ST. AUGUSTINE –
Mackenzie Conley blasted a game-ending grand slam lifting Flagler College to an 8-4 win over Tusculum College during the first game of Thursday's doubleheader at Flagler Field. Flagler dropped the second contest, 5-4.
The Saints own a 17-12 overall record after the split. The Pioneers moved its overall mark to 12-12.
Megan Miller walked with one out to spark the rally in the seventh.
Whitney Woodard and
Alli-Ann Bigale reached on back-to-back infield errors to load the bases. Conley belted a grand slam over the left-center field wall to end the game for her team-leading sixth homer of the season.
The Pioneers threatened in the top of the third by loading the bases with a hit batter, an error and a walk. Taylor Johnson plated the three base runners with a double to left field for a 3-0 advantage.
Tusculum increased the lead to 4-0 in the top of the fifth when Emily Hester singled home Sammie West, but Flagler came back with two in the home half.
Natalie Murphy singled and
Morgan Murphy smacked a homer to left field.
The Saints evened the score at four in the sixth. Bigale singled and later scored on an error during a hit by Conley.
Natalie Murphy sent in the tying run on a single to center.
Morgan Murphy drove in two runs and Conley tallied to hits.
Ally Marcano (13-3) went the distance to earn the win. She struck out eight hitters and allowed four runs on four hits. Taylor Plemons (6-6) suffered the loss. She surrendered eight runs on seven hits.
In the second game, Tusculum owned a 3-0 edge heading to the bottom of the third. Woodard reached on an error and stole second. Conley drew a walk and the pair stole second and third.
Maddy Murphy sent a double into left field to score the two to slice the lead to 3-2. Woodard's two stolen bases increased her season total to 24 which leads the conference.
West and Hester each drove in a run in the fourth on a double and a single, respectively, for the Pioneers. The Saints answered with another two-run frame in the fifth the cut the lead to 5-4. Bigale scored on a triple to right by
Maddy Murphy and
Natalie Murphy drove in the second run on a single.
Cayla Cecil (5-5) earned the win for the Pioneers. She tossed 2.2 hitless innings in relief of starter Eliza Davis. Davis allowed four runs on four hits over 4.1 frames.
Maddy Murphy drove in three runs and had a double and a triple. West tallied three hits and scored three times for the Pioneers. She also had a run batted in.
Katelynn Smith (3-6) suffered the loss. Tusculum scored five times on four hits in four innings against Smith.
Callie Reed tossed three innings of scoreless softball out of the bullpen and struck out four hitters.
The Saints will travel to Due West, South Carolina to face Erskine College this Saturday (March 11) at 1 p.m.
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