had a big first inning, however, jumping to an early 3-0 lead. Amanda Ballew used a two-run shot to center to score Maddie Ridgway, before Crumpton found her second homer of the day with a solo shot to right-center. After the first, Birmingham-Souther led 3-0.
The Panthers would add four more insurance runs in the bottom of the third. Micaela Beck found a homerun to left-center to score Torrie Garner early in the inning. Ballew would find her fourth RBI of the evening with a double through the left side, scoring Ridgway and Catherine Coffee for a 7-0 lead through three innings.
Maryville came to life in the top of the fourth, as Murray would double to right center, scoring Megan Mihaliak from third. On the next pitch of the game Wheeler would blast her three-run shot to score Murray and Morgan Corland for the 7-4 final.
Murray followed Wheeler's performance with a 2-for-3 day of her own, while adding an RBI and a run scored. Mihaliak was 1-for-3 with a run scored, while Cook and McMahan both finished 1-for-4.
Birminham-Southern's 11-hit attack was led by Ballew's 3-for-4 day, as the center fielder added four RBI and a run scored. Beck went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scured, while Crumpton and Ridgway eached finished the evening 2-for-4.
Maryville will take a week off, before traveling to Berry College on Saturday, Feb. 13. First pitch is set for noon in the double-header contest.
