Ferrum, VA – After waiting over two weeks to take the field again after Mother Nature delayed the Piedmont College softball team’s schedule, the Lady Lions returned to action Sunday on the road at Ferrum College splitting the doubleheader in the first outing in USA South play. With a win in game one, 8-4, Head Coach Terry Martin recorded his 400th career victory, all coming at the helm of the Piedmont College softball program.
Martin has led Piedmont to two straight NCAA Division III National Tournament appearances and is the only coach in Piedmont fast-pitch softball history. Martin has led the team to 13 20-win seasons in 16 complete seasons at the helm of the Lady Lions and four 30-win seasons including the past two years.
Martin has compiled a .611 winning percentage in his 16 seasons (1999-2014) and entered 2015 with one of the top 50 winning percentages across the country in Division III softball.
Game one: Piedmont 8, Ferrum 4
The Lady Lions offense was rolling early Sunday as they scored three times in the second inning to take the lead, one they would never surrender, en route to an 8-4 victory. Sarah Walker, the Lady Lions’ starter, tossed the complete game picking up the win giving up seven hits, four runs with just two earned, and fanning five batters.
Abby Smith knocked the first ball into play for Piedmont, one of four hits she would have in the game. Smith went 4-for-4 with two RBI to lead the charge for Piedmont.
Allison Vaughn then singled down the right field line, scoring Smith for Vaughn’s first of two RBI in the game. Vaughn came around to score on Laura Carter’s single to left field and Carter would score the final run of the inning on a single by Jessica Bagwell.
Ferrum answered back in the bottom half of the frame with a homer to right field by Amber Coffin. Piedmont would add on two unearned runs in the top of the third inning after a walk and an error allowed freshmen Becka Ross and Brittany Futral to reach base.
Abby Smith brought Ross around to score while Futral came home on a Vaughn single to center field. Vaughn ended the game going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
Piedmont added a single run in the top of the fifth as Allison Gentry scored on another Smith single in the fifth and tacked on two more in the sixth. It was Abby Atkinson who accounted for both runs in the six as she brought Hayden Savage around on a single to left center and Atkinson then stole third and scored on an error.
Ferrum added three runs in the sixth inning to close the gap, but Walker shut down the Panthers charge and sealed the victory for the Lady Lions.
Game two: Ferrum 6, Piedmont 5 (8 innings)
It took extra innings to determine the outcome, but the Lady Lions late rally came up just short in a 6-5 loss in eight innings. Piedmont trailed by two before taking the lead in the sixth inning but the Panthers tied it up and won on a walk-off walk in the eighth inning.
Sarah Walker took the loss in game two earning both decisions of the day for the Lady Lions after pitching 3.0 innings in relief. Piedmont used three pitchers in the game starting Avery Migues and bringing in Morgan Scholtz for 2.1 innings of relief.
Four Lady Lions recorded two hits in the game with Laura Carter and Jessica Bagwell both going 2-for-3 with Bagwell added two RBI.
Bagwell hit the second homerun of the season for Piedmont as she put the Lady Lions on the board first in the second inning with a long ball to right center scoring Carter. In the bottom half of the frame, the Panthers responded with three runs to reclaim the lead 3-2.
Sadie Wallace added a homer for Ferrum to increase the lead to 4-2 and inning later, but neither team would put another runner across the plate through the next two innings.
Piedmont scored three in the top of the sixth to go back in front, appearing to be coasting to another victory, before Ferrum knocked another run in to tie the game at 5-5.
In the sixth, Abby Smith doubled down the left field line to score Becka Ross, then Carter singled to send Smith home. Allison Vaughn singled in the inning and eventually scored on a passed ball.
Piedmont did not record a hit in the final two innings of the game, while Ferrum got a lead-off single in the eighth from Miyana Ross who eventually scored on a walk to end the game.
Piedmont moves to 2-2 overall this season and 1-1 in the USA South. The Lady Lions will be in action at home on Tuesday, March 10 taking on Agnes Scott in a doubleheader with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
