SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Continuing Conference Carolinas Northwest Division play, the Converse University softball team (14-24, 3-7 Conference Carolinas) fell in both games of their Wednesday afternoon doubleheader to the Lees-McRae Bobcats (11-15, 6-4 Conference Carolinas). Lees-McRae took game one 7-5 behind a six-run seventh inning and won game two 2-0.
Junior Riley Lingerfelt suffered the loss in game one of the afternoon. Sophomore Victoria Dichio was credited with game two's loss. Lingerfelt and Dichio each struck out five batters and allowed just two earned runs apiece.
Senior Kayla Rocha led the Valkyries with three RBIs on the afternoon. Six Valkyries all posted one hit during the first game. The team's four hits in game two were also all evenly distributed amongst the same number of Valkyries.
Game One: Lees-McRae 7, Converse 5
A lead-off error in the top of the first inning led to a sacrifice fly, plating the first run for the Bobcats.
It wasn't until the second inning when the Valkyries responded with two runs of their own. Rocha, batting with two outs, knocked a single into right field, giving Converse the 2-1 lead. The Fort-Walton-Beach native stole second, putting herself in scoring position, but was left stranded with an inning-ending strikeout.
The teams traded one-hit innings in the third before just 12 batters stepped up to the plate in the fourth and fifth innings combined.
Lees-McRae plated six runs in the top of the seventh inning, forcing Converse to come back up to the plate.
The Valkyries plated one run as sophomore AJ Albano hit a RBI ground-rule double. Dichio helped chip away at the lead as she scored on a wild pitch. Rocha knocked in her final run of the afternoon as she hit a sacrifice bunt, scoring Albano.
Unfortunately for Converse the surge came too late and a strikeout ended the game with a 7-5 Lees-McRae victory.
Game Two: Lees-McRae 2, Converse 0
Locked in another pitchers' duel, neither team was able to make much happen in the early goings of game two. Lees-McRae threatened early with two singles to lead off the first inning. But following a strikeout, the second runner was back picked at first base, giving Converse the defensive confidence they needed to end the inning with no runs scored.
After a one-out single and stolen base from senior Madeline Modica in the second inning, Converse loaded the bases with two outs, but were unable to capitalize on the opportunity and left the runners stranded.
There were just two hits between the third and fifth innings, both of which belonged to Converse.
In the top of the sixth inning, a lead-off double turned into the game's first run with a single through the left side. Junior Sydney Watson led off the bottom of the sixth with a lead-off double of her own, but Converse was unable to bring her around keeping the score 1-0.
Another lead-off hit in the top of the seventh came around to score for the Bobcats, giving them their 2-0 victory.
On deck for the Valkyries:
With the bulk of their home schedule in the rearview mirror, Converse kicks off an eight-game road trip on Tuesday, April 2 as they head to Emmanuel University to take on the Lions. Between then and April 13, when Converse returns home to host Belmont Abbey for senior day, the Valkyries will have traveled almost exactly 1,200 miles across four states.
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