ANDERSON, S.C. – The Jaguars rallied back from an 8-0 deficit in game two of the non-conference doubleheader at Anderson, but couldn't overcome the Trojans' offense as they fell twice Tuesday afternoon.
The Jaguars (7-11) began their day with back-to-back singles and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Molly Walton and a Kristen Bagley sacrifice fly plated Erin Rozier. GRU Augusta took a 5-0 lead into the sixth inning, but the Trojans tied it in the sixth off three hits and a Jaguar error. Anderson's (15-1) Bri Cason doubled to left-center with two outs for three RBI in the fifth to knot the game. The Jags' left-hander Haley Birkle came in to relieve starter Paige Deschaine and got a ground ball to get out of the inning.
After the Jags couldn't come up with anything in the top of the seventh, Birkle gave up a two-run homer to Molly Child for a 7-5 Trojans walk-off win. Birkle (4-4) got the loss in 0.1 innings, while Deschaine recorded 5.2 innings of work to allow three hits for five runs (four earned) with six strikeouts. Rozier went 2-for-4 and scored two runs and Walton, Brooke Stephens, and Julia Banks all had a hit.
In game two AU's Jessica Neidigh homered off GRU starter Haley Brikle to start game. The Trojans had a safe 8-0 lead until the Jags' huge third inning to score seven. Macy Terry and Ashley Benton knocked back-to-back singles and after Vaughn walked, Rozier RBI-singled to start things off. Stephens plated another with a deep fly ball and two more consecutive singles from Bagley and Mallory Ferguson led to a new AU pitcher in Katelyn Howser. Brianna Dickens introduced Howser with a single and a double to left field off the bat of Macy Terry put the Jags close, down 8-7.
Both teams scored one in the fifth for a 10-8 game when Rozier homered for the Jags and Molly Child did the same for AU. In the Jags' last at-bat, they came through with Bagley leading off the seventh with a walk and Dickens following with a deep double to left center. Terry hit a groundball to the right side that plated Bagley and Benton reached on an error that scored Dickens to tie the game at 10-all to go into the bottom of the seventh.
Deschaine took over for game-two starter Birkle and gave up a walk-off homerun to her first batter faced, Rebecca Martin for an 11-10 AU win. Deschaine (3-6) got the loss, but the Jags outhit the Trojans 12-to-11 led by Rozier, Dickens, and Ferguson's 2-for-4 days.
The Jags start the Mid-South Classic on Friday, Feb. 28, taking on Catawba at 5:00 p.m. in Spartanburg, S.C.
