BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— The Montreat softball team closed out its 2024 home slate Saturday afternoon with a pair of non-conference contests against the Carolina University Bruins in Black Mountain, N.C. Thanks to an 11-7 win in game one and a walk-off 10-9 triumph in game two, the Cavaliers improved to 31-17 on the year, their most victories in a single season since at least 2004.
 
Nine early runs for the home side staked it out to a 9-4 lead over the visitors through just three innings of game one. Victoria Alcantar doubled home a run in the bottom of the first before the Cavs put up a pair of 4-spots in the second and third. Jasmine Rachal and Elizabeth Gergen each plated three of those runs across the two frames, helping cancel out a 4-run third from the Bruins.
 
Carolina (22-18) cut the gap to 9-5 via an RBI groundout in the fourth, but Makenzie Ritchie launched her third homer of the season, a 2-run blast to left, to push the hosts' advantage out to 11-5 through five. The Bruins tacked on a solo shot in each of the final two innings, but the damage was already done as Montreat captured the opener, 11-7.
 
Deanna Waddel tossed her fourth complete game of the year, improving to 13-7 in the process. The Concord, N.C. native struck out a season-best five batters in the victory. Rachal (2-4), Alcantar (2-2), Gergen (2-3) and Dayton Kell (2-4) combined for eight of the Cavaliers' 11 hits. Alanna Hernandez, Makayla Reid and Rachal each scored twice in game one, while Rachal (3 RBIs), Gergen (3 RBIs) and Ritchie (2 RBIs) plated multiple runners.
 
CU held the upper hand early in game two, maintaining a 7-2 lead on the road entering the bottom of the third. Rachal's 2-run homer proved to be Montreat's only offensive production early, but the bats came alive as the contest moved along.
 
Hannah Henderson, Hollie Cunningham and Leyna Gould each notched an RBI in the bottom of the third, trimming the deficit to 7-5. Just one frame later, the Cavs leveled the score at 7-7 thanks to Reid's run-producing triple and a throwing error.
 
The Bruins never gave up, reclaiming the lead at 8-7 in the top of the sixth; however, Hernandez laced a 2-RBI single through the left side during the ensuing half inning to leapfrog the visitors and enter the seventh up 9-8.
 
A leadoff triple set the table for Carolina to tie the score in the top of the seventh, but Rachal followed suit and smacked a leadoff triple in the bottom half of the inning. Reid hit a groundball just one batter later, driving in Rachal for the dramatic 10-9 walk-off win and doubleheader sweep on senior day.
 
Maddox Pleasants picked up her first win of 2024 by throwing 5 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. The Louisa, Va. native scattered eight hits and allowed three runs, two earned, while striking out a batter.
 
Offensively, Rachal (3-4, 3 R, 3 RBIs) and Reid (2-4, 2 R, 2 RBIs) powered the Cavaliers at the plate. Hernandez also drove in two runs as the hosts were outhit in the latter matchup, 17-11; however, five Bruins' errors aided Montreat in scoring a trio of unearned runs to sneak out a win.
 
"I'm really happy for our seniors who got to enjoy today and come away with a couple of wins," said head coach Corbin Weeks. "To have the program's winningest season in two decades is a great first step, but we still have a few more games on the schedule and want to finish 2024 strong."
 
The Montreat softball team wraps up its regular season on Monday with an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader versus the Columbia College Koalas. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Columbia, S.C.