Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Freshman Lindsey Sharpe hit an inside-the-park home run to highlight play for host Barton College but the Fairmont State University softball team used 23 total hits to complete a non-conference doubleheader sweep, 5-1 and 8-2, on a sunny Tuesday afternoon at Jeffries Field.
Senior Nikki Nuzum and freshman Bailey Shade each had strong starts for the Fighting Falcons as Fairmont State improved to 5-2 overall.
The Lady Bulldogs stranded 15 runners on base to slip to 6-12 on the season.
Nuzum was closing in on a shutout in the opener for FSU before Sharpe hit her pinch-hit homer to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Sharpe drilled the ball just out of the reach of the Falcons converging left and center fielders and then the ball deflected off one of the hard charging outfielders to give Sharpe time to quickly sprint around the bases for her team-high third homer.
Barton had a great chance to strike first with five total runners on base in the first two innings but the Lady Bulldogs came up empty against Nuzum. Freshman left fielder Megan Kelly reached both times by leading off the first with double and drawing a walk to load the bases in the second.
Fairmont State scored its runs in bunches with three runs in the second and two more in the fourth. Sophomore Joni Tyree provided a two-run double to right-center in the second while sophomore Sissy Stubbs singled in both frames and scored each time.
Nuzum (2-0) – an All-Conference pitcher last season – scattered seven hits and issued three walks while striking out four in her 6 1/3 innings of work. Ashley Knight got the final two outs for the Fighting Falcons in a non-save situation.
Sophomore starter Ashlyn Reagan (4-4) had her streak of four consecutive wins come to an end allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits and three walks over the first four innings. Junior Hayley Baxley provided three innings of scoreless relief for the Lady Bulldogs.
Barton outhit Fairmont State, 7-6, but stranded nine runners. Kelly doubled twice and sophomore Crystal Britton reached base all three plate appearances with a pair of singles and a walk.
The Fighting Falcons erupted for 17 hits in the nightcap to complete the sweep. FSU scored in five of seven innings and jumped out to a 5-0 advantage. Junior Terri Lynn Wolfe tripled in the first and scored on a hit by junior Sarah Parsons. The Falcons tacked on four more runs in the second on six hits including a two-run double by Stubbs and RBI singles by Parsons and sophomore Courtney Iacobacci.
Three consecutive singles off the bats of freshman Sydney Speight, junior Betsy Braswell and senior Kendra Kassonie resulted in the Lady Bulldogs first run in the home half of the second.
After Fairmont State got the run back in third, Barton pulled within 6-2 with an unearned run in the fourth. Senior Amber Weaver reached on an error and later scored on wild pitch.
The Fighting Falcons tacked on a couple insurance runs by scoring once in both the fifth and sixth.
Wolfe ripped four hits; Stubbs drove in four runs on a pair of base knocks; and Skidmore and junior Carly Mundie each hit safely three times. Parsons chipped in two RBI.
Speight led the Lady Bulldogs with two singles through the left side of the infield.
Shade (1-1) earned her first collegiate victory going the distance. Shade did not allow an earned run in the five-hit performance.
Sophomore Liz White (0-7) was tagged with the loss in the start for the Royal Blue and White. Senior Autumn Pittman pitched the last six innings. White and Pittman each gave up four runs.
Barton returns to action at home on against Elizabeth City State University in a rescheduled game for Saturday, March 15 at 1 p.m.
