Battle of Troup County belongs to Point Softball in Season Opener
WEST POINT, Ga. (Feb. 3, 2024) - The Point University Softball team opened their 2024 Season at the West Point Park for a nonconference crosstown matchup against NCAA Division III, Lagrange College where the Skyhawks defeated the Panthers in a sweep. The Skyhawks won in run-rule fashion with a final score of 10-2 in Game One, and a hard-fought 4-2 win in Game Two.
Game One- 10-2 (Win)
The Skyhawks did not waste time getting their rhythm going at bat as the Panthers walked Mary Durham and gave up a single from Hannah Phillips. As Lagrange looked to try to slow down the Skyhawks, Tia Coleman hit a double which brought Mary Durham home for the first run of the game. Point ended the bottom of the first inning with a 2-0 lead as Skye Loftin advanced home for another run. The game stayed relatively close until Point entered the bottom of the fourth which saw Point take a 8-0 lead which included a three-run homer from Tia Coleman. The Panthers would not go down without a fight as Lagrange added two runs with hopes of bringing the game within reach for a potential comeback. Those hopes were quickly dashed away in the bottom of the sixth inning when the Skyhawks added two runs with Ramsey Clark advancing home and the RBI single from Tia Coleman to advance Hannah Phillips home for the run-rule win in Game One. Alyssa Burrows would get the win with nine strikeouts as the starting pitcher in her first collegiate start.
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Durham c | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Hannah Phillips lf | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Skye Loftin 3b | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tia Coleman dp | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brooke Burkett cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mackenzie Diaz ss | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Wellsley Henderson 1b | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Caylee Quarles rf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ramsey Clark 2b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alyssa Burrows p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chloe Mitcham p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 27 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alyssa Burrows (W, 1-0) | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Chloe Mitcham | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 6.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
Game Two – 4-2 (Win)
Point opened Game Two with an early 2-0 lead as two hits and one error to have Tia Coleman add the two-RBI single with Hannah Phillips and Mary Durham advancing home. Point added one more run to their lead with the sacrifice fly as Ansley Joiner scored on her first collegiate run. The Skyhawks kept the innings quick on the defensive side as there was only one hit allowed from Lagrange through the first five innings. With Point leading 3-0, Lagrange added two runs in the top of the sixth to cut the Skyhawk lead to one. Point responded by extending the lead back to two runs as Ramsey Clark advanced home after the error from Lagrange. The Panthers would start the top of the 7th Inning with a single but would be unable to steal the game away from the Skyhawks as Point took the win 4-2. Katelyn Jiles would get the win as the starting pitcher with four strikeouts.
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Durham c/ss | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Kacy Partridge c | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hannah Phillips lf | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Skye Loftin 3b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Katelyn Jiles p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tia Coleman dp | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Savanna Bryant ph | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brooke Burkett cf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mackenzie Diaz ss | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wellsley Henderson 1b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Ansley Joiner rf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ramsey Clark 2b | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 26 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| Pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katelyn Jiles (W, 1-0) | 7.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Totals | 7.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
Up Next
Point Softball will take on SSAC Opponent, Stillman College which will serve as a nonconference bout in a doubleheader on Wednesday, February 7th which will also be National Girls and Women in Sports Day with Game One starting at 3:00 P.M. and Game Two following at 5:00 P.M.
