RALEIGH, N.C. – Maryville stayed in the Close-Loss Zone with a pair of narrow decisions going against the Scots here Saturday at the Grand Slam Triangle Classic.
MC dropped a 4-2 result to Rowan and then in a wild finish lost 7-6 to Denison.
In that second game, Maryville led 2-0 on a pair of unearned runs scored in the first and sixth innings. But in the bottom of the sixth, Denison sent 10 batters to the plate and scored seven runs on six hits against three Maryville pitchers.
The last two runs crossed when Jacqui Abogado singled for the second time in the frame on a hard liner to center. Abogado was out trying to reach second, but the damage was done.
Maryville put on a furious rally in the top of the seventh.
Micayla Clark led off and reached on an error. She was forced at second, but
Sara Koonce was hit by a pitch and
Brecca Williams walked to load the bases.
Kaitlin Woodruff followed with a booming triple to center, scoring all three baserunners. Woodruff came home a few pitches later on a wild pitch, but that's as far as the Scots could take it and they dropped to 1-3 in the tournament thus far and 3-5 overall.
Maryville's five losses are by 2, 2, 1, 1 and 2 runs.
Denison in the next game lost 8-7 to North Carolina Wesleyan to fall to 3-1 for their opening weekend. The Big Red plays Meredith and Averett on the Meredith campus on Sunday.
Maryville has a chance to return to .500 Sunday back at Walnut Creek Softball Complex when the Scots take on Shenandoah (2-3) at 10 a.m. and Bethany (West Virginia) (0-4) at noon.
Earlier Comeback Falls Short
In Saturday's Game 1, Maryville fell behind 4-0 but held the line there and nearly forged a comeback.
Ava Whitmire delivered a two-run single in the fourth to cut the deficit in half. But Rowan's Emily McCutcheon came on in relief and held the Scots scoreless over the final 3 and 1/3 innings, allowing just a pair of singles.
Chloe Boyd pitched well in relief for Maryville over the final four innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits.
Kennedy Henry started and took the loss.
Jenica Brown in the fifth and
Bailey Myers in the sixth had the other Maryville hits.
Rowan followed up the win over Maryville with a 6-0 victory against North Carolina Wesleyan to finish 3-1 for the tournament in their opening weekend of play.
