Game one box score
Game two box score

CLINTON, SC—The Winthrop softball team dropped a doubleheader at Presbyterian College Friday afternoon, suffering a 12-11 loss in eight innings in game one and a 3-1 loss in game two.

The Eagles have lost five straight and are 13-26 on the season and 2-9 in Big South Conference play. The Blue Hose have now won the last two regular season series and improve their overall record to 12-20 and 4-5 in the league.

"We hit the ball hard all day but we had too many walks in the first game," said head coach Mark Cooke. "The walks were costly and in the second game we hit the ball hard but couldn't get the ball to drop in our favor."

PC jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of game one. After striking out the lead-off batter, pitcher Natalie Becker issued walks to Cat Tarvin, Shelby Petik and Erin Taylor to load the bases. Morgan Durham singled and advanced to second on the throw home to score Tarvin and Petik. Rachel Hopper tripled down the right field line to score Taylor and Durham for a 4-0 lead. Hopper scored on a ground ball to second base from Mary Ellen Morris for the fifth run of the inning. Becker issued the fourth walk of the inning to Lesley Hensley before being replaced by Chelsey Schoenfeldt who ended the threat with a strike out.

The Blue Hose added another run in the bottom of the second inning to make the score 6-0. Durham singled with two outs and advanced to second after Hopper was walked by Schoenfeldt. Morris singled through the right side to score Durham, her second RBI of the game.

Winthrop answered back in the third inning with three runs on four hits. Alex White led off the inning with a double to right field. Kristy Noble followed White's double with a walk and both moved over a base on a sacrifice bunt from Teja Durante. Megan Chapman singled up the middle to score White and Mckenzi Corn singled up the middle to score Noble. With two outs, Schoenfeldt helped herself out and singled up the middle to score Chapman making the score 6-3.

With two outs in the top of the fourth inning, Noble blasted her fifth home run of the season to straight away center field. The solo shot made the score 6-4.

The Eagles took the lead in the top of the fifth inning scoring three runs on three hits. With two outs and Paige Hartfield on second base, Taylor Wright came up big with a pinch hit single through the left side to score Hartfield. Mel Andrea reentered the game for Wright and she advanced to second after White singled to left. Noble doubled to right field to score Andrea and White, giving her a career-high three RBI in the game.

Winthrop added two more insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning. Corn and Kathryn Eberlin got things going for the Eagles with back to back one out singles. Schoenfeldt singled to center field to score Corn, her second RBI of the game. Andrea singled to left field with two outs to score Eberlin to put the Eagles on top 9-6.

Presbyterian fought back after nine unanswered runs by the Eagles and tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Tarvin led off for the Blue Hose and singled up the middle. She advanced to second base after Petik grounded out. Schoenfeldt issued two walks to Taylor and Durham to load the bases for Hopper. She delivered a double to right field that scored two runs, giving her four RBI in the game. Morris doubled to right center to score Hopper to make the score 9-9.

After neither team scored in the seventh inning, the Eagles scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning. Eberlin led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on an error by the right fielder. She advanced to third base after Schoenfeldt singled to left field. Kelly Blea drew a walk to load the bases for Andrea. Andrea drew a walk to score Eberlin. With the bases still loaded, White grounded out to second base to score Schoenfeldt to put the Eagles in the lead 11-9.

Down to their last at bat, the Blue Hose battled back once again. Morris singled to the left side with one out. Hensley followed Morris with a home run to center field to tie the game 11-11. Tera Powell, representing the winning run, got to scoring position after an error by Chapman at shortstop. Jill Mclean moved Powell to third base with a sacrifice bunt. With two outs and the winning run on third base, Tarvin singled through the right side to win the game for the Blue Hose.

Becker got a no decision despite allowing five runs on two hits with four walks and a strikeout in 0.2 innings. Schoenfeldt took the loss as she allowed seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits with six walks and a strikeout as she is now 5-14 on the year.

The Eagles regrouped after the loss and got on the board first in game two with a run in third inning. Noble led off the inning with a single up the middle. Durante's sacrifice bunt moved Noble to second base. Chapman singled through the left side to advance Noble to third base and then scored on a single to right field from Corn, her second hit of the game.

Winthrop missed an opportunity to add to its lead in the top of the fourth inning. Blea led off with a single but was out at second base after Andrea grounded into a fielder's choice to the shortstop. White and Noble hit back-to-back singles up the middle to load the bases with one out for Durante, but grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Blue Hose capitalized on the Eagles missed opportunity and scored two runs on two hits in the bottom of the fourth inning to take the lead. Taylor singled through the right side to start the inning. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Durham and scored on a home run to left field from Morris.

Tarvin walked and got to second base on a passed ball to start the bottom of the fifth inning. She scored Presbyterian's third and final run of the game on a single to center field from Petik, who advanced to second base on the play.

The Eagles had a base hit in each of the final two innings but were unable to get anyone in scoring position.  

In the first game, six of the nine starters recorded two hits. On the day, Noble finished with three runs, three RBI and four hits. Andrea drove in two runs on her only hit of the day while Corn finished the day with four hits as well and two RBI. Chapman and White each had three hits.

After the short outing in game one, Becker went the distance in game two allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts as she falls to 7-11.  

Winthrop will look to avoid a sweep when the series concludes on Saturday at 1 p.m.