Softball Splits With Brevard

The Brenau softball team split a pair of non-conference games against Brevard (NC) College on Wednesday in Gainesville.

In game one, Golden Tigers pitcher Taylor Causey surrendered a pair of solo home runs, first to Brevard's Ashleigh Ivey in the second inning, then another to Kinsey Parrish in the fourth to make the score 2-0.

The Brenau bats stayed quiet until the sixth inning as Victoria Fontana reached on a bunt single, and then scored on a Kelsey Payne RBI single to cut the deficit to 2-1. However the rally was halted by a strikeout with runners on to close the inning.

Causey (1-2) pitched three innings, allowing two runs and only three hits while striking out three.

Elizabeth Schneider led Brenau with two hits, while Payne added one hit and one RBI.

In game two, Brevard again took the early lead when in the top of the fourth, the Tornados' Hannah Huckabee drove a ball to deep center field. Fontana made the catch at the fence, but her momentum carried her over the netting. As she fell, the ball popped out of her glove for a home run to give Brevard a 2-0 lead.

However, the Golden Tigers responded in the bottom half of the inning as Emily Hunsucker drove in two runs to tie the game at 2-2. An inning later, Payne blasted a two-run shot, her fourth of the season, to give Brenau a 4-2 lead.

Pitcher Jessica Rathje (6-4) shut down the Tornados to secure the win. Rathje pitched a complete game, allowing only the one home run, while striking out a season-high seven batters.