MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Autumn Yoder (Friedens, Pa./Somerset) had four hits and four RBI in Guilford College’s two softball victories Friday morning. The junior shortstop hit a two-run, ninth-inning single in the Quakers’ 6-4 win over Penn State-Altoona in the day’s first game. She also had two hits and two RBI in Guilford’s 7-1 triumph over Johnson State College.
Yoder’s game-winning hit capped Guilford’s exciting comeback in the opener. Lions’ starter Jackie Smith held Guilford hitless for the first four and two-third innings during which time Penn State-Altoona (7-1) built a 3-0 lead.
The Quakers (7-3) tied the game in the sixth when Morgan Andrews led off with a single to right and advanced to third on a misplay by the right fielder. Rachel Howard drew a one-out walk and Brittany Donathan (Archdale, N.C./Trinity) followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Andrews for Guilford’s first run. Starting pitcher Ashley Boteler (Manassas, Va./Osbourn) followed with her team-leading third homer of the year, a game-tying two-run blast to left.
Neither team scored in the seventh inning, which forced extra innings. The Quakers went ahead for the first time on Kimberly Keys’ RBI single in the top of the eighth.
After yielding three runs early, Boteler retired 12 straight Lions before Miller’s two-out double in the eighth tied the game for the second time.
Guilford regained the lead in the ninth on Yoder’s two-out, two-run single, but the Lions loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning. Boteler (3-1) got out of the jam when Brittany Smith hit into a game-ending double play to third base.
In the day’s second game, Guilford starter Jessica Burcham fanned five of the first six batters she faced in the Badgers’ (0-2) second game of the day (and season). Keys and Howard belted back-to-back doubles in the first for a quick 2-0 lead.
Shelby Bowser (Winston-Salem, N.C./Ledford) (1-0) replaced Burcham in the third and threw four solid innings, although the Badgers made it a 2-1 game on Madeline Pritchard’s RBI single in the fifth.
Guilford took advantage Johnson State’s lack of outside game experience and parlayed three Badgers’ errors into five unearned runs over the fifth and sixth innings.
The Quakers banged out 18 hits, four by second baseman Cynthia Hayes (Seagrove, N.C./Southwestern Randolph).
Guilford returns home to host Mary Baldwin College Sunday (3/11) at 1:00 p.m. in the Quakers’ annual Score for the Cure games, which benefit cancer research.
Guilford – 6
Penn St.-Altoona – 4
Mar 09, 2012 at Myrtle Beach, SC
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Guilford............ 000 003 012 - 6 6 1 (6-3) Penn St.-Altoona.... 012 000 010 - 4 8 2 (7-1) ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Guilford – Ashley Boteler and Morgan Andrews.
Penn St.-Altoona – Smith Jackie; Stugart Allison(8) and Glunt Lily.
Win-Ashley Boteler(3-1)
Loss-Stugart Allison(3-1)
T-2:10
A-30
HR GC – Ashley Boteler.
Weather: cloudy, 65, breezy
Game: GCS-09
Guilford – 7
Johnson State – 1
Mar 09, 2012 at Myrtle Beach, SC
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Johnson State....... 000 010 0 - 1 6 3 (0-2) Guilford............ 200 014 X - 7 18 1 (7-3) ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Johnson State – Kristy McDonnell; Meagan Russ(4) and Emily Himberg.
Guilford – Jessica Burcham; Shelby Bowser(3); Ashley Boteler(7) and Morgan Andrews.
Win-Shelby Bowser(1-0)
Loss-Kristy McDonnell(0-1)
T-1:41
A-30
Weather: 60, cloudy, breezy
Game notes:
Nonconference game
Game: GCS-10