LAGRANGE, Ga. – The Centre softball team picked up its first two wins of the season with scores of 5-3 and 6-5 over host LaGrange College. They also marked the first wins for first-year head coach Laura Villagrana.

The Colonels moved to 2-4 after the victories on Sunday afternoon while the host Panthers fell to 4-4 on the early season.  

GAME ONE: Centre 5, LaGrange 3 
- Izzy Rushing was the first batter in the game and she earned a hit. The sophomore doubled to right field to start the first inning. 
- After a Madalyn Irwin ground out moved Rushing to third, a Kaylee Gregory single to left field scored Rushing. Andrea Searcy followed that with double that put two in scoring position. 
- Morgan Tabor was next at bat and hit a sacrifice fly that sent Gregory across home plate. 
- An RBI double sent the first LaGrange run home in the bottom of the first. 
- Centre tacked on two more runs in the top of the second. Rylie Bentley singled with one out and then stole second. Rushing doubled, following a pop up, and sent Bentley home before an error at third scored the sophomore. 
- The score sat at 4-1 until the bottom of the fourth when a double and a sacrifice ground out sent two Panthers across home. 
- In the top of the seventh the Colonels scored the final run of the game. Rushing hit a single and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. She then moved to third on a ground out. A sacrifice fly from Gregory scored the Louisville native and set the final score at 5-3. 
- The Gold & White had double-digit hits for the second time this season with a tally of 10. 
- Kaylee Gregory earned the pitching win for Centre. The senior was in the circle all seven innings and struck out four while allowing three earned runs. 

GAME TWO: Centre 6, LaGrange 5 
- The Colonels fell behind early in the second contest. LaGrange scored 5 runs from the bottom of the second to the bottom of the fourth while Centre's score sat at zero. 
- A big fifth inning turned things around for the Gold & White. Layne Ogle walked to start the frame, and after a quick out, Bentley hit a single to second to make it two runners on for the Colonels. Emily Lammers hit a single to first that loaded the bases with just one out. 
- With the bases loaded, Rushing walked and Ogle came home. Then an error at short scored Bentley. Singles from Gregory and Cheney Floyd, as well as a ground out that scored a runner tied the game at 5-5. 
- Centre scored the winning run in the top of the seventh inning. Runners were on first and second and two outs were on the board when Bentley came up to bat. The senior hit a single to center field that scored Floyd and set the game's final score at 6-5. 
- The Panthers had a chance to come back in the bottom of the second but two quick outs and a crucial strike delivered by pitcher Lucy Baseheart secured the Gold & White win. 
- Mia Tomillo got the start in the circle and hurled for two innings. Baseheart came in for the final five frames and allowed no earned runs while striking out six in her win. 

UP NEXT 
The Colonels are home for the next two doubleheaders. They host Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. before welcoming Franklin to town the next day for Sunday tilts at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.