Strong hitting lifts Point to split with Brenau

WEST POINT, Ga. (March 23, 2022) – After dropping game one of Wednesday night's doubleheader, the Point University softball team bounced back and won game two to split with Appalachian Athletic Conference in-state rivals Brenau.

Game one- Point: 5, Brenau: 6

The Golden Tigers jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the first and would keep the Skyhawks off the board until the bottom of the fourth. Haley Lyner earned Point's first run of the game with a solo home run, her sixth of the season. The Skyhawks would follow with two more runs, the first coming from an error that allowed Asia Jones to score and the second off an RBI-double from Chelsea Parker to score Taylor Knight (4-3).

In the top of the sixth, the Golden Tigers would extend their lead back out by three, but Gabrielle Riley would answer in the bottom of the inning with her second home run of the season to bring the score back within one (6-5), but the Skyhawks were unable to push any more runs across and fell in game one.

Point combined for eight hits with Jones, Lyner and Knight each recording two hits and Riley and Parker recording one hit. Mary Burnham got her 16th start of the season and went 5.2 innings, giving up 10 hits, six runs (four earned), walking one and striking out three. This is only her second loss of the season as she currently is 8-2 with two saves.

Game two- Point: 9, Brenau: 3

Brenau's offense came out hot once again, as the Golden Tigers scored a run in the top of the first, but Point would answer back with a four-run rally in the bottom of the third. The Skyhawks rally began with a 2-RBI double down the left field line from Knight that scored Jones and Lyner. Two batters later, Meagan Pildner would extend Point's lead with an RBI single that scored Riley. The Skyhawks would return to the top of their lineup, where Devin Foster would connect for an RBI single to score Knight (4-1).

Point would score in every inning for the remainder of the game, with Pildner continuing Point's rally with an RBI double in the fourth. The Skyhawks would score two runs in the fifth with an RBI single from Jones, followed by a fielder's choice that allowed Lyner to score, and two runs in the sixth with a 2-RBI single from Jones that scored Brianna Plocharczyk and Alexus Griffin.

The Golden Tigers would connect for two runs in the top of the sixth, but that was as many runs as Point's defense would allow.

Point combined for 15 hits in game two, with Pildner leading the way, going 4-for-4 with two RBIs. She was followed by Jones and Knight, who each went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, Lyner went 2-for-4 and Foster, Plocharczyk and Parker each accounted for a hit.

Ashlynn Hamm earned the win, going 3.0 innings, giving up no hits, no runs, walking two and striking out two. Burnham came in for relief and went 4.0 innings, giving up two hits, two runs (one earned), walking three and striking out three.

Up next

With Wednesday's split, Point is now 21-11 (11-3 AAC) and Brenau is 15-6 (8-2).

The Skyhawks return to action on Saturday, March 26, as they travel to Union College for an AAC doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.