TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Stillman College split its first home Southern States Athletic Conference softball doubleheader on Wednesday, defeating No. 13 University of Mobile, 2-1, before falling 10-5 in a 10-inning night cap.
Lauren Haskins had three hits on the day to lead Stillman's offense, while Aniston and
Madison Bubel each had two hits.
Ivey Moreland and Karli Davidson had one apiece.
The win is Stillman's second over Mobile (14-7, 6-2 SSAC) in program history after splitting the home doubleheader last season,
Stillman (20-2, 4-2) will now host No. 21 William Carey University (16-6, 5-1) in a conference doubleheader Thursday, March 14 at 3 p.m.Â
GAME 1: STILLMAN 2, No. 13 MOBILE 1
Late innings heroics lifted Stillman College to a 2-1 victory over the 13th-ranked Rams to start the doubleheader.
Mobile took its early lead in the top of the second when Megan McCartney singled to center to load the bases. However, when
Carolyn Carter mishandled the ball, Madilyn Sheffield chose to go home, scoring the go-ahead unearned run.
The Rams looked to extend their lead in the top of the fifth on a squeeze bunt by Lillie Lanham, but
Madison Bubel quickly threw home for
Anniston Jones to tag out Kristen Black at the plate. Karli Davidson blasted a solo home run down the left field line in the fifth inning to tie the game, 1-1. The dinger chased Mobile starting pitcher Avery Harrell out of the circle for a no decision.Â
Stillman took the lead in the sixth.
Lauren Haskins singled to start the inning, followed by an
Ivey Moreland one-out single to put runners on the corners. Bubel then laid down a squeeze bunt. After Emily Butts threw Bubel out at first, Haskins broke for home, beating the tag for the winning run.
Mobile attempted to threaten in the seventh, but Bubel helped turn a double play when Megan McCartney moved Black to second on a sac bunt, but Black was thrown out trying to stretch to third.Â
Lexi McCray (8-0) went the distance for her fifth complete-game win of the season and first in SSAC action this year. She allowed one unearned run off four hits to lower her season ERA to 0.65. She struck out one.Â
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GAME 2: No. 13 MOBILE 10, STILLMAN 5 (10 INNINGS)
Mobile responded to the Game 1 loss with a quick 2-0 lead after two innings to give starting pitcher Brinkley Goff an early cushion. A passed ball and sac fly by Miah Simmons scored Mobile's first run in the first inning. The Rams extended it to 2-0 in the second with an RBI single by Mallory Atchison.Â
Stillman rallied with a four-run fourth inning, utilizing one hit, one walk and two hit batters. Katelyn Madison reached on an error at third to start the inning. Three straight free bases plated the first run. Goff was chased from the circle without allowing a hit.
Carolyn Carter was also hit by a pitch that could have tied the game, but the home plate umpire ruled she leaned into it. Carter reached on a fielder's choice to retire the first out of the inning. A wild pitch scored
Madison Bubel to tie the game, 2-2, before
Anniston Jones hit a bloop single to shallow center field to bust up a no-hitter and plate two runs for the 4-2 lead.Â
The Tigers' defense shutdown the Rams in the top of the fifth as
Bailie Seales leaped and snagged a line drive for the second out, and
Faith Byram struck out Jill Robinson to end the inning.Â
Mobile managed to push across a run in the top of the sixth on a deep sac fly to right field by Megan McCartney.
Sara Kate Nichols trekked back and made a leaping, over-the-shoulder catch to save a multiple-run, extra base hit on the play. The Rams managed to tie the game in the top of the seventh on a two-out error at third to score Bethany Dean.
Both teams left two runners on base in the eighth inning, and Stillman stranded two in the ninth when Gracie Vanderford made a diving catch behind the pitching circle to end the inning with runners on the corners.
With the international tiebreaker in place, Mobile capitalized with a two-run double by McCartney and RBI single from Lanham in the top of the 10th to take a 7-4 lead. A hit batter and bases-loaded double by Robinson extended the lead, 10-4.
Stillman tacked on a run in the bottom of the 10th as Bubel drove in tiebreaker runner
Chaluncie Denny with a groundout to third.
Byram (4-2) was charged with the loss after pitching 9.1 innings. She allowed nine runs, six earned, off 13 hits. Emily Butts recorded the decision for Mobile in each game, moving to 6-3 on the season.
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