BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After claiming their first ranked win of the year on Tuesday, the Centre softball team (14-15, 10-7 SAA) eyed a chance to achieve the same on Saturday with a doubleheader against 14th-ranked Birmingham Southern. The Colonels fought valiantly against the Panthers in the two-game set, but ultimately fell in both in tight contests.
GAME ONE: BSC 11, Centre 6
- The Gold & White's defense couldn't stop the Panthers early, Birmingham Southern picking up a quick 6-0 lead after the first two innings of the contest.
- Freshman
Izzy Rushing was able to cut that margin down to five with an RBI, breaking the zero for the Colonels on the scoreboard with a double down the right-field line that drove in
Layne Ogle.
- After the Colonels secured runners on first and second base,
Cheney Floyd sent a single up the middle of the field to let
Hailey Watson round third and score.
- Freshman
Tori Candler would slam a hit to bring home both Floyd and Ogle in the fifth inning, pushing a home run in her second game in a row for a three-RBI hit and condensing the deficit to three runs.
- Candler's day wouldn't be over, pushing one more run across the plate due to ball in left field that led the Panther to make an error in the seventh inning.
GAME TWO: BSC 2, Centre 1
- The Colonels were much stronger on defense to start the second game, even putting together a double play at first base and third.
-
Andrea Searcy would put together two more consecutive three-up-three-down innings on the mound, keeping the game at the stalemate through the third inning.
- The Gold & White struck first in the game's fourth inning, Rushing leading off with a single to put someone on first. Candler would send her around the bases off a beautiful hit to left-center field, driving the baserunner home and putting up Centre's first lead of the game.
- BSC would capitalize on offense in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, earning a run in each of the opportunities to take the game away from the Colonels.
UP NEXT
Centre will have one more shot at walking away with a win against the Panthers on Sunday, April 16, playing the final game of the series before heading back to Kentucky. The first pitch in the Sunday showdown is set for 1 p.m. ET.
