(CLEVELAND) – The Truett McConnell University softball team hosted Columbia College in an Appalachian Athletic Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Bears remain undefeated in conference play with the sweep over the Koalas including a shutout (5-0) in game one and a walk-off victory (4-3) in game two. TMU moved to 11-3, 4-0 AAC with the sweep, while Columbia dropped to 7-11, 0-8 AAC on the season.
GAME 1 | 5-0
Briley Lawson led off the day with her second home run in two days with a solo shot over the left field wall to put the Lady Bears up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning. Kyleigh Sanders pitched a complete shutout game and didn’t allow the Koalas to gather a hit until the fourth inning. The game would remain 1-0 until the sixth inning, when Kyndall Gipson led the way with a single to left field. Jenna O’Brien followed up with a single of her own and Mattie Brooks made the game 3-0 after lining a two-run RBI double into right field. Brooks would eventually be brought home after a couple of sacrifice ground outs, making the final score 5-0.
LEADERS
Cassie Boatright and O’Brien both went 2-2 with a single run, while Brooks contributed going 1-3 with two RBIs. Sanders went all seven innings, striking out a season-high 13 batters in the process. Sanders record moved to 5-2 on the year with the victory.
GAME 2 | 4-3
The Lady Bears got out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Two RBI singles from Ellie Abner and O’Brien highlighted the hot start for TMU. Columbia would go on to score three unanswered runs, including one in the top of the third and two more in the seventh to take a two-run lead. In the bottom half, O’Brien led off the outing with a single to left field. After moving to second on a ground out, Rachel Morgan lined the final RBI single to right field to complete the walk-off win for the Lady Bears.
LEADERS
O’Brien went a perfect 3-3, including the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Ellie Abner, Boatright and Morgan also collected RBIs, while pitcher Kyndall Gipson went the distance, throwing a complete seven innings, allowing only three runs and sending down five Koalas in the process.
UP NEXT
The Lady Bears have a couple of days off before returning to action on Tuesday, March 13 against Saint Andrews University in a doubleheader. Game times are set for 12:00p.m. and 2:00p.m.
