SAVANNAH, Ga. – GRU Augusta fell to the Armstrong Pirates 10-2 and 9-1 in a pair of Peach Belt Conference games on the road Wednesday afternoon in Savannah, Ga.
The Jaguars (21-9, 7-5 PBC) found themselves in a 6-0 hole to the Pirates (17-9, 6-2 PBC) in the first inning of game one, when two doubles and two walks started the bottom of the inning. Armstrong drew two bases-loaded walks and knocked two singles up the middle to score their quick six.
The Jags got on the board when they plated a lone run in the fourth and the fifth. Freshman Lindsey Stokes reached on a fielder's choice in the fourth and senior Brooke Stephens scored on the play after a wild throw from the shortstop. In the fifth, senior Hannah Vaughn hit an RBI-double to score senior Molly Walton.
The Jags totaled six hits, but the Pirates poured on 10 to take a final 10-2 victory in the first meeting. GRU Augusta lefty-junior Haley Birkle (10-7) allowed 10 hits for 10 runs (eight earned) in her 5.1 innings of work.
Stephens went 2-3 with a scored run in game one and Walton, Vaughn, Mallory Ferguson, and Ashley Benton all had one hit each.
Armstrong's Ollivia McLemore, the reigning PBC Pitcher of the Week, continued her prowess on the mound and struck out five while giving up two runs on six hits.
In game two, the Pirates won another shortened game – sparked by a five run first inning. Jaguar sophomore Kristen Mills made her second start and gave up eight runs, and walked 11 (1-1) in 2.0 innings on the mound. Birkle relieved for 2.0 innings, but the Pirates' early lead was too much.
Jags junior Kristen Bagley went 2-2 in game two at the plate and Ferguson and Stokes were each 1-2, with Stokes plating Ferguson in the fourth on a single to center for the only run for GRU.
The Jaguars host Francis Marion for a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader on Thursday, April 2 for a 12:00 p.m. start at Jaguar Field.
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