Wesleyan softball and Chowan split Senior Day twinbill

Rocky Mount, NC - North Carolina Wesleyan’s softball Bishops celebrated their 2008 Senior Day on Sunday afternoon, honoring four-year letterwinners Denise Pope, Ashlee Bass, Libby Fulford, and Katie Dunavant prior to the start of their doubleheader with Chowan University. Wesleyan then proceeded to split with the Division II Hawks by taking the opener 3-2 and falling in the nightcap 5-4. The Bishops move to 17-15 on the season, while Chowan now stands at 21-17 overall.

In game one, the Bishops got all the offense they would need in the third inning when Jessica Poindexter and Whitney Moshier singled and walked, respectively. They were advanced to second and third on a sac-bunt by Pope, and Bass followed with a two-out double to right center that plated both. Bass then scored what proved to be the eventual winning run on a Fulford double to left.

Chowan got on the board with a run in the fourth when Mindy Byrd walked, stole second, and came around to score on a Tricia Gorman single to right. The hit was the Hawks’ first of the day, while the walk broke a string of 25 straight batters retired by Fulford dating back to her perfect game against Mary Baldwin on Saturday.

The Hawks added a run in the seventh before Fulford tallied her 11th strikeout of the game to secure the 3-2 Wesleyan win.

Each team tallied four hits as Poindexter had two for Wesleyan and Gorman two for Chowan. Shellie Wimpey took the loss for the Hawks in the circle.

Game two saw Chowan forge a 2-0 lead with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Bass, however, turned the game around in the bottom of the sixth when she blasted her record-breaking eighth homerun of the season over the fence in left. The homer also plated Pope, who had previously singled to center.

Tied 2-2 entering the seventh, the Hawks looked to avoid extra innings with a two-out two-run inside-the-park homer by Byrd. But Bass had other ideas as she came through once again in Wesleyan’s half of the frame, delivering a two-run triple to right center with two outs that tied the game at 4-4.

In extras, Jenna Lassiter was placed at second to start the eighth and later scored on a Melissa Woodrum single to give the Hawks a 5-4 advantage. Fulford proceeded to get out of a bases loaded jam with two strikeouts and a line drive back to the mound.

Unfortunately, Wesleyan could not get the run back as Chowan secured the split. Fulford (11-10) suffered the tough-luck loss in relief, while Wimpey earned the win and Woodrum the save.

Offensively, Chowan tallied 14 hits as a team, led by a 3-for-4 performance by Kaytee McLaughlin. Six different players recorded hits for the Bishops.

Wesleyan wraps up its regular season slate on Tuesday at Virginia Wesleyan. Game time is slated for 2:00 p.m. in Virginia Beach.

Return to Softball Main