Softball Shutouts Bluefield in Second Game

BLUEFIELD, Va.- The softball team played their first Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) road series of the season on Tuesday. The schedule took the team to the home of the Bluefield University Lady Rams for a doubleheader.

Game One:

The first inning saw Bluefield take an early 2-0 lead. TWU tied it in the third inning and took the lead in the fourth.

In the third inning, the tying runs occurred on a home run. Macy Chastain singled to get on base, making Bailee Phillips the possible tying run. Phillips made sure Chastain and her would turn into runs as she belted a ball over the left field fence, tying the score 2-2.

In the fourth inning, Kaley Bradley was the first base runner of the inning, getting to first via a single and moving to second on a Caroline Moore walk. A wild pitch moved each runner a base and Bradley scored on Chastain's sacrifice fly to give the team a 3-2 lead. Moore stood on third as she watched Phillips hit her second home run of the game to give the team a 5-2 lead at the end of the top of the fourth inning. Unfortunately, Bluefield scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead back. Phillips hit one more home run in the game, this time a solo shot, but the team could not find the other runs to extend or win the game, falling in game one 8-6. 

Phillips finished with five RBIs through her three home runs in the game. Madison Stott had five strikeouts in the circle for the team.

Game Two:

The second game of the doubleheader saw a shutout occur. 

As Chastain (walk) and Courtney Sneed (single) stood on base, Phillips recorded her first RBI of the game and sixth of the day with a single to left field tha Chastain scored on to give the team a 1-0 lead. Avery Hope added to the lead with a flyout that turned into a sacrifice fly when Sneed scored from third, moving the lead to 2-0 after the first inning.

Hope added another run when Phillips scored on her fielder's choice in the third inning, extending the lead to 3-0. The team added more insurance in the sixth inning.

The inning began with a Hope single. After moving to second on a stolen base, Hope scored on a Taylor Penning single to right field. Carlynn Atamaniuk joined Penning on the bases with a single, and moved to third on a Chastain single Penning scored on, making the score to 5-0. Sneed hit a single on the next at-bat, completing Atamaniuk's time on base as she crossed home plate. Phillips' double brought in the last run of the game as Chastain scored to make the final score 7-0 and make the doubleheader a split.

Phillips and Hope both finished with two RBIs in the game. Phillips was also in the circle, pitching the entire game and fanning nine batters in the process. 

TWU (5-4, 4-2 AAC) returns to their home field on Wednesday for a conference doubleheader against Union College. The first game is set for 1:00 p.m.