College Softball Finals – Guilford 8–4, N.C. Wesleyan 0–3

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College’s Makayla Carver threw a complete-game shutout in game one and amassed two RBI over Wednesday afternoon’s doubleheader sweep of North Carolina Wesleyan College. The Quakers took game one, 8-0, in five innings while rallying back from a two-run deficit to claim the nightcap, 4-3.

The Quakers (15-3) jumped on the Battling Bishops early as Guilford drove in all runs with two outs in the bottom of the first inning. Guilford took advantage of a two-out error in left field, which sparked the rally, to produce three runs in the inning. After holding the Battling Bishops at first and second base in the top half of the inning, the Quakers padded their lead with a five-run rally, capped by Shelby Helms’ three-run home run for her fifth of the season. The Battling Bishops attempted to counter one half-inning later by producing three straight base-runners with one out on two hits, but the Quakers induced two pop flies in back-to-back at-bats to end the inning as the Quakers cruised to victory in a shortened game.

The Battling Bishops responded in game two, opening the contest with three first-inning hits as Alicia Burns drove in the Battling Bishops’ first run with two outs. All of the Battling Bishops’ runs in the game came with two outs as N.C. Wesleyan posted a run per inning for the first three innings. A one-out double from Courtney Trickle in the bottle of the second frame was the lone response from Guilford in the early innings. The Battling Bishops threatened with runners on first and third base with one out in the top of th fifth inning, but the Quakers turned an unusual double play, catching Peyton Hyler running towards second base after an out was record at home plate. Guilford’s bats came alive in the final inning, amassing four hits to spark a comeback. Carver tied the game with two outs and the Quakers loaded the bases for Laura Hall, who drew a walk-off walk to end the game.

Carver (4-1) pitched a complete-game four-hitter in game one, claiming the win by striking out seven batters and walking only one in five innings. The freshman finished two-for-four at the plate with two stolen bases and two RBI over the doubleheader.

Sabrina Moreno finished three-for-six with a double and claimed one of two multi-hit efforts in a individual game for the Quakers. Hall claimed the first multi-hit game in the first contest, batting two-for-three.

Burns finished three-for-six at the plate for the Battling Bishops with one RBI and claiming N.C. Wesleyan’s only multi-hit effort in game one. Hyler finished two-for-five over the double with one of three multi-hit efforts in game two.

Courtney Lackey (6-1) battled to claim a game-two complete-game victory for the Quakers, striking out four batters and walking one.

Logan Lowery (4-3) claimed the game-one loss for N.C. Wesleyan where all runs were charged to her with only four of the eight runs being earned in two innings. Shelby Godwin threw the final two innings, giving up only three hits. Lindsay Sharpe (2-3) took the game-two loss, throwing a complete-game in six and two-third innings where she struck out three and walked one.

The Quakers continue their homestand Saturday, hosting Methodist University for a noon doubleheader at Haworth Field.