GAFFNEY, S.C. – The Limestone University softball team overcame a 6-1 game-one deficit by scoring six unanswered runs to walk off with a 7-6 extra-inning decision, and the program's first South Atlantic Conference win, in a doubleheader split with nationally 21^st-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University on Tuesday.
 
GAME 1 INFORMATION
Score: Limestone 7, No. 21 Lenoir-Rhyne 6
Records: Limestone (5-8, 1-2), No. 21 Lenoir-Rhyne (6-3, 2-1)
Location: Babe Ruth Field
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 

• Limestone trailed 6-1 in the fourth inning, but scored the final six runs for its first SAC win
• Sophomore Vic Brewington (Walterboro, S.C.) went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two stolen bases
• Sophomore Madison Chappell (Lawrenceville, Ga.) also had two hits, including the game-winner
• Junior Ashley Parnell (Starr, S.C.) tallied two RBIs on a pair of sacrifice flies
• Freshman Carley Womack (Mount Holly, N.C.) added a hit, three walks, a steal, and an RBI
• Sophomore Chloe Thomas (Edgemore, S.C.) chipped in a walk and an RBI sacrifice fly
• Sophomore pitcher Haley White (Union Mills, S.C.) went the distance to improve to 4-3
• She scattered six runs on 14 hits over eight innings of work while striking out nine
• Lenoir-Rhyne finished with a 14-8 edge in the hit column, but left 13 runners on base
• The Saints worked six walks and took advantage of four errors by the Bears

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
White mowed down Bears over the first couple of frames, striking out the side in the top of the first before getting two more punchouts in the second. Lenoir-Rhyne figured things out in the third though to push ahead 2-0, but White worked out of the jam with another strikeout and a groundout to limit the damage.  
 
Limestone left a pair of runners stranded in scoring position following a leadoff single by Brewington in the first and a one-out base knock by freshman Katie Wilbur (Rocky Point, N.Y.) in the second. With a runner on third and one out in the third, the Saints cut the deficit in half, 2-1, as Parnell lifted a sacrifice fly to left.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne capitalized on a leadoff single in the fourth as the visitors followed with an RBI double to extend the lead. Behind her sixth strikeout of the game, it appeared that White would again get out of the stanza with just the one run, but the Bears busted the game open with a two-out, bases-loaded double.
 
Trailing 6-1 going into the bottom half, a leadoff single by Chappell and a walk by freshman Desiree Bain (Monroe, N.C.) allowed Limestone to load the bags with nobody gone. Following two quick outs, Womack worked a bases-loaded walk before Brewington pulled a two-run single into right to close the gap to 6-4.
 
The Bears threatened to add insurance runs after loading the bases with one out in the fifth, but White worked out of the jam before stranding two more in the sixth. Limestone took advantage by pushing a tally across in the home half of the sixth, making it 6-5, as Parnell hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded.
 
In the seventh, Bain led the inning off with a single to center before scoring the tying run three batters later on a sacrifice fly by Thomas. The Saints would leave the winning run on third to force extras but completed the come-from-behind, walk-off win on an RBI single by Chappell in the bottom of the eighth.  
 
GAME 2 INFORMATION
Score: No. 21 Lenoir-Rhyne 2, Limestone 1
Records: No. 21 Lenoir-Rhyne (7-3, 3-1), Limestone (5-9, 1-3)
Location: Babe Ruth Field
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 

• Brewington went 3-for-4 at the dish in the nightcap with a homerun
• Parnell added a base knock while Bain also finished with a hit
• Freshman Madison Vinicombe (Waxhaw, N.C.) worked a pair of walks
• Chappell also finished with a walk
• Sophomore starter Caroline Ruth (Waxhaw, N.C.) was solid in tossing a complete game
• She took a hard-luck loss, despite giving up just two runs on three hits while striking out 10
• Limestone outhit the Bears in game two, 5-3, but would leave seven runners on base

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
With one on and one out in the top of the first, the Bears jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead with a two-run homerun, but Ruth would leave a runner on base with a strikeout to end the frame. The Saints responded in the bottom half as Brewington blasted a leadoff solo shot to right-centerfield to cut the margin to 2-1.
 
Following an LR single to start the second, Ruth settled down by retiring 10 straight batters before issuing a one-out walk in the top of the fifth. Limestone missed some big opportunities during that stretch, leaving the bags juiced in the bottom of the second before stranding a one-out single by Bain at third in the third.
 
The Blue and Gold could not get anything rolling in game two as a two-out single by Brewington in the fourth and a two-out walk by Vinicombe in the sixth proved to be the only offense the rest of the way. Limestone would go down in order in the seventh as Lenoir-Rhyne forced the split with the 2-1 decision.  
 
UP NEXT
 
Limestone is back in action this weekend as it travels down U.S. 29 to take on Converse College in nonconference play on Friday, March 5. The Saints are back home on Saturday, March 6 when they host Alderson Broaddus University at Babe Ruth Field.