College Softball Finals – Guilford 12-7, Westminster (Mo.) 4-11

LITTLE RIVER, S.C. – Courtney Lackey (North Wilkesboro, N.C./West Wilkes) threw a complete game and plated a career-high five runs in Guilford College’s 12-4 softball victory over Westminster (Missouri) College Sunday at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex. The Blue Jays took Sunday’s nightcap, 11-7, thanks to a four-run seventh inning.
Lackey (7-2) fanned three in her sixth complete game of the year. She helped her cause at the plate with a two-out, two-run single in the Quakers’ four-run first inning. Lackey added an RBI single in the fifth and a two-run double in Guilford’s five-run sixth frame that opened a 10-2 advantage.

Makayla Carver and Kayli Blankenship had four hits apiece as the Quakers (15-4) banged out 17 hits. Makayla Crawford added two hits, including a two-run, seventh-inning double. Teammate Katy Holt doubled twice and scored a run.

Callie Collier and Erica Burney both had two hits for the Blue Jays (5-10). Burney and Josie Cotter had two-run doubles. Mackenzie Myers (0-1) gave up four first-inning runs without retiring a batter before Katie Price relieved her and finished the game.

Myers also started game two for Westminster and was much more settled. After yielding two first-inning runs, she retired nine straight batters. The Blue Jays’ offense took advantage of two Quakers’ errors and two walks in the first two innings and raced to a 6-2 lead.

Aubrie Vaughn’s fourth-inning sacrifice fly opened a 7-2 Westminster lead before the Quakers’ bats awoke with five runs in the bottom half of the inning. Taylor Boyd and Carver both had two-run hits in the inning. Sabrina Moreno hit a ground-rule double that tied the score and nearly put Guilford in front. Umpires returned Natalie Conrad to third base, after the freshman had scored from first base on Moreno’s hit, which left the playing field through a gate in the left-field corner.

The Quakers threatened in the home sixth and loaded the bases with two out for Carver. She hit a fielder’s choice fielded by shortstop Brittany Hodge in the hole. Hodge’s toss to third base narrowly forced out Boyd to end the threat.

The Blue Jays got to Guilford reliever Danielle Hunt (3-1) in the top of the seventh. Cotter led off with a double and scored the go-ahead run when Jordan Thomure followed with a single to left center. Brooke Laidley then reached via a wild pitch on a strikeout and stole second base. Price delivered a pinch-hit RBI single that scored Thomure. Carver misplayed the hit, which allowed Laidley to score. Burney’s bases-loaded walk later in the inning pushed across the game’s 11th and final run.

Burney went three-for-four with three RBI. Collier also had three hits. Amber Tepen, Cotter and Thomure had two hits apiece. Reliever Lexi Knisley (1-2) threw three and a third scoreless innings for her first win this season.
Holt, Shelby Helms and Savannah Yale each had two hits for Guilford. Boyd and Carver both added two RBI.

Coach Dennis Shores’ Quakers visit Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) rival Lynchburg College Wednesday (3/22) for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader.