BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— The Montreat softball team battled the Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs Wednesday night in the squad's final home doubleheader of 2023 regular season. Against a pair of talented starting pitchers, the Cavaliers came up on the short end of 2-0 and 3-1 finals. With the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) defeats, the Cavs dropped to 10-37 (6-20 AAC) on the season.
 
Both pitchers excelled in game one as they limited their opposition to six consecutive frames without a run. For Kyann Lyne, that included escaping a pair of jams in the second and third innings and holding the Bulldogs to 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, TWU starting pitcher Cheyenne Strong surrendered just one hit while retiring eight straight Cavs twice.
 
Tennessee Wesleyan (22-11, 18-6 AAC) found its breakthrough in the top of the seventh as the visitors took a 2-0 lead. After starting 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-6 with two outs, the Bulldogs registered back-to-back 2-out RBI singles to move in front of the Cavaliers.
 
Montreat couldn't respond in its final trip to the plate as TWU retired 19 of the final 20 Cavalier hitters. Behind the 1-hit pitching effort, Tennessee Wesleyan snagged game one by a 2-0 scoreline.
 
Lyne threw her fifth complete game of the season in the defeat. The Concord, N.C. native pitched seven innings and allowed just two runs against the reigning AAC Tournament champions. Jasmine Rachal (1-2) notched the Cavs' lone hit during the opener, while both Rachal and Taylor Yonke drew one walk.
 
TWU wasted no time scoring in game two thanks to a trio of hits and smart baserunning. A double-steal attempt ultimately plated the initial run as the Bulldogs staked themselves to a 1-0 edge right out of the gate.
 
Deanna Waddell started to find her groove after surrendering a run, sending down nine consecutive Bulldogs; however, two 2-out hits coupled with an error doubled the visitors' lead out to 2-0 midway through the contest.
 
Montreat had chances to score its first runs of the day in both the fifth and sixth innings. In both frames, the Cavaliers loaded the bases but failed to find the clutch knock, keeping Tennessee Wesleyan up by a pair heading into the seventh.
 
A 1-out double coupled with a 2-out single provided a massive insurance run for TWU as the visitors increased their edge out to 3-0 in the top of the seventh. The Cavaliers applied pressure in the game's last frame when Alyssa Hudson slapped an RBI single to right, trimming the deficit to 3-1; however, despite putting the tying run on base, the Bulldogs recorded the final out to finish off the Montreat rally and take the ballgame, 3-1.
 
Katie Johnson (3-3) and Hudson (2-3) tallied multi-hit performances in game two, while Waddell threw her ninth complete game of the season. Waddell allowed two earned runs and struck out one batter across seven frames of work.
 
The Montreat softball team has just one doubleheader left on its 2023 regular-season schedule: an AAC twin bill at Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn. Originally postponed due to rain, the rescheduled date has yet to be announced.