Big offensive day leads Skyhawks to sweep over St. Andrews
LAURINBURG, N.C. (Feb. 26, 2022) – The Point University softball team completed their weekend Appalachian Athletic Conference road trip by traveling to St. Andrews Saturday afternoon and defeated the Knights 12-2 in game one and 11-3 in game two, winning both games in five innings.
Game One- Point: 12 SAU: 2
After a scoreless first inning, Point's offense came alive with five runs in the top of the second. A bases-loaded walk to Meagan Pildner would bring home Kayla Wyatt to start Point's rally, and an RBI single to follow from McKensie Barnes would score Taylor Knight. The Skyhawks returned to the top of their lineup with bases loaded, and Devin Foster, Brianna Plocharczyk and Haley Lyner would each drive in a run to help the Skyhawks to a 5-0 lead.
The Knights would get a run back in the bottom of the inning, making the score 5-1, but Knight connected for an RBI double to score Asia Jones in the top of the third, making the score 6-1. St. Andrews would answer once again in the bottom of the frame with one run, but Jones would extend Point's lead by four in the top of the fourth with a triple to score Lyner, Plocharczyk, and Foster. An error on the same play would allow Jones to score, making the score 10-2. Point would score two runs in the top of the fifth, and Ashlynn Hamm would get the Knights out to put the run rule into effect.
Hamm would go 2.1 innings of relief, giving up no runs, hits, or walks and striking out two. Mary Burnham got the start and the win, going 2.2 innings, giving up seven hits, two runs (both earned), walking one, and striking out two.
The Skyhawks connected for 14 hits. Leading the way was Foster going 3-for-3 with an RBI, Plocharczyk going 2-for-3 with an RBI, Lyner going 1-for-2 with two RBIs, Jones was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, Knight, who was 2-for-3 with one RBI and Barnes who was 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Game two- Point: 11 SAU: 3
The Skyhawks got on the board early to start the second half of Saturday's doubleheader, as Jones connected for a two-run double, sending Lyner and Foster home to take a 2-0 lead. The Knights would answer and earn their first lead of the day with three runs in the bottom of the inning, but that was all the scoring SAU would do as the Skyhawks scored three runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings.
Back-to-back hits from Lyner and Jones would score Meagan Pildner, Foster and Barnes in the second to help Point gain a 5-3 lead. In the fourth inning, Lyner would score Plocharczyk and Foster off a two-run double and a sacrifice fly from Jones would score Lyner, making the score 8-3. The Skyhawks would cap off their rally in the top of the fifth, with Foster keeping the energy going with an RBI triple to score Pildner and Lyner would bring her home with a sacrifice fly. A single-to-right field from Jones would drive home Plocharczyk to help Point take the lead 11-3.
Hamm would once again get the Knights out in order in the bottom of the inning to enable the run-rule victory for Point.
Hamm got the start and win in game two, going five innings, giving up six hits, three runs (all earned), and striking out four.
Point combined for 13 hits and was led by Foster, who went 3-for-3 with an RBI, Lyner was 2-for-2 with four RBIs, Jones was 3-for-3 with six RBIs and Pildner was 2-for-2.
Up next
With Saturday's wins, Point advances to 10-6 (3-1 AAC).
The Skyhawks will be back in action on Monday, Feb. 28, as they host Kentucky Christian University in an AAC doubleheader, beginning at 2 p.m. in West Point.