Herring's two homers, King's first collegiate blast lift Softball to split vs Augusta

Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College softball team slugged its way to the tune of four home runs in game two of their doubleheader with Augusta, forcing the split with the Jaguars at Whitley Field on Tuesday afternoon.

GAME ONE | Augusta 7, Catawba 6

TEAM STATS

- Augusta out-hit Catawba 11-9

- Both teams had three extra-base hits; the Jaguars had both homers

- AU had two of three errors in the contest

- The Catawba Indians recorded all three stolen bases in the game

- Augusta's Spinks allowed three earned runs on nine hits and three walks, striking out two; Catawba's staff allowed six earned runs on 11 hits and two walks, striking out five

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Madi Taylor went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored

- Kinsley Caldwell was 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run scored

- Savanna Balderston drove in two on a single

- Bri Gallagher also had multiple hits in game one

- Kary Hales pitched seven innings in relief, allowing three earned runs with five strikeouts

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- The first five Augusta batters recorded base hits to score three early runs

SECOND INNING

- Gallagher singled to lead off the second

- Balderston's two-out, two-RBI singles brought the Catawba deficit to a single run

THIRD INNING

- A two-out error allowed Augusta to earn a bases-loaded walk to extend their lead to 4-2

FOURTH INNING

- Three straight singles loaded the bases with no outs

- Allie Burns' RBI fielder's choice scored a run to again bring the deficit to one

FIFTH INNING

- Augusta's Patterson hit a two-out homer to take a 5-3 lead

- Taylor's RBI double scored Hales

- Caldwell followed with an RBI double to right field

- Caldwell later scored on an error, as the Catawba Indians took a 6-5 lead

SIXTH INNING

- An RBI base hit and a run scored on a wild pitch gave the Jaguars the 7-6 lead that they would not relinquish

GAME TWO | Catawba 9, Augusta 0 - 5 innings

TEAM STATISTICS

- Catawba out-hit Augusta 9-2

- The Catawba Indians had six of seven extra-base hits in the game

- AU committed both errors in the game

- Catawba recorded both steals of the contest

- Bri Herring pitched the five-inning complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and one walk; Augusta's staff allowed nine earned runs on nine hits and two walks, striking out three

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Herring helped her own cause at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two homers, three RBI and two runs scored

- Gallagher was 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored

- Taylor was 2-for-3 with a homer, two RBI and a run scored

- Senior Aniyah King belted her first collegiate home run with two RBI and two runs scored

HOW IT HAPPENED

SECOND INNING

- Gallagher doubled and Taylor singled to give the Catawba Indians runners on the corners with no one out

- Gallagher later scored on an error to get Catawba on the board in the second

THIRD INNING

- Taylor's two-run blast to left allowed Catawba to extend their lead to 3-0

- Herring made it back-to-back homers on back-to-back pitches to take a 4-0 lead

FOURTH INNING

- King walked, stole two bases and scored on a wild pitch to add to the Catawba advantage

FIFTH INNING

- Herring homered for the second time in three innings to take a 7-0 lead

- King hit the "walk-off" homer, the first of her collegiate career, to take the mercy-rule victory, 9-0

UP NEXT

- Catawba's doubleheader with USC Aiken originally scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed due to the forecast; their next scheduled doubleheader is at Anderson on Sunday to open up South Atlantic Conference play at 1 and 3 p.m.