HICKORY, N.C. — In a doubleheader that was scheduled the day before with No. 15-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University, the Flagler College softball team showed up and showed out.
It was the Saints' first games in 13 days as their midweek doubleheader was canceled. Senior
Kyra Gipson won both decisions in the circle and powered Flagler to a 3-2 win in game one followed by an eight-inning, 6-4, victory to finish the twin bill sweep at Bears Field in Hickory, North Carolina. The pair of wins marked Flagler's third win over a ranked team through seven games so far this season.
The Saints will travel to Newberry, South Carolina, for a pair of games with Newberry College Sunday. First pitch is set for noon.
GAME ONE
Morgan Murphy got the Saints rocking right off the bat Saturday. In the first inning, the senior smacked a two-out double down the left-field line to score
Bella Munoz, who drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on
Valerie Beltre's first of three hits in game one.
Mackenzie Smith laid down a sac bunt to move the runners, and then Murphy did the rest to put the Saints up 2-0 quick. Murphy led Flagler with two RBI and was second-best, along with
NaJah Gerrald, with two hits. Beltre had a team-high three hits and two runs scored, while
Anna Dumovich had the other Saints' hit.
The Bears (2-2) cut the lead in half in the bottom half of the inning, but Beltre got the cushion back in the sixth when she scored on a throwing error by the catcher, in what proved to be the game-winning run.
Kyra Gipson (W, 3-0) found herself in a pair of jams in the sixth and seventh innings; however, but she worked out of them and allowed just one more run in the sixth inning. Through the complete game, the righty allowed two runs on six hits, while striking out nine batters. The Saints knocked in three runs on seven hits on Bears' starter Lauren Rakes (L, 0-1), who also scored had two hits along with teammate Kendall Osborne.
GAME TWO
The Saints pitched by committee in the extra-inning victory.
Madelyn Wise started,
Sidney Mathis pitched a pair, and then Gipson (W, 4-0) tossed two more to secure another win for Flagler.
L-R struck first in this one, scoring a run in the first and third innings before Flagler matched it plus one in the fifth. Smith connected on her first hit of the day at the right time as she singled in
Paige Maseda (hit by pitch) and Munoz (walk), who were moved over via a Beltre fielder's choice ball, to knot the score. McKayla Watts (L, 0-1) replaced Morgan Beeler in the circle following the game-tying single, but it didn't keep
Kyleigh Taylor from laying down a sac bunt to score Beltre and take the lead, 3-2, in the fifth.
Before Flagler took the lead, Mathis replaced Wise in the fourth inning. Wise struck out a pair through three innings, and then the senior reliever entered and tossed 2.2 innings of her own and struck out four while allowing just one run. After the Bears knotted the score in the fifth inning after an error to tie it at 3 and were threatening in the sixth, head coach
Kathryn Geouge opted to go back to her ace Gipson.
It paid off as she got the final out in the sixth frame and carried the Saints to the finish line. She allowed one run in the eighth, but her team scored three before to put Flagler in position for the Saturday sweep. Munoz bounced back from a hitless game one with the first RBI and second hit of the second game in extra innings, scoring
Zoe Mooney who was placed on second to start the inning in the international tie-breaker format.
Taylor connected on her first hit and second RBI to score Gerrald (single), and then Murphy singled in Munoz to cap the scoring. Munoz, Smith and Murphy each drew two walks in the second game while Beltre had one.
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