DUNCAN, SC - The #4 seed Emmanuel softball team continued the Conference Carolinas Championship on Saturday.
After falling to Barton on Friday, Emmanuel got started on Saturday against #10 seed Erskine College at 2:00pm, needing to win to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament. The Lions took care of business comfortably, defeating the Fleet 8-0. The win advanced Emmanuel to the next round, where they would have to beat #2 seed Lees-McRae in order to make it to Sunday. After seven innings without a score, the Bobcats won 1-0 in the first extra inning.
#4 Emmanuel vs #10 Erskine
Lexi Jordan opened up the scoring in the third inning, when a double sent both Isabel Harrison and Gabby Buffington home. Jaryn Gibson's sac fly soon led to Jordan making it home, giving the Lions a 3-0 lead. Gabby Buffington got an RBI off a sac fly in the fifth, further increasing the advantage.
It was the fifth inning that sealed the deal, with Kinsley Goolsby, Isabel Harrison, and Ellee Varner all recording RBIs en route to a three run inning. Kyna Cheney added another in the sixth when her single sent Mackenzie Hogan home. The eight run lead in the sixth inning ended the game immediately, giving Emmanuel a run rule victory. The hot offense and dominant defense resulted in a final score of 8-0.
Macy Kelley pitched all sixth innings in the Emmanuel shutout. She allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out three on the way to the win. It was Kelley's first complete game shutout in an Emmanuel uniform.
Jaryn Gibson led the offense effort with three hits, while Varner, Harrison, and Hogan all had two. Lexi Jordan finished with two RBIs.
#4 Emmanuel vs #2 Lees-McRae:
After game one's pitching clinic from Kelley and the Lions, game two was a pitching showcase for both teams. Kaitlyn Pickens started on the mound for the Lions, going an inning and a third and allowing just one hit and zero runs. Dani Fairey took over in the second. The southpaw went three and a third innings, also allowing only one hit and no runs. Maddie Edwards entered in the bottom of the fifth and closed out regulation innings allowing a single hit and zero runs. This sent the game to extra innings, tied at 0-0 on the strength of both squads' pitching. The Lions couldn't capitalize in the top of the 8th. In the bottom of the same, the Bobcats ended the game when the tiebreak runner, who is automatically placed on second, made it home on a hit to right field.
The 0-1 loss came despite the Emmanuel pitching staff not giving up a single earned run over the course of the game. Despite giving up just three earned runs over three games in the championship, the Lions couldn't muster enough offense to give themselves a chance at the title.
Ellee Varner finished with two hits in game two, leading the Emmanuel offense.
This concludes the 2023 season for Emmanuel softball.
For more on Emmanuel College athletics, visit goeclions.com.
