BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— The Montreat softball team recorded a split of an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader with the St. Andrews University Knights at Roxy Hines Memorial Softball Field Thursday afternoon. Thanks to an 8-5 win and a 4-3 loss in nine innings, the Cavaliers improved to 10-31 overall and 6-16 in AAC play, registering their first 10-win year since 2019 in the process.
SAU (7-25, 2-16 AAC) struck first with a run in the initial half inning of the opening matchup; however, the Cavaliers quickly answered, tying the contest as
Leyna Gould registered an RBI single in the bottom of the frame.
Montreat then put up a crooked number in the second to take control of the matchup. The Cavs, who scored five runs in the inning to lead 6-1, capitalized on a St. Andrews error and used RBI hits off the bats of
Katie Johnson,
Cameryn Bass and
Alyssa Hudson to establish the large lead.
Undeterred, the visitors responded with three consecutive runs over two frames to pull within two. Though the Knights picked up on offense, the Cavaliers took advantage of a wild pitch and 2-base error to score a pair of insurance runs to build an 8-4 edge. SAU, whose leadoff batter reached in six of seven innings, threatened late and trimmed the deficit to three, but
Maddox Pleasants earned the first save of her career by shutting down the Knights with a perfect frame of work in the circle.
Kendall Rubel tallied the third win of her freshman campaign, while eight different Montreat batters recorded hits in the game. The Cavs batted well offensively, notching a season-high 15 hits as five players had at least two base knocks in the contest. Bass, Gould, Johnson and
Kylie Granger each reached twice with hits, and
Jasmine Rachal went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate.
St. Andrews took a 2-0 lead in the second contest, plating a pair of runs in the first, but as they did in game one, the Cavaliers responded to grab an advantage. Without a hit, Montreat earned two free bases in the bottom of the second, stole and then cut the deficit in half with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Johnson. In the third, a walk and 2-out RBI triple from Granger- the home side's first hit of the contest- tied the game before the freshman scored on a wild pitch to give the Cavs a 3-2 lead.
The Cavaliers were silenced for the majority of the competition by SAU pitching as the home team tallied only two hits through five frames. Montreat recorded back-to-back hits in the bottom of the sixth to double the hit total and increase it to four; however, St. Andrews retired the next three batters and went on to put away 11 straight in the ensuing innings.
After tying the contest in the top of the seventh, the Knights took the ballgame with another run on a fielding error in the ninth. SAU snapped its 15-game losing streak with the result, outhitting the Cavs 10-4 in the process.
Deanna Waddell pitched all nine innings, giving up three earned runs and striking out five opposing batters.
Softball now travels to Tennessee for a doubleheader at Bryan College on Saturday. First pitch of game one is expected at 2:00 p.m.
