FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (BC Athletics) – The Bridgewater College softball team swept Methodist on Sunday afternoon on the road.

Game 1
Score: Bridgewater 8, Methodist 0 (Six Innings)
Records: Bridgewater 7-4, Methodist 4-9

How It Happened
• BC looked to score first, but Mackenzie Cauthorn was left stranded after a one-out single in the top of the first. Methodist also stranded the runner from a one-out base hit as Cauthorn struck out the final two batters of the frame in the circle for BC.
• Bridgewater put the leadoff run on in the top of the second as Lexi Schaaf drew a walk. A bunt by Abby Byrum moved her into scoring position, and Leiah Branch delivered two batters later as she singled the opposite way, and Schaaf scored to make it 1-0 for BC. Methodist stranded a runner again in the bottom of the second as two more punchouts by Cauthorn helped maintain the advantage for the Eagles.
• Caroline Malandra opened the top of the third with a base knock the opposite way and swiped second base after a failed sacrifice attempt. McKenna Mueller dug in next and delivered with a double to drive in Malandra and extend the lead. Lily Moyers kept the rally going as she stepped in next and singled back up the middle to allow Mueller to score and make it 3-0. BC blew it open as Byrum singled and allowed Moyers to score and stretch it to 4-0 for the Eagles.
• Cauthorn slammed the door on the Monarchs again in the bottom of the third, and her mates gave her more run support. Branch drew a walk to open the top of the fourth and Molly Ecroyd came on to run for her. Ecrody quicjly swiped second, and then Aniella Baldwin wore a pitch to put two runners on. The two speedsters then executed a double steal to perfection, and both moved into scoring position with no outs. Malandra delivered next with a sacrifice flyout to drive in Ecroyd and extend the lead to 5-0. A nifty double play got MU out of the jam, but BC kept rolling.
• BC stranded two runners in scoring position in the top of the fifth, but Cauthorn continued to deal and held Methodist scoreless. Baldwin singled in the top of the sixth with one out and stole second immediately. Malandra stepped in next and singled the opposite way to drive in Baldwin and stretch the lead. Cauthorn stepped up next and sent a ball to the wall in right center, leading to a triple and driving in Malandra. Mueller continued the rally as she hit a sacrifice fly to make it 8-0. MU got out of another jam and needed to score. Kylie Jones came on in relief and kept the Monarchs quiet with a scoreless inning to secure the run-rule win.
Match Notes,
• Cauthorn (4-2) took the win and allowed just one hit in five innings of work. Mueller paced the offense with a pair of hits and two RBI. Malandra, Cauthorn and Moyers also tossed in multi-hit efforts.
• Margoupis (2-6) took the loss in the complete-game effort as she surrendered all eight earned runs. Lovick tallied the only hit for MU.

Game 2

Score: Bridgewater 5, Methodist 4
Records: Bridgewater 8-4, Methodist 4-10

How It Happened
• The BC offense continued to roll in the start of game two. Malandra and Cauthorn opened the second game with a pair of singles, and Mueller followed with a single, allowing Malndra to score. Moyers kept the ball rolling with an infield hit that allowed Cauthorn to scamper home and make it 2-0. Moyer got caught stealing for the first out, and Mueller met the same fate at home to stall the effort. BC ended the frame stranding runners at first and third after a late walk and a hit by pitch.
• Evelyn Rhoads got the call in game two and put MU down in order in the bottom of the first. BC added to the lead as Bladwin singled and Malndra drove her in to make it 3-0. The Eagles tried to add another run in the frame, but Malandra was thrown out at the plate after a Cauthorn base hit.
• MU went down in order in the second thanks to a pair of strikeouts by Rhoads. Kaelyn Ramsey singled for BC in the top of the third, but she was left stranded. The Monarchs got their first hit in the bottom of the third, but that runner was left stranded.
• BC added on in the top of the fourth as Malandra walked with two outs in the frame. Cauthorn and Mueller followed, loading the bases for Moyers, and she delivered with another infield hit to drive in Malndra. Ramsey dug in next and singled up the middle to drive in Cauthorn and extend the lead to 5-0 at the midway point. Rhoads kept rolling in the bottom of the inning as she put Methodist down in order again.
• The Eagles went down in order in the fifth and sixth frames, while MU stranded runners in the innings. Moyers singled to open the seventh, but she was left stranded. The contest went to the bottom of the seventh, and Elena Williams came on in relief for the Eagles. Methodist opened it with a base rip. The runner tried to extend the double to a triple, but she was stopped as she got hung up in a rundown for the first out. MU strung a rally together as it loaded the bases on three-straight hits. The next Monarch stepped in and singled up the middle and drove in a pair of runs after a BC error. Rhoads came back into the game to try to close it out. She drew a flyout for the second out of the frame and looked to have ended the game during the next at bat as she struck the batter out, but the pitch got away at the plate, and the runner reached and pushed a run in to score on the wild pitch to make it 5-3. Lovick stepped in next and singled to drive in another run and cut the deficit to just a single run at 5-4. BC finally got out of the jam and secured the win as Mueller snagged a pop-up to secure the win.

Match Notes,
• Rhoads (3-1) secured the win after not surrendering a run and tallying five strikeouts. Five different Eagles tallied multiple hit efforts in game two, led by a three-for-four effort by Moyers and a pair of RBI.
• Wraight (2-4) took the loss for Methodist as she surrendered 12 hits. Three different Monarchs tallied multiple hits in the second part of the twinbill.

Up Next
Bridgewater is back in action on Saturday at Sweet Briar to open ODAC play.

— BC Athletics —