Greensboro’s Cox Earns Game One Shutout, Deaton Walks Off in Game Two as Pride Sweep Randolh

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Greensboro College’s Cheyanne Cox (Burlington, N.C./Southern Alamance) collected her third complete-game shutout of the season in game one while Jordan Deaton (Gibsonville, N.C./Northeast Guilford) hit a walk-off RBI-single in the eighth inning of game two as the Pride earned a Thursday afternoon sweep of Randolph College. The Pride claimed game one, 3-0, and won the nightcap, 9-8.

Cox (3-1) only faced seven batters in the first two innings of game one, striking out the last two batters in the top of the second inning. Cox fought off a bases-loaded scenario with one out in the top of the third inning by inducing a pop fly to first base and a fly out to left field to exit the inning unharmed. She would only allow a single and a walk the rest of the way as she claimed her third complete-game of the season.

The Pride (6-2) only needed a three-run rally in the bottom of the first inning to support Cox’s effort. Deaton capped the rally with a two-out, two-RBI single down the right field line after Kassie Simmons (Gibsonville, N.C./Eastern Guilford) sparked the rally with a sacrifice fly for the first run.

Randolph roared back in game two, opening the first inning with a three-run rally by capitalizing on an early error. The Pride countered fiercely in the bottom of the second frame with a five-run rally sparked by Hannah French’s single to right field. The Pride capped the rally on a double-steal play initiated by Alexandria Prillaman running to second base, allowing Kailey Walker (Eden, N.C./Morehead) to slide safely to home plate.

After Randolph tied the game, 5-5 in the third inning, the Pride posted three unanswered runs in the next two innings. Walker reached first on a throwing error with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, which brought two runs across home plate to give the Pride a three-run lead.

Randolph rallied in the seventh by posting a three-run rally capped by Lexi Hawkins, who scored on a wild pitch as the game went to extra innings.

The Pride only faced two batters in the eighth inning as a result of a double play to lead off the inning due to the international tie-breaker rule placing a runner on second base. Taylor Friess flew out to right field as French caught the ball over her shoulder in the right field corner. Love advanced to third base without tagging second base before the catch, which the Pride caught. The Pride applied the tag at second base for the second out of the inning. Greensboro made the WildCats pay as Deaton brought home Alexis Sox on a RBI-single with no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to complete the sweep.

Deaton finished the afternoon three-for-eight with three RBI. Simmons hit three-for-three in game two as she was one of five Pride players to register multiple hits in the nightcap. Ivy Ray (Thomasville, N.C./Ledford) posted the lone multi-hit effort of game one, hitting two-for-three while posting three stolen bases, two coming on back-to-back pitches.

Dominique Irving collected three hits on the afternoon for Randolph with the WildCats lone multi-hit effort in game one, batting two-for-three. Madison Jarrelle led the WildCats in game two with a two-for-four effort and three RBI.

Simmons (2-1) took the game-two complete-game win for the Pride, striking out one batter and walking one.

Jenna St. John (0-2) took the game one loss for Randolph, giving up three runs on five hits before exiting in the second after only one inning in the circle. Chloe Persinger (1-1) took the game-two loss, throwing the final two and one-third innings where she gave up one run on two hits while fanning one batter and walking two.

After a Friday afternoon exhibition doubleheader with Surry Community College, the Pride opens USA South Athletic Conference play Saturday. March 13th with a 2 p.m. doubleheader with Meredith College at Latham Park.

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Courtesy of Bryan Jones, Greensboro College Sports Information Director