THOMASVILLE, Ga. - With big performances from Mackenzie Freeman and Caitlin Toole on Friday, the USCB softball team split with Thomas, 4-1 and 6-1, at Armory Field. Freeman totaled three hits and three RBIs, while Toole twirled 6.1 innings en route to earning her sixth victory in the circle this year. 

INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE

Reghan Steifle - 5.2 innings, five hits, three earned runs, one walk, one strikeout

Libby Carey - 0.1 innings, no runs, no hits, no walks

Freeman - 1-for-2, double, one RBI

Addie Reynolds - 1-for-3, single, one run

Daryn Miller and Devon Weller - one single each

HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED

USCB's offense struggled for the first three innings, but Steifle kept USCB in the game, as she stifled the Night Hawk offense to keep the game scoreless through three complete.

In the fourth, USCB finally broke through with some two-out magic. After two quick outs, Reynolds poked a single to left, and Freeman made it hurt by bringing home her teammate on a double to left. USCB was able to put runners at the corners thanks to an error, but that was all USCB could tally.

In the bottom half of the fourth, Thomas tied the game up, 1-1, with a sac fly.

After a very quick fifth, the Sand Sharks posted momentum in the sixth thanks to a hit and a walk. Weller and Freeman reached back safely to put runners at the corners with two outs, but again, USCB couldn't take advantage. 

The Night Hawks used a big swing in the bottom of the sixth, which was a three-run homer to take the 4-1 lead.

Down to its final inning, USCB went down 1-2-3 in the three-run loss.

INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Toole - 6.1 innings, win, three hits, one run, one walk

Steifle - 0.2 innings, save, no hits, no runs, no walks

Freeman - 2-for-3, two singles, three RBIs

Alyssa Smith - 2-for-4, two singles

Jazmin Ramirez - 2-for-3, two singles

Weller - 2-for-4, triple, one run

Francie Gaskin - 1-for-4, single, tow runs

Leah Stegall - 1-for-1, single, one run

Jaci Coleman - two runs, one walk

HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED

Like game one, USCB's offense scored the game's first run. This time it came early when the Sand Sharks plated two runs in the first inning. Coleman started the contest with a walk, and after an out, she swiped second. Thanks to a single and an error, Coleman touched home, and Gaskin was able to move to third base. Freeman took advantage with a run-scoring single to center. Freeman was able to reach third base later in the inning, but that was as far as she could get, as USCB held the 2-0 lead.

The next four innings flew by for both teams, as the Sand Sharks posted two hits in that stretch. One of those hits was a one-out triple from Weller in the fifth, but she was left 60 feet away from scoring in the two-run ball game. 

The sixth and seventh innings featured a lot of offense, mainly from USCB. Stegall touched home on a fly out in the sixth, and in the seventh, USCB tallied three runs thanks to four hits and an error. Freeman collected two RBIs in a bases-loaded situation, while Reynolds tallied a sac fly to make it a 6-0 contest.

The Night Hawks showed some fight in the bottom of the seventh, but they were only able to scratch across one run in the loss to USCB, 6-1. 

RECORDS UPDATE

USCB - 19-24 overall, 10-13 Sun Conference

Thomas - 23-19 overall, 10-13 Sun Conference

WHAT'S NEXT?

The rubber match between USCB and Thomas is slated for April 23 at noon at Armory Field.