Thursday, April 12, 2007

 

GREEN SHINES, WINGATE SWEEPS TUSCULUM SOFTBALL

 

                GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Wingate pitcher Ashley Green recorded a pair of complete game victories as the Bulldogs swept a South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader from Tusculum College Thursday afternoon at Red Edmonds Field.  The Bulldogs (31-18, 6-6 SAC) won by scores of 4-3 in the opener and 4-1 in the second game.

 

                Wingate's Celina Rocha (Baytown, Texas) was solid at the plate on the day as she went 4-for-8 on the afternoon and drove in a pair of runs.

 

Game 1: Wingate 4, Tusculum 3

                In the first game, Wingate jumped out to a 4-1 lead but had to hold off a stubborn Tusculum squad as the Bulldogs prevailed 4-3.

                Green (Charleston, S.C.) scattered eight hits, allowed three runs, walked three and struck out four in the win. 

                Hallie Pettigrew (Uniontown, Ohio), Joy Henry (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Rocha each finished with two hits for the Bulldogs, while the Pioneers were paced by the trio of Judith Saavedra (Phoenix, Ariz.), Chrissy Wilkison (Lake Forest, Calif.) and Brie Griffin (Glendale, Ariz.), who each accounted for two hits.

Wingate plated a pair of unearned runs in the first inning thanks to a pair of two-out singles by Rocha and Henry as Wingate led 2-0.

                Tusculum cut the deficit in half in the third when Holli Cadenhead (Van Vleck, Texas) drew a lead-off walk, moved to second on a bunt and later scored on Saavedra's single to left field.  Wingate answered with a two runs in the fourth as LaRonda McClain (Kings Mountain, N.C.) led off with a bunt single and later scored on a double steal attempt.  Courtney Wagner (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) would plate the second run of the frame with here ninth double of the season.

                Tusculum added a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to trail by one.  Green got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fifth to maintain the lead.  She would record her 23rd win of the season as she faced the minimum six batters in the final two innings to seal the win.

 

Game 2: Wingate 4, Tusculum 1

                In the night-cap, the Bulldogs' Megan McPhail (Wade, N.C.) went 2-for-4 as WU won 4-1 to complete the sweep.  Green shined once again as she allowed seven hits, one run, walked one and struck out four.  Wingate tallied nine hits, while taking advantage of four Tusculum errors.

                Rocha and McClain accounted for two hits each, while Cadenhead went 2-for-3 for the Pioneers.

                Wingate took a 2-0 lead in the third inning as the Bulldogs recorded a pair of hits and used two Tusculum errors, including a RBI single by McPhail.  WU made the score 4-0 with a run each in the fifth and sixth innings.

                Tusculum tallied its only run of the game in the sixth as Makenzie Loy (Knoxville, Tenn.) doubled home Wilkison.

                Green, who is third in the nation in victories, improves her record to 24-13 on the season.

 

                Tusculum (26-21, 3-9 SAC) will be on the road this Saturday when they face Presbyterian College in the final SAC series of the regular season, beginning at 1 p.m. in Clinton, S.C.  Wingate will be at Pfeiffer University on Friday.

 

- TC -