College Softball Finals – Guilford 8-5, Averett 2-6

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Guilford College and Averett University split a Saturday afternoon softball doubleheader with the Quakers winning the first game, 8-2, and Averett winning the nightcap, 6-5.

Calli Pastor earned her first collegiate win thanks a complete-game effort, striking out seven batters in seven innings. Pastor surrendered only one earned run and scattered seven hits.

Allie Nicholson (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) and Pastor both drove in two runs in the first game, including a RBI-double a piece in the first inning to give the Quakers an early lead. Pastor would add her second RBI in the third, drawing a walk to increase the lead. Sarah Cutright responded to an Averett fourth inning rally a with a solo home run to left field, her first RBI of the doubleheader. The Quakers capped off the first game with a four-run sixth inning as Nicholson added her second RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly setting up Brittany Donathan (Archdale, N.C./Trinity) to clear the bases on a two-RBI single. Rachel Howard then brought Donathan home on an RBI-double to give the Quakers a six-run lead.

Averett stormed back in game two with four runs in the first three innings before Casey Snead launched a two-run homer to center field in the fourth inning to put the Quakers on the board. Averett pitcher Amy Hamlett countered in the top of the fifth with a two-RBI single to right center. The Quakers got one run back in the bottom half of the inning when Katie Copeland singled to center field on her first at-bat of the game to pull the Quakers within three runs of Averett. Cutright earned her second RBI of the day on an infield single in the seventh to start the Quaker rally. Donathan then added her third RBI of the day grounding out to second base and driving home Copeland to cut the deficit to one before Averett’s game one starter April Costa retired Snead to give the Cougars the nightcap win.

Maggie Shaffer (1-1) threw a complete game for the Quakers in the nightcap surrendering just two earned runs on eight hits while striking out two batters. Hamlett earned her first win of the season for Averett throwing in four and a third innings while Costa earned her second save of the season, throwing the final two and two-thirds innings.

The Quakers travel to Raleigh tomorrow to face Meredith College in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.