ROCKY MOUNT, NC – The Pride softball team (22-20) continued their good play of late at the first day of the 2015 USA South Softball Championship on Friday. The sixth seeded Pride upset the third seeded Panthers of Ferrum College, 9-5, in game one before downing in the second seeded Pacers of William Peace in the nightcap 2-0.
In the game against the Panthers, Greensboro got two runs in the top half of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. The Pride got their first run of the game when Kali Puckett, who led off the inning with a walk, came in to score following a Ferrum error off the bat of Allyson Yeager. Greensboro then got a single by Jackie Nicholson to plate Sarah Connolly making the score 2-0.
The score would remain 2-0 until the Panther came back with five runs in the home half of the fourth inning to take the lead from the Pride at 5-2.
Once Greensboro found themselves in the three run hole, the Pride scored two runs in the fifth inning before pushing across five runs in the sixth inning to establish the 9-5 lead. In the two run fifth inning, Sarah Connolly blasted her second home run of the season beforeSarah Tompkins recorded a sacrifice fly to plate Allyon Yeager making the score 5-4.
After retiring the Panthers in the bottom half of the inning, Greensboro was able to capitalize on the Panthers mistakes to take the lead. Pinch runner Evan Sherer scored the first run of the sixth inning before Sarah Connolly, Alexis Hall, and Kali Puckett each recorded at least on RBI.
Sarah Connolly led the way for Greensboro in the contest with three hits including two RBIs while Kali Puckett, Allyson Yeager, and Jackie Nicholson combined for six of Greensboro's remaining seven hits. Madison Crisco recorded the only other hit.
Lauren Miller (6-5) took the win in the pitching circle after coming in for Dawn Harris who tossed the game's first four innings.
In the second game of the day, Allyson Yeager plated the game's only two runs with a double to center field scoring Madison Crisco and Brittany Rush.
Kali Puckett, Brittany Rush, Madison Crisco, Allyson Yeager, and Hayley Rumley all combined for the Pride's six hits.
Dawn Harris (11-7) pitched the entire seven innings of play in the pitching circle. In her seven innings pitching, Harris was able to command her off speed pitches to keep the Pacers off balance.
With the pair of victories on Friday, Greensboro finds themselves as one of two teams that are 2-0 in the tournament. The Pride will take on the Panthers of LaGrange College on Saturday morning with the winner advancing to Sunday's championship series. The first pitch in Rocky Mount, North Carolina is set for 12:00 PM. For the latest on the Pride softball team, continue to followwww.greensborocollegesports.com.
