Marlins sweep Bishops in regular season softball finale

Virginia Beach, VA - The Marlins of Virginia Wesleyan College swept non-conference rival North Carolina Wesleyan on Tuesday afternoon, picking up 8-0 and 7-6 wins over the Battling Bishops. VWC held the Bishops to just two hits in game one, while the Marlins took the nightcap in 11 innings. The two losses marked the end of the regular season for NCWC, leaving the Bishops with a 17-17 overall record entering this weekend's USA South Conference Tournament.

Ashlee Bass and Chelsea Gentry recorded the Bishops' lone hits in the opener as the Marlins cruised to the 8-0 two-hit shutout. Libby Fulford took the loss in the circle, giving up seven runs (three earned) on eight hits.

Game two was a back-and-forth battle that saw the Bishops erase an early three-run deficit with a four-spot in the third. Fulford drove in two of the runs with a single to center.

The game remained 4-3 until the bottom of the seventh when the Marlins managed to scratch the tying run and force extras. Playing by the international tie-break rule, the teams traded runs in the eighth and tenth before VWC could seal the victory with an unanswered run in the 11th.

Fulford (11-12) again took the loss in 10.2 innings of work. She and Brittany Nichols each had two hits offensively.

Wesleyan will now prepare for the 2008 USA South Conference Tournament to be held in Burlington, NC. First round play begins on Friday when the 7th-seeded Bishops take on 10th-seeded Mary Baldwin at 9:00 a.m. NCWC swept a two-game set with the Squirrels earlier in the season.

Complete tournament coverage from Burlington, including brackets, scores, and recaps, can be found at http://annex.ncwc.edu/athletics/softball/2007-08/conf_tourney/index.htm. The winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAAs.

 

Return to Softball Main