AUGUSTA, Ga. (Feb. 9) – Freshman pitcher
Linda Hodge produced a complete-game shutout in the circle in Game 1, as the University of Mount Olive softball program played to doubleheader split on the road against Augusta in non-conference play on Sunday.
With the split, the Trojans stand a 3-5 overall following their first road trip of the season. Mount Olive is set to host a three-team round-robin next weekend at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field with Winston-Salem State and Kutztown making the trip. Meanwhile, Augusta moves to 6-4 this season after coming off a sweep of No. 14 Francis Marion on Saturday.
In Game 1, Hodge earned the win (1-1) after yielding no runs on two hits with three strikeouts and zero walks in 7.0 innings of work. She forced 14 flyouts and two groundouts in the contest while retiring the side in order four times. This season, Hodge boasts a 1.94 ERA in five appearances with 17 strikeouts in 21.1 innings pitched.
Mount Olive tallied the lone run of the game in the top of the third inning as junior
Samantha Taylor delivered an RBI single to center field, 1-0.
In Game 2, the Trojans jumped ahead by a 4-0 margin in the top of the first inning, as sophomore
Laci Best opened the scoring with an RBI single to right field. Junior
Bri Verme would drive in another run on a sacrifice fly to left field before freshman
Brittany Stephens blasted a two-run homer, her second of the year, to complete a four-run frame.
The Jaguars countered in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly to right field to trail 4-1 before scoring another run in the second inning with an RBI single to left-center. Augusta tied the contest in the bottom of the third with two runs on one hit while capitalizing on an error, 4-4.
Augusta went ahead 6-4 in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run homer to take its first lead of the game. Mount Olive countered in the top of the fifth with an RBI double from Taylor to close the gap to 6-5. The Jaguars scored twice in the bottom half of the frame and once in the sixth to pull away with a 9-5 win.
Freshman
Hailey King suffered the loss (2-2) after surrendering two earned runs on one hit with one walk in 1.0 inning of relief.
The Trojans will play two games on Friday, Feb. 14, against Winston-Salem State and Kutztown, starting at 1:30 p.m.
