Tucker’s one-hitter highlights Softball’s split vs Mount Olive

Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College softball team split a doubleheader against visiting Mount Olive at Whitley Field on Sunday, highlighted by a one-hit, complete-game shutout from senior utility Riley Tucker in game one.

GAME ONE | Catawba 8, Mount Olive 0 - 5 innings

TEAM STATS

- Catawba out-hit Mount Olive 9-1

- The Catawba Indians hit three of four extra-base hits including the lone homer

- Catawba committed the lone error of the game

- Mount Olive's starters allowed eight earned runs on nine hits and three walks, striking out five; Tucker allowed no runs on just one hit and no walks, striking out one

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Kary Hales was 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored

- Bri Gallagher was 2-for-2 with a walk and three runs scored

- Madi Taylor hit a three-run homer

- Courtnee Carter went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- Gallagher's walk loaded the bases with one out in the first

- Hales drove in the first two Catawba runs of the game on a single to center

- Taylor followed up with a three-run homer, as the Catawba Indians jumped out to a five-run lead

THIRD INNING

- Gallagher and Hales led off the third inning with back-to-back singles

- Strider's sac fly drove in Gallagher

- Carter scored another on an RBI single to extend the Catawba advantage to 7-0

FOURTH INNING

- Tucker retired the first 10 batters until an error and a double had Trojans on second and third with just one out

- UMO grounded out and then ran themselves into the third out, as Catawba avoided any damage

FIFTH INNING

- Catawba finished off the mercy-rule win with Carter's RBI double to right field

GAME TWO | Mount Olive 9, Catawba 4

TEAM STATS

- Mount Olive out-hit Catawba 11-10

- The Trojans recorded three of five extra-base hits with three of the four homers in game two

- UMO recorded two of three errors in the game

- The Catawba Indians had four of six stolen bases

- Catawba's pitchers allowed eight earned runs on 11 hits and four walks, striking out 10; UMO's Bri Verme allowed four earned runs on 10 hits, striking out five

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Bri Herring was 3-for-4 out of the leadoff spot with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a steal

- Hales hit a two-run homer as part of a 2-for-4 game

- Tucker was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base along with three more innings on the mound with one earned run on three with four punchouts

- Grace Flynn also had two hits with a run scored

HOW IT HAPPENED

THIRD INNING

- Two homers helped the Trojans put up four runs in the third inning

- Aniyah King's RBI single scored Herring to get one back in the bottom half

FOURTH INNING

- Catawba cut their deficit to two runs in the fourth after Flynn stole second and scored on Herring's RBI single

SIXTH INNING

- The Trojans added an insurance score on a sac fly in the sixth

SEVENTH INNING

- UMO's Rudd homered to help the Trojans take a 9-2 lead

- Hales hit a two-run bomb to left field, but the Catawba Indians could not score any more runs from there, taking a split on the day

UP NEXT

- Catawba returns to action on Saturday, traveling to 2023 NCAA Tournament participant Francis Marion for a twinbill against the Patriots starting at 1 p.m.