Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Whitmire, Hill Each Double
MARYVILLE – Maryville fell to Birmingham-Southern by scores of 9-2 and 10-2 in a DH battle with the No. 7 team in the NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches' Poll.
Game 1: Birmingham-Southern 9, Maryville 2
The Panthers pulled ahead early in game one with three runs fanned over the first three innings.
The Scots got on the board in the second. Micayla Clark led off and reached first on an error by the opposing second baseman and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Sara Koonce was hit by a pitch during the next at bat and, after two steals, Maryville had both runners in scoring position. Emily Hill followed and hit a double that scored two.
The Scots did not bring anyone else home, but BSC did not have that problem. Two home runs and an error led to six more runs scoring for the visitors. Jada Askew had an excellent day for the Panthers as she drove in four runners over her two home runs in the contest.
Megan Ackerman pitched three innings for Maryville in her start before an injury forced her to sit out the rest of the game. Macee Shults came into the game in relief and struck out four. Hailee Bryan of Birmingham-Southern earned the win after pitching all seven innings and striking out 11 of the 28 batters she faced.
Kaitlin Woodruff and Amaya Goodloe went 2-for-3 at the plate in the game. Hill had a double for the Scots.
Game 2: Birmingham-Southern 10, Maryville 2
It was all gas and no brake for the Panthers in the second game. Birmingham-Southern jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two homers in the first inning. Askew hit a grand slam as the fourth BSC batter in the top of the inning, while Kailey Walters had a 2 RBI homer later in the frame.
After another run scored by the Panthers in the second, the Scots finally got runs of their own on the board. Woodruff crossed home after the BSC center fielder bobbled the ball when fielding a Whitmire double. The last Maryville run of the game came on the next at bat, when Whitmire scored after Mackenzie Chittum grounded out.
Three runs for Birmingham-Southern over the final three frames secured the 10-2 win due to the run rule.
Shults got the start in the circle and pitched one inning for the Scots. Ackerman returned from her injury in the first game and pitched the final four innings of the finale.
Maryville is 9-11 overall after the Saturday twin bill. The Scots begin USA South action at Berea on Wednesday. First pitch of game one of the midweek doubleheader is set for 2 p.m.
