DECATUR, Ga.—Salem College softball held off a pair of Agnes Scott rallies to take a non-conference series at Oakhurst Park 5-4 and 10-4. The Spirits improve to 3-5, while Agnes Scott falls to 2-8.

Game 1 : Salem 5 – 4 Agnes Scott

The Scotties struck for blood first with an RBI double through the gap on the left side of the infield by KayLeigh Fitzgerald (Dalton, Ga.) in the bottom of the third. The run was an important one for Agnes Scott after the home side stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first two frames.

Salem answered in a big way with four runs in the next half-inning. Brianna Coleman, an all-conference player a year ago, sent one over the fence after a Miranda Barker doubled to lead off the inning.

The Spirits scored twice more in the inning on RBI singles by Madison Burch and Emma Gaston to make it a 4-1 game entering the second half of the game.

Salem tacked on another in the sixth after an Agnes miscue, but relieve Sidney Strama (Bartlett, Ill.) would keep the Spirits at bay otherwise.

Agnes Scott made a comeback bid in the bottom of the seventh. Strama led off the inning with a double to the gap in left-center before scoring on a triple from the bat of Kat Fernandez (Humble, Texas) to make it a 5-2 game.

A fielder's choice play that saw no outs made gave Agnes Scott two runners in scoring position with no outs on the board. Barker, who came in to pitch in relief for Salem, was able to get Agnes' two and three hitters out in succession to bring up Fitzgerald as the Scotties' possible final at-bat.

The sophomore catcher stayed locked in with a high-arching ball to the porch in right. The hit missed tying the game by an inch, hitting the top of the fence and staying in the yard for a two-run double.

Barker was able to get a strikeout to end the game with the tying run on second.

Salem outhit Agnes 14-6 for the game but stranded 10 runners on base. Abby Shelton picked up her first win of the season in four and two-thirds innings of relief for Salem.

Game Two: Salem 10 – 4 Agnes Scott

The finale followed a similar script with a quiet start until Salem struck with an RBI double off the bat of Savannah Atkins in the top of the fourth. A second run scored on the play due to a Scottie error, giving the Spirits a 2-0 advantage.

Agnes Scott did not let the deficit fester for too long, evening the game in the bottom of the fourth. Fitzgerald was catalyst once again with her third double of the day, a bopper off the wall in right to score Sarah Fox (Cartersville, Ga.) from second. Fitzgerald later scored on a perfect delayed run stemming from Ashley Mabrey's (Mt. Dora, Fla) sacrifice bunt.

Salem answered back once again, making Agnes Scott pay for a throwing error on a fielder's choice thanks to a two-RBI double by Breanna Herman. Herman was 4-for-4 in game one and carried it into the second game with two hits in her first three at-bats.

Hannah Escala's hit back to the pitcher put another run on the board as Herman crossed the plate from second base on the deflection to make it a 5-2 game.

Agnes Scott scored one run in each the fifth and sixth innings on singles up the middle by Jani Howington (Lawrenceville, Ga.) and Valerie Rivas (Nashville, Tenn.), but the Scotties stranded runners at third each time to prevent themselves from taking a lead.

Salem scored five unearned runs in the top of the seventh, capped off by Coleman's second homer of the day, this one with two runners on board. The Spirits sent the Scotties down in order in the bottom half to get the series sweep.

Of Note

Fitzgerald's start to the year will be one to watch as the catcher will put a threat one many Agnes Scott records based on the projected pace. Through 10 games, Fitzgerald has already matched her first-year production of four home runs, 15 RBI and surpassed in runs scored with 11. She is currently first in the USA South in runs batted in and home runs.

Up Next

The Scotties are scheduled to take on Mississippi University for Women beginning at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at Oakhurst Park. Rain will threaten Agnes Scott's fourth doubleheader of the year and more information will be communicated as it becomes available.