AUGUSTA, Ga. - The
No. 10 Augusta State softball team split with the No. 20
Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference
doubleheader at Jaguar Field. ASU took game one 7-6 in eight
innings, and then fell to the Bears 6-5 in game two.
With the split, Augusta State moved to 25-7 overall, while the
Bears moved to 27-5 on the season.
ASU's Sara DeMuth received the win in game one and improved
to 11-2 on the season. DeMuth allowed six runs on eight hits and
had 12 strikeouts in 8.0 innings of work.
Dawon Millwood earned the start for Lenoir-Rhyne and lasted 6.2
innings. Millwood gave up six runs on four hits and had 10
strikeouts. Alex Smith relieved Millwood in the seventh and was
tagged with loss.
The Jags were down 4-1 until the bottom of sixth, when back to back
homers from Jessica Thornton and Kristen Jones would tie the game
4-all.
Lenoir-Rhyne would respond back in the top of the sixth with a
double from Kat Rivers that scored Brittany Cherry. Ashley
Duckworth then singled and would eventually score on a groundout to
second bas. ASU tied the game at 6-all in the bottom of the seventh
when Thornton drew a walk that scored Leann Barber. Kacey Sims then
scored on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the eighth, Leslie Semken scored on a squeeze bunt
by Alyssa Pingree to give ASU a 7-6 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne.
In game two, Emily Corish earned the start and lasted 2.0 innings.
Corish gave up two earned runs on three hits and had two
strikeouts. Kimberly Kennedy relieved Corish in the third and was
tagged with loss, dropping to 4-2 overall. Kennedy allowed two
earned runs on three hits and struck out eight batters in 4.2
innings of work. DeMuth relieved Kennedy in the seventh and got the
last out of the inning.
Lauren Harris earned the win in game two and lasted 6.1 innings.
Harris allowed two earned runs on 10 hits and had three
strikeouts.
Barber paced the Jags offensively going 4-for-8 on the afternoon,
while Thornton had two homers on the day with four RBI. Kayla Hicks
and Sims each had two hits on the day with Hicks having an RBI.
Jones had three RBI on the day, while four different Jags had a
hit.
Duckworth paced the Bears offensively on the day with five hits and
two RBI. Rivers was 3-for-7 with four RBI, while Sarah Atkins had
two hits.
The Jags will be back in action Saturday, March 20 when they travel
to Dahlonega, Ga., to take on North Georgia in a Peach Belt
Conference doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m.
