BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— The Montreat softball team dropped a pair of Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) contests at home against the Truett McConnell University Bears Monday evening, falling 10-3 in game one before losing a six-inning matchup by a score of 8-0. After the competitions, the Cavaliers sit at 4-25 (2-10 AAC) on the year.
Truett McConnell (13-16, 6-2 AAC) used two-out runs to get on the board in the early going as the Bears produced one in the first, one in the second and three in the third, all with two gone, to lead 5-0.
The Cavaliers, who got on base with patience at the plate all game long, utilized a pair of walks and an error to load the bases in the bottom of the third.
Ashley Starnes then drove in both
Candace Cooper and
Katie Johnson with two outs to cut the home team's deficit to three.
Despite trimming the TMU advantage, the Bears responded with a two-run home run in the fourth to answer. Truett added to its lead with a pair of runs in the sixth and another in the seventh. A timely single from Cooper plated the third and final runs for the Cavaliers as
Bella Colbert came around on the hit.
The Cavs only registered four base hits to TMU's 18 but drew nine free bases on balls throughout the contest. Four Bears finished with at least three hits, while Starnes (2-3) was the sole Cavalier with multiple hits in the 10-3 ballgame.
In game two, Montreat held TMU off the board in the first, but the visitors started to notch runs in multiple frames once the Bears finally broke through. One run in each of the second, third and fourth propelled Truett out to a 3-0 advantage through four. TMU then scored three in the fifth and two in the sixth to extend its scoring stretch to five innings and go up 8-0.
Though the Cavaliers tallied five hits in the latter competition, led by
AJ Martin Aiken's two, the production was not enough to continue the game into the seventh as the Cavs fell 8-0. The Bears went 15-for-28 with two outs, while Montreat was 5-for-18 in the same situation, making the difference in the twin bill.
Softball continues AAC play with two contests at Tennessee Wesleyan University on Wednesday. First pitch of game one is slated for 3:00 p.m.
