GREENVILLE, N.C. – The
Campbell softball team (34-14) dropped both games of the ECU
Tournament on Saturday, May 2nd at ECU Softball Field. The Camels
fell in the first game by 10-0 score to Virginia Tech (26-26) and
then lost the second game in heartbreaking 5-2 fashion to host
school East Carolina (39-13) in eight innings.
The Camels kept the second game scoreless for
the first five innings as Brittany Stanley and Toni Paisley were
locked in a solid pitcher's duel.
Stanley needed to escape a tough bases loaded
situation in the fifth in getting Jessica Johnson to fly out to the
base of the left field wall to keep the game scoreless.
CU finally broke through for a run in the sixth
inning. Freshman Christina Melton pinch hit and was hit by the
first Paisley offering. Goldbach was then inserted back in the game
to run for her. After a pop out, Katie Hinton doubled to the gap to
score Goldbach all the way from first with the first run of the
game.
The Pirates offense responded with an unearned
run in the bottom of the sixth. Cristen Aona reached on a fielding
error, moved to second on a walk and third on a sacrifice bunt and
came into score the tying run on Christina Merrida's RBI ground
out.
In the eighth inning sophomore Katie Woodcock
was placed on second base due to the international tie breaker
rule. After two pop outs, Hinton came through with a double to the
gap to plate Woodcock and give Campbell a 2-1 advantage.
ECU tied the game up in the bottom of the eighth
inning on Sarah Bibee's sacrifice fly out. The ECU offense would
keep at it as hitting star Kaui Tom completed her perfect afternoon
with a game-winning three run home run to make the final score
5-2.
Stanley (15-4) took the loss for Campbell in
allowing all five runs (three earned) in 7.2 innings pitched with
three strikeouts. The win went to Paisley (29-8)
Game
One (Virginia Tech 10 & Campbell 0)
The Hokies scored first with a run in the third
inning on Erin Ota's RBI single to plate Kristen Graham.
Virginia Tech added five runs to the lead in the
fourth. Beth Walker scored from third on the error from the CU
shortstop. The Hokies added back-to-back RBI single from Beth
Walker and Jenna Rhodes. Ota then ripped a single to plate two
more. Christina Mariconda followed with a single to drive in the
final run of the frame.
The Hokies offense kept going with another run
in the fifth on Kristen Froelich's RBI single to left field off the
CU reliever, Christina Melton.
Virginia Tech finished off the Camels with three
more runs in the sixth inning to make the final score 10-0. The big
hit was the two-run single from Mariconda.
The loss went to sophomore Lauren Stephan
(10-4), who allowed six runs (two earned) on seven hits in four
innings of work. Kenzie Roark (21-16) picked up the win in only
allowing two hits in six innings of work. The shutout was the first
time the Camels haven't dented the scoreboard in a game this
season.
The
Camels begin play in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament
presented by Holiday Inn Express on Thursday, May 7th at
1 p.m. against host school Stetson.
