THOMASVILLE, Ga. — The Thomas University softball team saw the Knights from Middle Georgia University take both contests in Wednesday's season-opening doubleheader. The Lady Night Hawks fell 3-2 in Game One before a huge fifth inning in Game Two solidified an 11-4 MGA win at Armory Field.
Game One Recap (MGA 7, TU 3)
In Wednesday's early afternoon contest, neither team started with a hit as both teams failed to get on base with a hit not coming until the bottom of the second. The Night Hawks (2–5, 0-0 SUN) would go on to register the first hit of the contest, when an Adreanna Killingsworth leadoff homer gave TU an initial 1-0 lead. After that, the next three batters failed to get on base, with a grounder, strikeout, and fly out getting MGA out of the second trailing by one.
In the top of the third, starting pitcher Larran Carter forced the first two batters out via a ground out and a fly out, before the Senior walked the ensuing batter. An infield error followed, with the Knights (9-1, 0-0 SSAC) now having two runners on base.
A double to center field brought both runners home before a groundout let the Night Hawks out of the inning, trailing 1-2.
TU failed to get a run in the bottom of the third or fourth, while MGA extended its lead 3-1 heading into the top of the fifth when the bats turned on for Middle Georgia.
The Knights, already leading 3-1, used four hits to bring in an additional four runs in the 5th, as two costly TU errors in this inning put the Night Hawks down 7-1 with 15 outs left to play.
The Night Hawks would begin to respond in the fifth, when a Hailey Stewart triple brought home Chauntavia Cliatt narrowing the gap, 7-2.
After that, MGA held TU once more in the top of the sixth, before a Taylor Lanphere infield single was muffed, allowing Corryne Diaz to find her way home and bring the game to 7-3.
In the end, the six Night Hawk errors were too much to overcome as Middle Georgia took game one, 7-3.
Game Two Recap (MGA 11, TU 3)
Once again, the Knights-Night Hawks matchup would be neck and neck until the fifth, before the Knights brought in eight runs in the fifth, regaining the lead, and solidify the 11-3 win. Junior Adreanna Killingsworth began the game in the pitcher's circle, pitching the first four innings and allowing three runs.
To start the contest, both teams came out of the gates hot, as MGA jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first before TU responded with two runs of their own.
Then, in the second, the Night Hawks tied the ballgame after an interference call against the Knights' shortstop resulted in a Holly Campbell initial out at the plate being overturned. Leaving the second, both teams were knotted 3-3.
The Night Hawks then took their first lead of game two, when a DeeAurah Bradshaw single to left field brought in a runner giving Thomas the slim 4-3 lead.
The top and bottom of the fourth were relatively quiet with neither team scoring, before the top of the fifth saw the bats for NAIA's best-rated offense take control.
A five-hit, eight-run inning in the fifth saw the Knights send two home runs past the fence, including a grand slam from MGA junior Emma Raulerson, her second homer of the year. Leaving the top of the fifth, TU trailed 11-3.
After that, Thomas failed to register another hit, with the huge fifth inning once again decimated the Night Hawks chances of coming back. Game two finished with Middle Georgia in control 11-3.
Pitchers Larran Carter (2-2) and Leanne Lain (0-1) picked up the losses in the circle, while Junior Adreanna Killingsworth picked up an RBI in each game.
Up next, the Night Hawks will have this weekend off before traveling to compete in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia next Friday, February 25th.
For up-to-date information on Thomas University Softball and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com. Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU Softball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksSoftb.
