College Softball Final: Crawford sets Guilford Home Run Record in 9-3 Win at NC Wesleyan

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – Senior Makayla Crawford hit two home runs as Guilford College defeated North Carolina Wesleyan, 9-3, on Wednesday afternoon. Crawford hit 2-for4, scored twice and had five runs batted in for the Quakers.

GC improved to 3-0. The Battling Bishops fell to 0-1. The second scheduled game was canceled due to sunlight concerns.

Crawford now has 23 career homers and broke the record of Marty Wilcox ’15 of 22. Teammate Makayla Carver walked to lead off the game. Crawford then homered to put the Quakers ahead 2-0.

In the second inning, the Bishops plated two runs to tie the game. With the bases loaded, Katie McNeill allowed a bases-loaded walk and hit a batter for the two tallies.

With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the fourth, Natalie Conrad singled home McNeill for one run. Crawford later hit her record-setting homer and scored Conrad and Carver (who had walked).

NCWC scored once in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 6-3. Bryona Knight tripled home Kayla Molivas who had singled earlier.

The Quakers tallied the game’s final three runs in the top of the fifth. Katy Holt tripled to lead off the frame. Sabrina Moreno doubled her home. Two batters later, Savannah Yale doubled to score Moreno. The ninth and final run came when Carver hit a sacrifice fly to score Yale.

McNeill improved to 2-0 after earning the complete game win. She allowed seven hits and three earned runs. McNeill allowed five walks and struck out two Bishops. Beth Braswell (0-1) tossed five innings, allowed all nine runs and took the defeat for NC Wesleyan. She had four strikeouts and allowed seven bases on balls. Shelby Godwin allowed no hits in the final two frames for the home team.

Yale and Conrad both recorded two hits in the game. For the Bishops, Molivas was 2-for-3 and scored twice.

The Quakers return to action at Meredith College on Tuesday, March 5.