The Truett-McConnell softball team finished their season by dropping two straight games in the AAC Conference after winning their first game match-up.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3
TMC 6 Milligan College 2
In the first game, The Lady Bears came from behind to win. Milligan struck for two runs in the first inning to go up 2-0. Truett cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second inning with back-to-back doubles from Brittany Gee and Brianna Crawford. The game remained 2-1 until the fifth inning when Truett got a RBI single from Sara Stites that scored Kaitlynn Hay, who reached on an infield single to lead off the inning. The Lady Bears put the game out of reach in the next frame by scoring four runs on three hits and two errors.
In the sixth, Brianna Crawford singled home Jennifer Bagby, who led off the inning by being hit by a pitch. Then, an error on a wild throw plated two more runs and a few batters later after a single, the Milligan shortstop bobbled a ball that allowed Olivia Darley to score the sixth and final run of the game.
Harlee Grogan (6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) pitched an incredible game in relief of Taylor Nix to pick up the win in the circle. Brianna Crawford had a perfect day at the plate going 3 for 3 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Kaitlynn Hay (2-4, R), Milly Martinet (2-4), Sara Stites (2-4, RBI), andBrittany Gee (2-3, 2B, R) had two hits each in the victory.
TMC 2 Reinhardt 6
After defeating Milligan College, the Lady Bears drew Reinhardt, who flipped the script on Truett by beating them by a 6-2 score.
Truett got on the board first in the top of the first inning after Olivia Darley singled with one out, singled to third by Milly Martinet, and came home on an inerrant throw by the Reinhardt catcher. Reinhardt got that run back in their half of the first and then took a 3-1 lead after the second inning with two runs in the second. The Lady Bears scored their final run of the game to get within a run in the top of the third when Kaitlynn Hay scored on a fielder’s choice. However, the Lady Bears were not able to get a big hit in order to blow the game open, as they left runners stranded on second and third.
Reinhardt put the game out of reach with three runs in the bottom of the third inning and held on for the 6-3 win. Olivia Darley (2-4, R) had two hits in the losing effort to pace the offense and Carson Hagin (3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) pitched really well in relief as she fired three scoreless frames.
TMC 2 Tennessee Wesleyan 3
The Lady Bears did everything to try and avoid being eliminated from the tournament, but a rough three- run first inning was too much for them to overcome.
Truett got their first run in the bottom of the second inning on a Brittany Gee two-out triple to right field that scored Sara Stites, who led off the inning with a single to centerfield. Gee was left stranded though at third base as the next batter grounded out to second base. The Lady Bears trimmed the lead to a single run in the bottom of the third with a Milly Martinet RBI single, but that was all the offense they could muster in the inning. Truett had great opportunities to score in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings as they left runners in scoring position in each frame. They just were not able to get a big hit.
The four seniors for Truett did well in their final collegiate contest. Sara Stites went 3 for 4 with a run scored. Brittany Gee (2-4, 3B, RBI) and Brianna Crawford (2-3) also had multi- hit games. Meanwhile, Harlee Grogan (6.2 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 10 K) pitched a fantastic game in relief, despite getting a no-decision.
The Truett-McConnell softball team won a record 29 games this season and looks forward to building off this successful season.
