College Softball Finals: Guilford 7-8, Bridgewater 0-0

BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Guilford College’s Maggie Shaffer and Courtney Lackey held Bridgewater College to just six combined hits over Saturday afternoon’s Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader, earning the sweep. Guilford took game one, 7-0, and the nightcap, 8-0, in five innings.

Shaffer (6-4) scattered four hits and struck out four batters while walking three. The Quakers’ game one starter held the Eagles tight early on and benefited from a four-run six inning where the Quakers provided Shaffer with insurance runs. The junior held off Bridgewater’s best chance at runs in the bottom of the seventh frame where the Eagles placed runners on first and second with one out, but Shaffer recovered and closed the game by freezing Lacey Shifflett at the plate for hurler’s fourth and final strike out.

Lackey (6-1) only faced 19 batters for the entire contest, only giving up two hits and allowing only three total base runners in the contest. The Quakers gave Lackey a three-run cushion in the top of the first inning and were only held to without a run one inning later as the Quakers ended the game early with an eight-run lead.

Rachel Howard led Quaker bats, finishing 4-for-6 on the afternoon with two doubles and four RBI, three of which came in the nightcap. Taylor Boyd led the Quakers in total hits, batting 5-for-7 while accumulating two RBI. Calli Pastor added two more RBI on an afternoon where 11 different Quakers drove in at least one run. Caroline Barnette finished 4-for-9, including 3-for-5 in game one where she hit a double and a home run.

Jen Balcom and Brianna Cox were the two lone Eagles to collect multi-hit afternoons, with both batting 2-for-4 a piece.

Amanda Lutz (1-9) took the complete-game loss in the first contest for the Eagles, striking out four and walking six. Hannah Trala took the game two loss, giving up four runs on six hits while walking and striking out two batters. Brianna Cox gave up three runs on four hits and walked one in one inning of work while Anna Patterson gave up one run on one hit in the final one and two-thirds innings

Weather permitting, the Quakers close out their regular season with an ODAC home doubleheader tomorrow, facing Roanoke College at 2 p.m.