Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 DUNCAN, S.C. – The Converse (2-36, 0-8 CC) softball team could not muster any offense in a doubleheader sweep at the hands of North Greenville (16-10, 5-3 CC) on Wednesday afternoon at Tyger River Park. After dropping game one 6-0, the Valkyries put forth a valiant effort in game two, but fell 3-1 in extra innings.
GAME ONE: CONVERSE 0, NORTH GREENVILLE 6
After the first two innings went in the books scoreless, North Greenville posted a pair of runs in the top of the third to take the early lead. That advantage expanded to 3-0 after a sacrifice fly by NGU's Kate Lee in the top of the fourth.
The Crusaders blew the game open in the top of the fifth with three more runs, the big blow coming off the bat of Taylor Koon, who doubled to left center to plate two of the three runs.
That was all the runs NGU needed as the Valkyries managed a single hit over seven innings and fell to the Crusaders by the final of 6-0 in game one.
GAME TWO: CONVERSE 1, NORTH GREENVILLE 3 (9 INNINGS)
Following two scoreless innings by both teams, North Greenville threatened in the top of the third, but two spectacular defensive plays, one by Moriah Gomez and the other Jena Massing, denied the Crusaders and sent the game into the home half of the third tied 0-0.
Converse was finally able to present a threat in the bottom of the fifth after putting runners on first and second with one down. Jena Massing reached second on a fielding error by the Crusader defense and Anna Bennett drew a walk. Both runners were advanced into scoring position after a beautifully executed sacrifice bunt by McKayla Davis. However, a groundout ended the frame and the contest went to the sixth still tied at zero.
Both starting pitchers were on fire as the game headed to extra innings when neither team could push across the go-ahead run over the final two innings of play.
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, North Greenville started with a runner on second in the top of the 8th. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third and an error by the left fielder allowed that run to score. However, Jianna Pellegrino did a great job of damage control, holding the Crusaders to the one run.
Converse had the same opportunity in the bottom of the inning as Massing started on second. Just as NGU did, the Valkyries successfully moved the runner to third on a sacrifice and Davis laid down a perfect squeeze play to score Massing and knot the contest at 1-1.
In the 9th the Crusaders struck for a pair of runs on three hits and Converse went down in order during the bottom of the ninth, dropping the nightcap by a hard-fought score of 3-1.
The Valkyries will return to action tomorrow afternoon as they play Lees-McRae in a pair of games that were rescheduled due to a rainout earlier this week. Game one is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
