Wilmore, KY: The Alice Lloyd College Lady Eagles softball team traveled to central Kentucky on Tuesday, March 23rd, to face the Asbury University Eagles in a softball twin bill. The hosts wielded the big bats in game one but found the going tougher before holding on in game two.
GAME 1: Alice Lloyd-0; AU-9
The Asbury Eagles scored 5 runs in the opener and pulled away for the victory.
Things started on an ominous note for ALC as they went down quickly in the first. Then, they saw AU use 2 doubles and 4 singles in their first at-bat to produce 5 big runs (0-5). The Wilmore club would then add 1 in the third and 3 in the fourth to vault ahead, 0-9.
In the meantime, ALC would get runners on base each inning, but they never could string hits together to produce any type of rally. Their best chance came in the fourth when they had two runners on base with no outs, but the effort fizzled out. The game would end in five innings.
For ALC, freshman Baylee Cox led the way with 2 hits as Alice Lloyd was outhit 14-6. Senior Makenzie Brewer took the loss on the mound. She allowed 7 hits and 5 earned runs.
GAME 2: Alice Lloyd- 5, AU- 8
ALC put up a good fight but fell in seven innings. The home squad jumped out quickly once more as they plated 3 runs in the opener (0-3). Fortunately, the Lady Eagles answered in the second when junior Alyssa Clark powered a fastball over the center-field fence (1-3).
From that point, the game changed. Alice Lloyd would produce 3 big runs in the fourth. The big blow was a 2-run RBI double courtesy of senior Samantha Sturgill that give the Pippa Passes squad the lead (4-3).
However, Asbury (8-12) is a formidable club at home, and they promptly scored 3 runs in the fourth and added 2 more in the sixth to enter the last inning leading 4-8.
In their last chance Caney Creeks Jada Estep would give her squad hope as the senior tripled to drive in a run, and was in scoring position. Unfortunately, the comeback would end with her stranded at third.
For the Eagles (10-14), Estep and junior Abigail Stambaugh both had 2 hits while Sturgill recorded 2 RBI’s. On the mound, Cox went five innings and took the loss. She allowed 7 hits and 5 earned runs on the day. AU won the hitting battle 8-6.