Peace Out; Bishops Advance

Burlington, NC—North Carolina Wesleyan (12-26) knocked Peace College (19-19) out of the USA South tournament with a 7-5 win.  The Battling Bishops advanced to the nightcap to face Averett University.  

Wesleyan’s Kacie Brandes (1-1) earned her first on the season giving up four runs earned in five hits with four strikeouts and three walks.  Brooke Davis entered in relief to close out the final two batters for a save.  Stephanie Simmons (6-10) took the loss for Peace with two innings pitched.

The Bishops took an early 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI-single from Jessica Poindexter to score Kate Braun who reached on a single.   

The Pacers tied the game in the bottom of the frame.  Amanda Beach advanced on a walk and scored on a sacrifice from Ashley Stansbury.

Wesleyan punched out two more runs with the help of a Pacer error.  Gallop reached on a single in the second and scored on an overthrow from the third baseman.  Meredith Mills, who went 3-3 on the game, led off with a homerun to left in the third to push the Bishops lead to two.

Peace’s Beach hit an RBI-single to get Peace within one.

Mills doubled in the top of five to start a Wesleyan rally.  She scored Kate Braun who reached on a walk.  Another walk and a sacrifice put the next run in place for Tiffany McCord’s two-RBI single to center to give the Bishops  four-run cushion.  Mills picked up another one in the top of six.

The Pacers battled in the sixth beginning with a leadoff single from Long.  Stansbury pushed her to second with a single to left.  Long scored on a wild pitch and first baseman Amanda Rothwell tightened the game with a two-run homerun to right field.

Peace held Wesleyan in the top of seven but flied out three straight in the bottom of the frame to complete the loss.