Boxscore (vs. Lincoln Memorial)

Boxscore (vs. Coker)

SPARTANBURG, S.C. − The 22nd-ranked (NFCA/Division II Top 25) Flagler College Saints won its first two softball games of the Mid-South Classic Friday night at the 295 Sports Complex. Flagler defeated Lincoln Memorial University 7-3 and then topped Coker College by the same score.

Flagler extended its winning streak to three games and improved to 21-3 overall. Lincoln Memorial fell to 13-5 and Coker dropped to 6-5.

In the opener, Flagler rallied from a 3-2 deficit to come away with a 7-3 win. The Saints plated three runs in the sixth inning and added two more in the seventh.

Alona Personius (Lake Stevens, Wash., Florida State College-Jacksonville) started the rally in the sixth with a lead off triple. She scored on Breezy Collings' (Orange City, Fla., Brevard CC) ground ball to second, which was booted. Brandy Luke (Orlando, Fla., Indian River State College) came on to run for Collings at first and represented the eventual winning run. She was sacrificed to second and took third on Robyn Draper's (Brampton, Ontario, State College of Florida) single. Draper stole second and Stacy Piagno (St. Augustine, Fla., Pedro Menendez HS) singled home Luke and Draper to give Flagler a 5-3 lead. Piagno's hit chased Lincoln Memorial's starting pitcher, Katie-Jo Gentry (2-1).

Kalyn Loverich (St. Johns, Fla., Bartram Trail HS) (9-1) tossed six innings, allowed five hits, one earned run, walked five and struck out eight. Donna Munafo (Satellite Beach, Fla., Brevard CC) pitched a scoreless seventh.

Lauren Bessent (Jacksonville, Fla., Trinity Christian Academy) led off the game by belting a home run to center field. She is the second player in the history of the program to lead off the game with a home run (last done by Brittney Hatem vs. Columbus State, Apr 5, 2009). Bessent went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Draper singled twice and scored two runs.

Brianna Mulkey and Bridget Eicher each collected two singles for the Lady Railsplitters. Gentry last 5.1 innings and surrendered seven hits, four earned runs and struck out four.


Flagler 7, Lincoln Memorial 3 (Mar 04, 2011 at Spartanburg, SC)
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Flagler............. 110 003 2 - 7 10 3 (20-3)
Lincoln Memorial.... 200 100 0 - 3 6 2 (13-5)
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Battery: Flagler - Kalyn Loverich; Donna Munafo(7) and Katelyn Guinsler; Robyn Draper. Lincoln Memorial - Katie-Jo Gentry; Cierra Mudd(6) and Meg Ryan.
Win-Kalyn Loverich(9-1) Loss-Katie-Jo Gentry(2-1) T-2:03 A-35
3B FC – Alona Personius.
HR FC - Lauren Bessent (2).
Weather: 57; cloudy

In the second game, Flagler took advantage of two Coker errors in the first inning to score five runs en route to another 7-3 win.

Bessent led off the frame by reaching on a fielding error by Cobra pitcher Jordan Atkinson (2-2). Lauren Ely (Winter Springs, Fla., Winter Springs HS) followed with a single which pushed Bessent to third. After an Ely stolen base, Personius hit a ground ball to the Coker first baseman and could not get an out. Bessent scored the game's first run. Collings came up with runners at the corners and hit a grounder to shortstop that was booted and another run scored. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners up a base, Tori Jolley (Keystone Heights, Fla., Keystone Heights HS) drew a walk to load the bases. Piagno came through again with a two-run single and Flagler grabbed a 4-0 lead. Brittany Simmons (Ocala, Fla., Chattanooga State Tech CC) followed with an RBI-double to right to cap the scoring.

That would be all the offense Munafo (3-0) would need. She tossed five innings, scattered seven hits, allowed one run and fanned a season-high seven batters. Kristen Chapman (Jacksonville, Fla., Sandalwood HS) closed out the last two innings for the Saints.

Ely led the offense for Flagler with a pair of singles, two runs scored and two stolen bases.

Atkinson tossed three innings for Coker and yielded four hits, two earned runs and issued five free passes.

Jennifer Sanborn led the Cobras with three singles. Bri Jacobs collected two singles while Sarah Rountree singled, doubled, drove in a run and scored another.

Flagler takes on Belmont Abbey College at 3 p.m. and will follow at 5 p.m. against the University of Charleston (W.Va.).


Flagler 7, Coker 3 (Mar 04, 2011 at Spartanburg, SC)
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Coker............... 001 002 0 - 3 9 4 (6-5)
Flagler............. 500 200 X - 7 5 1 (21-3)
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Battery: Coker - Jordan Atkinson; Sydney Greenwalt(4) and Stacy Burr. Flagler - Donna Munafo; Kristen Chapman(6) and Robyn Draper.
Win-Donna Munafo(3-0) Loss-Jordan Atkinson(2-2) T-1:45 A-37
2B CC – Sarah Rountree.
2B FC – Brittany Simmons.
Atkinson faced 2 batters in the 4th.