The Piedmont Lady Lions trip to Berry College for the NCAA Mount Berry Regional was brief, but saw the girls compete well in the elimination game.
From Piedmont Lions Sports Information
Need to Know
Score: Piedmont 4, Birmingham-Southern 6
Records: Lady Lions 29-15 (16-4 USA South), Panthers 37-9 (16-2 SAA)
Location: Mount Berry, Georgia – Ford Softball Complex
Mount Berry, GA – In an elimination contest at the NCAA Mount Berry Regional, the Lady Lions came close to mounting a comeback but ultimately lost to Birmingham-Southern 6-4 to conclude the 2016 season. Piedmont ends the year at 29-15 overall with this marking the sixth time the team has made it to the NCAA Tournament.
The Panthers got on the board quickly with a run in the first inning and continued to pour on the runs with two in the second and tacked on another in the third inning posting a 4-0 lead after three complete. The Lady Lions had a leadoff hit to start the game but otherwise had a slow start through the first three innings.
Piedmont got on the board in the fourth with a pair of runs as LAURA CARTER singled to start the inning and the Lady Lions had a total of four hits in the inning. Carter got tagged out in a rundown at the plate in what could have been Piedmont’s first run of the game, but ALLISON VAUGHN delivered sending home a pair making it 4-2 BSC.
MELISSA ECKMAN worked a three-up, three-down inning in the fifth allowing Piedmont to maintain momentum and tack on another run as Carter singled to score AUDREY ESAKOFF making it 4-3.
Eckman left the game in the sixth as SARAH WALKER took over with two on base as the Panthers scored once in the inning with Walker working out of a jam. Piedmont got back that run in the bottom of the frame as it was 5-4 heading to the seventh, but the Panthers got a solo home run with two outs in the seventh and Piedmont was unable to answer in the final three outs.
Turning Point
–Birmingham-Southern scored a run in the sixth to make it a two-score game again as the deficit was too much for Piedmont to overcome.
Standout Performances
—LAURA CARTER was 4-for-4 in her final contest of her career with an RBI earning a spot on the All-Region team.
—MELISSA ECKMAN took the loss but pitched five innings allowing just two earned runs while striking out two.
Inside the Box Score
—SARAH WALKER entered and pitched two innings giving up just three hits and one run.
News & Notes
–Piedmont ended the year with a 29-15 record overall.
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