ROCKY MOUNT, N.C.—Greensboro College’s Kassie Simmons (Gibsonville, N.C./Eastern Guilford) threw a complete-game shutout in game two of the Pride’s USA South Athletic Conference (USA South) doubleheader with North Carolina Wesleyan College as the Pride and Battling Bishops split both games. The Battling Bishops an extra-inning contest in game one, 2-1, in nine innings, while the Pride took the nightcap, 3-0.
The Pride (21-7, 6-3 USA South) and Battling Bishops (12-10, 6-4 USA South) were entrenched in a pitcher’s duel in game one with Greensboro’s Cheyanne Cox (Burlington, N.C./Southern Alamance) (12-4) and N.C. Wesleyan’s Beth Braswell (9-3) not facing more than four batters for a majority of the contest. The Pride would finally get more than four batters to the plate in the top of the seventh inning when the Pride loaded the bases with one out after a pair of singles and an error. Braswell regained control and struck out the last two batters of the inning. Braswell drew a one-out single against Cox in the bottom half of the inning, but Cox shut down the Battling Bishops for the last two outs to force extra innings scoreless.
After a quiet eighth inning, Simmons connected on an RBI-double to center field in the top of the ninth inning as the Pride held the lead. Logan Winstead would end the game for N.C. Wesleyan in the bottom half of the inning on a two-RBI double to take game one.
Cox struck out seven batters and walked two in the complete-game effort for the Pride. Braswell struck out five and walked one in the complete-game win of game one for N.C. Wesleyan.
The Pride started the second game by giving Simmons the cushion she needed. All of the Pride’s three runs came in the top of the first inning as Jordan Deaton (Gibsonville, N.C./Northeast Guilford) connected on a two-RBI double to center field to start the rally. The Pride loaded the bases after Deaton’s two-RBI hit when Hannah French (Reidsville, N.C./Rockingham County) drew a walk to drive in the third and final run for the Pride.
Simmons (7-2) held full control of the Battling Bishops in game two. The Pride’s hurler gave up seven hits, but Simmons’ faced four batters or less twice in the outing. Simmons faced the potential game-tying run twice in the bottom of the seventh inning and faced runners in scoring position with two outs, but Simmons shut the door as the Pride earned the win.
Simmons struck out one batter and walked four in her first complete-game shutout of the season. Braswell (9-4), in her second start, walked four batters and struck out four as she took the game-two complete-game loss for N.C. Wesleyan.
Ivy Ray (Thomasville, N.C./Ledford) led the Pride at the plate with a three-for-six afternoon with one of three multi-hit efforts in game two while adding a stolen base in the nightcap. Alexis Newman (Climax, N.C./Southeast Guilford) hit three-for-eight and tallied two hits in game two.
Winstead led N.C. Wesleyan at the plate, finishing the afternoon three-for-eight with two RBI.
The Pride and the Battling Bishops meet again Wednesday, this time at Latham Park, in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
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Courtesy of Bryan Jones, Greensboro College Sports Information Director