DEMOREST, Ga.—Host Piedmont held off a late Scottie charge in game two to complete a USA South sweep on Wednesday afternoon at the Walker Athletic Complex. The Lions won going away in game one, 8-0, before squeaking out a 4-3 triumph in the nightcap.
The Scotties fall to 2-16 on the season and 0-2 in USA South play after their first conference series. Piedmont showed why they were the divisional favorites, improving to 14-5 and 4-0 respectively.
Game One
Scottie miscues in the field caused all sorts of issues in the opener. The Lions first three runs of the game, coming between the third and fourth innings, were all unearned as a result of dropped flies. The Lions were able to put together a game-ending, five-run fifth inning to end it effectively—again assisted by a pair of Agnes Scott errors.
On the other side of the ball, Melissa Eckman (Perry, Ga.) was tough to hit. The senior only gave up one hit over five innings of work while striking out three Scotties.
First-year KayLeigh Fitzgerald (Dalton, Ga.) was the lone Agnes batter to reach base with their bat, hitting a double in the top of the fourth.
Piedmont's Taylor Brown (Trinity, Fla.) was one of seven Lions to hit safely, while reaching base twice.
Game Two
The finale started how the previous game ended with Piedmont stretching its run-scoring frames to six by tallying a score in each of the first three innings. Mariann Kennison (Queen Creek, Ariz.) and Hannah Hoban (Phoenix, Ariz.) drove in a total of three runs combined between the opening stanzas.
Piedmont's game two starter Madison Whiteside (McDonough, Ga.) was just as effective as Eckman was in game one. The sophomore only allowed one Scottie hit, a single, through five innings while maintaining a four-run advantage.
However, Agnes Scott nearly erased a series worth of frustration with an explosive top of the sixth. After Kayla Quesenberry (Inverness, Fla.) walked to lead off the inning, Alexei Young (McDonough, Ga.) doubled to put two runners in scoring position with no outs.
Whiteside was able to get the next two Scottie batters to hit into outs without a run scoring, sending first-year Michaela Dailey (Smiths Station, Ala.) to the plate in a pressure situation. Dailey obliged with a clutch two-RBI double tucked inside the line in left field to halve the deficit. Classmate Jani Howington (Lawrenceville, Ga.) also delivered one batter later despite coming off the bench as a pinch hitter. Howington knocked a single into the gap in right to score the third run of the inning, making it a 4-3 game.
Piedmont pulled Whiteside from the game and reinserted the effective Eckman into a relief role to close things out over the final four outs.
What's Next?
The Scotties will look to break their slide this weekend with a pair of home USA South doubleheaders. Agnes Scott welcomes Brevard on Saturday and Maryville on Sunday, both series beginning at 1 p.m.