HICKORY, N.C. –
Kiley McQuillan's RBI double in the top of the seventh broke a 3-all tie and led Flagler College to a 4-3 win over Belmont Abbey College at the McCrorie Family Stadium Grand Opening Tournament Saturday afternoon at Shena Hollar Field. Flagler lost a slugfest in the first game, 15-14, to Lenoir-Rhyne University, the host of the tournament.
Flagler is now 1-3 on the season. Belmont Abbey is currently 4-1 and its last game is in progress. Lenoir-Rhyne is 2-4. The Saints close out the tournament with two games on Sunday. They face Lenoir-Rhyne at 11 a.m. and Davis & Elkins College at approximately 1 p.m.
In the second game, the Saints erased a 2-0 Crusader lead in the top of the third when
Brooke Maher,
Sydney Stewart, and
Emily Ricci hit back-to-back-to-back doubles. Ricci later scored on a groundout for the third run.
Belmont Abbey got a single run in the fifth to tie the score.
In the top of the seventh, Ricci hit a one-out single up the middle and then stole second base. Two batters later, McQuillan hit a double to right field to score Ricci.
Jordan Sheets (1-1) went the distance and retired the last six batters in a row for the win. She scattered six hits, allowed three runs, and struck out three batters. Sheets induced 12 groundouts and six fly outs.
Ricci went 2-for-4 with a double, scored two runs, and drove in another.
Kayla Milam (1-1) took the loss in relief for Belmont Abbey. She allowed one run on five hits in five innings of work.
Sage Farmer collected two singles and scored a run for the Crusaders.
The opener against Lenoir-Rhyne, playing in its home opener and unveiling its new stadium, was as wild as they come.
The Bears put up seven runs in the first inning and led 11-3 through three complete.
The Saints scored four runs in the fourth and unleashed a seven-run seventh inning to take the lead. Three straight singles started the rally in the seventh as Flagler trailed 13-7. The last single, by Knier, drove in a run.
Reese Snipes hit an RBI-double and two batters later,
Jordan Moss hit a two-run double down the left field line to draw Flagler to within two, 13-11. Lenoir-Rhyne changed pitchers and
Raquelle Justice came up to the plate to pinch hit. She hit a single back to the pitcher to score her sister, Sara, who was at third base pinch running. Later,
Hannah Smith came up with the bases loaded and her groundout scored Moss from third to tie the game. A wild pitch put Flagler ahead as Maher scored.
But in the bottom of the seventh, Alycea Gilliam led off the inning with a home run to left-center to tie the game. Abbey Nixon followed with an infield single and took second base on a sacrifice bunt. Julia Mardigan singled to left to score Nixon.
McQuillan collected three singles, scored two runs, and had one run batted in for the Saints. Moss went 2-for-4 with a double, scored two runs, and drove in three. Knier went 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBI, and she scored a run.
Rachel Hester (0-2) tossed six innings in relief, allowed nine runs on 16 hits, and struck out four.
Katelyn Rackard led the 20-hit attack for the Bears going 4-for-4 with a double, a home run, and five RBI. Mardigan went 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, and scored two runs. Nixon finished 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI, and she scored two runs.
Faith Carrigan (1-1) faced the last five batters in the game and allowed one run on one hit to pick up the win in relief.
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