College Softball Finals — Guilford 5–12, Meredith 3–5

RALEIGH, N.C. – Guilford College used two five-run rallies in the second game of Saturday afternoon’s doubleheader with Meredith College to secure a series sweep The Quakers claimed game one, 5-3, while taking the nightcap, 12-5.

A Shelby Helms two-out double drove in the game’s first run in the top of the first inning of the first game. Game one starting pitcher Courtney Lackey went through the first three innings unharmed and shook off a two-out triple in the bottom of the third inning as the Quakers held the early advantage.

The Quakers rallied with two outs in the bottom of the fourth frame to produce a two-run rally. Taylor Boyd drove in a run on a sacrifice fly while Lackey helped her own cause with a single where she advanced to second base on an error. Katy Holt widened the lead, 5-0, in the top of the sixth inning with a two-run home run with one out after a passed ball.

Meredith rallied one half-inning later as Laura Zievis sparked a two-run rally with a one-out RBI double. Guilford changed pitchers, bringing Rebekah Langston to the circle and forced a fly out to left field, followed by a Makayla Carver throw to put out the runner at home. The Quakers fought off a one-run, two-out Meredith rally to claim the first contest.

Meredith claimed a 2-1 lead after the first two innings of game two, but the Quakers countered with a five-run rally in the top of the third stanza thanks to five walks and one hit. Helms sparked the rally with a single in the fourth at-bat of the inning for the only run scored by a hit in the inning. Anna Wolfe came across home plate for the final run of the inning after a wild pitch off of a strike-out moved all runners over.

Meredith responded with a run one half-inning later with a Sarah Watson one-out single where she was put out at second base to record the inning’s second out. Madison Walton capped the three-run rally with a two-RBI, two-out single in the next inning.

The Quakers responded with their second five-run rally of the game, all with one-out, in the top of the seventh inning, bolstered by Caroline Barnette’s two-RBI single up the middle right after the rally started.

Helms drove in two runs over the afternoon on a two-for-six day. Carver finished two-for-eight with one RBI and one inning of clean relief in the circle to finish game two. Darby Kozan was the lone Quakers’ bat with three hits in game one in a three-for-four effort while Savannah Yale was the lone Quakers’ player with multiple hits in game two, hitting two-for-three.

Brittany Bucklin totaled three hits and three RBI over the doubleheader for the Avenging Angels while posting the only multi-hit effort for Meredith in both games with a two-for-three effort in game one.

Lackey (1-0) struck out five and walked three game one, giving up two runs. Langston threw the final inning and two-thirds stopping the Meredith rally, giving up just one run on three hits. Danielle Hunt (1-0) threw five innings in her first collegiate start.

Taylor Jackson (0-1) claimed the game one loss for Meredith, striking out three and walking one in a four-inning effort where she gave up three runs on seven hits. Myah Morse (0-1) took the game two loss throwing six and one-third inning where she struck out five and walked ten.

The Quakers return home tomorrow, opening their 2017 home schedule with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Salem College.