After playing what may be the longest game in Mount Olive College softball history, the Trojans made sure the second game would be one of the shortest.
Sarah Saunders and Lauren Smith combined on a three-hitter and Robbin Kennedy's bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 11th inning lifted Mount Olive to a 2-1 victory Belmont Abbey in game one of a Conference Carolinas softball doubleheader Wednesday at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field. The game is believed to be the longest in innings in Trojan softball history during Mount Olive's Division II era (since 1995).
The Trojans needed only five innings to complete the sweep as Kalie Smith went 3-for-3 with four runs batted in and Christie Wright belted a two-run homer for a 12-1 run-rule win in game two. Lauren Smith pitched the first three innings and Carly White retired all six batters she faced in relief.
In the opener, Mount Olive (18-12, 7-3 Conference Carolinas) was held hitless in the opener until the bottom of the fourth when Jennifer Jones singled. The Trojans loaded the bases, but Belmont Abbey pitcher Nikki Faust got out of the jam with one of her six strikeouts.
Saunders started the game for Mount Olive and held the Crusaders scoreless through seven innings, allowing only three singles. But Belmont Abbey (8-24, 2-8) took advantage of the international tie-breaker runner and a Trojan throwing error on a sacrifice attempt as Chelsea Elmore scored from second to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead. The unearned run was charged to Saunders as Smith took over. Smith (12-5) pitched the final four innings and retired all 12 batters she faced, five by strikeout.
Megan Ready was placed on second to start the bottom of the eighth inning for Mount Olive and beat the throw to third on a groundout. Kayla Voorhees, who went 3-for-5, hit a shot down the third base line to drive in Ready and tie the game.
Faust (6-11) shut down Mount Olive over the next two innings, receiving defensive help from second baseman Carol-Anne Sherrill with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Sherrill robbed Kalie Smith of a game-winning hit, diving to her left and throwing Smith out at first to end the inning. Faust would finish the game with 155 pitches.
Lauren Smith admits she was starting to wonder just how long she would be out there.
"I started worrying I was going to end up throwing a complete game in game one," said Smith, a freshman from Clinton, N.C. Smith has already won Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Week twice this season. "But that was okay, I love being in pressure situations."
Voorhees reached on a bunt single in the bottom of the 11th to put runners on the corners. After Voorhees stole second, Danielle Mitchell was intentionally walked to load the bases. Kennedy worked the count full and drove a pitch into right field to bring home Kassie Lowe with the winning run.
The last Mount Olive softball game to go 10 innings took place April 4, 2008. Available records of past seasons do not show any Trojan game going beyond 10 innings.
Lauren Smith got the start in game two, but her streak of batters retired came to an abrupt end as Sherrill drove the first pitch of the game to left-center field for a leadoff double. Sherrill eventually scored on Shannon Arthur's rbi-single to give Belmont Abbey a 1-0 lead.
Voorhees drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first and scored on Kennedy's rbi-single. Crusader starter Shanie McConnell (0-1) got a groundout for the second out, but was unable to record the third out. Mount Olive loaded the bases and Kalie Smith's rbi-single put the Trojans ahead to stay. Beth Overman drew a bases-loaded walk and after a pitching change, Lowe drove in a run with an infield single. Voorhees drew another walk to complete the five-run inning as the Trojans sent 11 batters to the plate.
Kalie Smith said the team was determined to jump out early in the second game after going through a marathon in game one.
"We just told ourselves between games to keep the momentum from the last inning going," said Smith, a sophomore third baseman from Roanoke Rapids, N.C. "We felt more relaxed in game two. Once we got a cushion, everyone was ready to go."
Wright belted her team-leading fifth home run of the season in the bottom of the second, sending a 3-0 pitch high over the left field fence to extend the Trojans' lead to 7-1. Voorhees doubled with one out in the third and came home on Kennedy's single. Jones doubled home Kennedy and after the Trojans loaded the bases, Kalie Smith capped the scoring with a three-run double, her second double of the game.
Mount Olive threatened again in the bottom of the fourth after pinch-hitter Samantha Westover led off with a double to center in her first collegiate at bat. Voorhees drew her third walk of the game as she reached base in each of her last seven plate appearances in the doubleheader. But Crusader pitcher Savannah Carpenter would eventually get out of a bases loaded jam on a force out and a foul out.
Lauren Smith struck out two and walked none in three innings. White finished with six consecutive groundouts.
"I didn't mind coming out of the game," said Smith, who ranks second in the conference with 93 strikeouts.
Prior to the start of game one, both teams observed a moment of silence in honor of Pfeiffer University assistant softball coach Ray Harrington, who passed away earlier this week.
Mount Olive takes to the road this weekend for a pair of Conference Carolinas doubleheaders. as the Trojans travel to Limestone Saturday at 2 p.m. and to Queens Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Trojans improved to 14-2 at home this season and are 3-3 in conference games on the road. Kalie Smith feels the team will be able to feed off of Wednesday's wins.
"We definitely needed two w's today," said Smith. "We feel like we've come together as a team."
