ST. AUGUSTINE – Flagler College pounded out 24 hits and scored 17 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Lees-McRae College on Thursday evening at Flagler Field. Flagler won the opener 9-4 and took the nightcap 8-0 in six innings.
Flagler improved to 7-18 while Lees-McRae fell to 3-19.
In the first game, the Saints erupted with a five-run third inning to wipeout a 2-0 deficit.
Maddy Murphy belted a three-run homer to right-center field to put Flagler on top 4-2.
Kayla Fuller followed with a solo shot to center field.
The Bobcats took advantage to two Saints miscues in the fourth inning to close the gap to one run (5-4). Taylor Billings led off the inning with a double off the left-center field wall. She took third on a single by Sarah Tucker. Tucker stole second, but
Mackenzie Conley's throw to second base got away which allowed Billings to score. Tori Wright grounded out to shortstop, but on the throw to first, Tucker took off for third.
Keeley Murray threw across the diamond to third, but the throw was high and went down the left field line to allow Tucker to score.
Flagler answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the fourth.
Lauren Roudabush hit a single back up the middle which scored
Hannah Hudson from second base. Later, Roudabush scored on a squeeze bunt by Conley. Conley went on to steal second to put runners on second and third and
Malloree Escue hit a scorching grounder to shortstop. Sarah Beth Ashley didn't have to move far to stop the ball, but the velocity of the hit knocked her off balance and the only play she had was to throw an off-balance lob to home plate.
Tori Volz easily beat the throw.
Tinsley Smith (2-5) tossed four innings, scattered four hits and allowed one earned run. She walked one and fanned four.
Rachel Hudson pitched three scoreless innings in relief to earn her second save of the season. Hudson struck out four batters.
Flagler pounded out a season-high 15 hits. Roudabush collected three singles, scored two runs and drove in another. Conley went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and two runs batted in. Murphy drove in a team-high four runs, three coming on her home run.
Billings (2-9) took the loss in the circle for the Bobcats. She tossed four innings, allowed 11 hits and eight runs.
Tucker collected a pair of singles and scored two runs.
In the nightcap,
Haleigh Corbally (2-2) and
Katelynn Smith combined on a two-hit shutout. Corbally struck out a season-high nine batters in her five innings of work.
The Saints took advantage of a pair of Bobcat miscues to plate the game's first run in the second inning. Murphy led off with a walk and took second on a wild pitch. Murray bunted her over to third, but Murray was able to reach first as the second baseman dropped the throw from the pitcher. Murray stole second base and on the slide, collided with the shortstop and the ball skipped away letting Murphy score easily.
Kelli Parker hit a two-run single in the third to push Flagler's lead to 4-0.
The Saints plated four more runs in the bottom of the sixth to invoke the mercy rule.
Mallory Allen had a pinch hit two-run single. Conley added a sacrifice fly and Escue ended the game when her sharp grounder to the Lees-McRae shortstop took a bad hop and the final run scored from third.
Roudabush collected a pair of singles while Murphy singled and scored two runs.
Charlie Dutton (1-8) tossed three innings and scattered three hits, but allowed three earned runs. She walked four and struck out three.
Kara Travis and Teresa Dickson each hit a single for the Bobcats.
Flagler is back on the diamond on Saturday (March 14) against No. 13 (NFCA Division II Top 25) Georgia College in a noon Peach Belt Conference doubleheader at Flagler Field.
