Softball splits pair of nail-biters at UNC Pembroke

Pembroke, N.C. —- The Catawba College softball team won the second game of a doubleheader in 10 innings at UNC Pembroke on Wednesday afternoon after dropping the first game on a walk-off home run.

GAME ONE | UNC Pembroke 3, Catawba 2

TEAM STATS

- UNC Pembroke out-hit Catawba 5-3

- Both teams recorded an extra-base hit; the Braves hit the lone homer

- UNCP committed the lone error

- The Braves recorded the lone stolen base of the game

- Pembroke's Summer Bullard allowed two earned runs on three hits, striking out three; Catawba's staff allowed three earned runs on five hits and one walk, striking out three

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Riley Tucker went six-plus innings in the start in the circle, allowing a run on just three hits, while striking out three; she was one of three Catawba Indians to record a hit in game one

- Kary Hales recorded an RBI triple and later scored

- Madi Taylor drove Hales in on a run-scoring single

- Bri Gallagher scored a run

HOW IT HAPPENED

SEVENTH INNING

- Game remained a scoreless tie, with Catawba going without a hit until Tucker's one-out single up the middle

- Gallagher hit into a fielder's choice before Hales' two-out RBI triple scored the potential go-ahead run

- Taylor added insurance with an RBI single to left field

- The Braves recorded back-to-back singles to bring the game-winning run to the plate with nobody out

- UNCP's Emma Eckhart delivered the walk-off three-run homer, stealing the game one win for the Braves

GAME TWO | Catawba 6, UNC Pembroke 4

TEAM STATS

- Catawba out-hit UNC Pembroke 10-8

- The Catawba Indians had three of five extra-base hits; UNCP hit the lone homer

- The Braves committed all four errors of the contest

- Catawba recorded all four stolen bases in the game

- Catawba's Alex Baquie threw the entire 10 innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and four walks, striking out seven; Pembroke's staff allowed two earned runs on 10 hits and three walks, striking out seven

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Christina Brendle doubled, tripled, drove in a run and scored

- Courtnee Carter was 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run scored

- Aniyah King also recorded multiple hits with an RBI and a run scored

- Tucker drove in a run on a 2-for-5 day

- Bri Herring also had two hits in the game

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- UNC Pembroke hit an RBI single to lead after the first frame

THIRD INNING

- Hales scored on a throwing error with two outs in the third to tie the game at 1

SIXTH INNING

- Tucker's one-out sac fly in the sixth gave the Catawba Indians a late 2-1 lead

SEVENTH INNING

- Pembroke struck magic in the bottom of the seventh for the second time on the day, hitting a leadoff solo homer to tie the game back at 2

NINTH INNING

- Hales' RBI groundout put Catawba a nose in front, 3-2

- The Braves matched with an RBI single of their own in the bottom half

TENTH INNING

- Brendle's one-out triple scored the inherited runner

- Carter followed it up with a double, as Catawba led 5-3

- Carter advanced to third on King's single and scored on a throwing to add an insurance run

- UNCP scored the inherited runner on a single, but Baquie shut the door with a strikeout to claim the split

UP NEXT

- Catawba returns to Whitley Field on Sunday, hosting Mount Olive for a doubleheader; first pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m.