CHARLOTTE, NC (March 20) – Saint Augustine’s University posted a 3-1 record in the CIAA Softball Round-Up after defeating Virginia State University 13-3 and falling to Chowan University 7-2 at Nevin Community Park on Sunday, March 19. The Lady Falcons, who improved to 3-1 in the CIAA and 7-9 overall, scored 38 runs and amassed 45 hits in four games in the Round-Up.
The Lady Falcons bounced back against Virginia State in the second game Sunday after losing to Chowan. The trio of Haili Pettifer (Jr./Langley, British Columbia), Meranda Zanni (Sr./Phoenix, OR) and Akera McPhaul (Jr./Greensboro, NC) each collected three RBIs as the Lady Falcons pounded out 10 hits. Makayla August (Fr./Palm Springs, CA) scored three runs and Jasmine Rios (Jr./Greensboro, NC), Marley Parker (Jr./Langley, British Columbia) and Haley Sessoms (Fr./Kenansville, NC) each scored two runs.
August picked up the pitching win after scattering seven hits in five innings. The contest was stopped after five innings because of the eight-run mercy rule.
The Lady Falcons took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when August scored on Zanni’s RBI groundout and Sessoms scored on McPhaul’s single. Virginia State moved ahead 3-2 in the bottom half of the second but its lead quickly evaporated in the third inning as the Lady Falcons scored seven runs.
Pettifer started the rally in the third inning with a two-run double which scored Parker and Rios. Zanni added a two-run single to score Pettifer and August and McPhaul smacked a two-run triple to score Sessoms and Zanni. McPhaul scored on an RBI groundout by Aquillia Rozier (Fr./Fayetteville, NC) for a 9-3 lead.
The offensive onslaught continued in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, August hit an RBI triple to score Parker and August scored on a wild pitch. In the fifth, Rios knocked in Tamiera Sanchez (Fr./Sacramento, CA) with a single and Rios scored on Pettifer’s sacrifice fly.
Maya Bailey led Virginia State (0-4 CIAA, 2-16 overall) with a hit and an RBI. Rebecca Elder was the losing pitcher for Virginia State, giving up seven hits and nine runs in three innings.
Earlier Sunday, Parker recorded two RBIs in the loss to Chowan. Her RBI groundout in the first inning scored Sanchez for a 1-0 Lady Falcons lead. After Chowan tied the game in the second inning, Parker scored Sanchez again, this time on a single for a 2-1 lead in the third inning.
Chowan scored two runs in the fourth for a 3-2 lead, then added four runs in the seventh to pull away from the Lady Falcons. All of Chowan’s runs were scored with two outs in the seventh.
Sanchez batted 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored for the Lady Falcons. Brittany Parson was 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and one run scored for the Hawks (4-1 CIAA, 19-14 overall).
Parker pitched a strong game in a losing effort. She scattered seven hits in seven innings, striking out nine and walking eight. Shannon Buchanan was the winning pitcher for Chowan as she gave up six hits and struck out six with one walk in seven innings.
Contests scheduled against Lincoln (Pa.) University and Virginia Union University were postponed Saturday due to wet field conditions caused by overnight rain. Both contests will be played on later dates.
The Lady Falcons will take a short break before hosting St. Andrews University in a doubleheader at Lions Park on Saturday, March 25. Game times are 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
