Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 DECATUR, Ga.—Not even a choose your own adventure story could have provided as much drama Agnes Scott and Brevard packed into a USA South Conference doubleheader on Wednesday. The Scotties walked off the Tornados not once, but twice, to notch their second and third consecutive wins in conference action.
Agnes Scott scored seven times in the bottom of the seventh of game one to force extra innings before taking down the Tornados in the eighth 10-9. The Scotties marched back again in the late stages of the series finale, scoring six runs between the sixth and seventh innings to beat the visitors 6-5.
Game 1: Agnes Scott 10 - Brevard 9 /8 inn.
The Tornados were persistent enough on offense to chip away at rookie pitcher Regan Hutto (Douglasville, Ga.) from the start, scoring a run in each of the first three innings.
After a game-opening walk yielded a run in the first, Brevard loaded up the bases in the second frame. Hutto was able to walk away nearly unscathed but Taylor Hannah's RBI single up the middle played the Tornados second run of the game.
Brevard tallied a third run in the third inning but it was Micayla McCoy's arm who kept the Scotties hitless through two stanzas. McCoy sent down the first seven Scotties to start the contest before Kat Boyer's (Lawrenceville, Ga.) bloop single to center ended the perfect game effort. Jani Howington (Lawrenceville, Ga.) kept the pressure on, earning a full count before sending a pitch over the wall in left to make it a 3-2 game after three.
Brevard marched right back, opening the fourth with back-to-back doubles to play a run before two Agnes Scott errors allowed the Tornados to tack on three more for a commanding 7-2 lead.
The next two innings went quickly until Brevard put together a two-run burst in the top of the seventh thanks to two extra-base knocks.
Agnes Scott made things compelling in the bottom half of the final regulation frame. Down to their last three outs, Michaela Dailey (Smiths Station, Ala.) kickstarted a furious rally with a double into the corner in left.
The Scotties would hit safely five more times in the inning, but none more important than Dailey's second at-bat. As the Scotties bat through the lineup, Dailey stepped up to plate with two outs and two on. A steal put both runners in scoring position and Dailey obliged with a single into the gap in right-center, allowing both runs to tag home and effectively tying the game.
With international tiebreaker rules in effect to start the eighth, Brevard quickly pushed the runner to third. However, Hutto locked down the next two batters to keep the go-ahead run stranded 60 feet away.
A fielder's choice that did result in an out put two runners on for the Scotties in the bottom of the eighth, forcing the Tornados to walk the power-hitting Howington to create a force at every base. The strategy did not work out with first-year pinch hitter Linzie Jarvis (Pasadena, Texas) working a full count before getting slogged in the noggin for the walkoff hit-by-pitch.
Hutto came all the way back to earn a third win of the season in the circle. The first-year struck out six while only allowing five earned runs in eight innings of work.
The combination of Boyer, Howington, Dailey, and Gigi Elizondo (Deer Park, Texas) registered nine hits, eight RBI, and four runs scored.
Game 2: Agnes Scott 6 - Brevard 5
The Tornados recovered after the shocking defeat starting the finale with a similar script. Brevard used a combination of small ball and good baserunning to score once in each of the first three innings.
Agnes Scott was unable to find the timely hit on the other side though. The Scotties got runners in scoring position twice over the first five innings, including a key base runner at third with one out in the third. Each time, Agnes could not push a run across.
After Brevard tagged another point onto its lead in the sixth, Agnes finally broke through with a crooked number.
Anyla Fulton (Ellenwood, Ga.) led off the sixth with an infield single and KayLeigh Fitzgerald (Dalton, Ga.) made the Tornados pay with a crunched shot to the opposite field in right.
Dailey, Howington, and Kat Fernandez (Humble, Texas) loaded the bases with three straight singles. Elizondo added a third run to plate Dailey with a two-out single over the head of second base.
An errant throw put the Tornados back on top by two in the seventh to set up another score-or-go-home moment for the Scotties.
Not forgetting their magic from the opener, Agnes Scott battled back once again. Brevard was able to get Fulton to fly out to start the inning, but an error breathed new life into the Scotties. Caitlin Weaver (Jacksonville, Fla.)--who picked up a win in the circle for the second home start in a row--advanced to second on a passed ball before scoring on an RBI single by Fitzgerald, making it a one-run game.
Dailey and Howington walked to load the bases before the Tornados grabbed another out by strikeout, bring the Scotties to the brink.
As junior Sarah Fox (Cartersville, Ga.) was about to step into the batter's box representing Agnes Scott's final opportunity, the story took a final detour.
The lights at Oakhurst Park went out.
A 15-minute intermission came and went, giving Fox more time to think about her at-bat. The starting shortstop walked on four pitches, bringing in the tying run.
With momentum fully on their side, Boyer continued a standout day at the plate with a knock to the wall in left-center to easily score Dailey from third for the walk-off.
It was Agnes Scott's first sweep of a USA South opponent since joining the conference in 2016.
Weaver K'd four batters and allowed only two earned runs in the winning effort.
Agnes Scott heads to top-of-the-table Piedmont this weekend to close out their 2021 campaign.
DECATUR, Ga.—Not even a choose your own adventure story could have provided as much drama Agnes Scott and Brevard packed into a USA South Conference doubleheader on Wednesday. The Scotties walked off the Tornados not once, but twice, to notch their second and third consecutive wins in conference action.
Agnes Scott scored seven times in the bottom of the seventh of game one to force extra innings before taking down the Tornados in the eighth 10-9. The Scotties marched back again in the late stages of the series finale, scoring six runs between the sixth and seventh innings to beat the visitors 6-5.
Game 1: Agnes Scott 10 - Brevard 9 /8 inn.
The Tornados were persistent enough on offense to chip away at rookie pitcher Regan Hutto (Douglasville, Ga.) from the start, scoring a run in each of the first three innings.
After a game-opening walk yielded a run in the first, Brevard loaded up the bases in the second frame. Hutto was able to walk away nearly unscathed but Taylor Hannah's RBI single up the middle played the Tornados second run of the game.
Brevard tallied a third run in the third inning but it was Micayla McCoy's arm who kept the Scotties hitless through two stanzas. McCoy sent down the first seven Scotties to start the contest before Kat Boyer's (Lawrenceville, Ga.) bloop single to center ended the perfect game effort. Jani Howington (Lawrenceville, Ga.) kept the pressure on, earning a full count before sending a pitch over the wall in left to make it a 3-2 game after three.
Brevard marched right back, opening the fourth with back-to-back doubles to play a run before two Agnes Scott errors allowed the Tornados to tack on three more for a commanding 7-2 lead.
The next two innings went quickly until Brevard put together a two-run burst in the top of the seventh thanks to two extra-base knocks.
Agnes Scott made things compelling in the bottom half of the final regulation frame. Down to their last three outs, Michaela Dailey (Smiths Station, Ala.) kickstarted a furious rally with a double into the corner in left.
The Scotties would hit safely five more times in the inning, but none more important than Dailey's second at-bat. As the Scotties bat through the lineup, Dailey stepped up to plate with two outs and two on. A steal put both runners in scoring position and Dailey obliged with a single into the gap in right-center, allowing both runs to tag home and effectively tying the game.
With international tiebreaker rules in effect to start the eighth, Brevard quickly pushed the runner to third. However, Hutto locked down the next two batters to keep the go-ahead run stranded 60 feet away.
A fielder's choice that did result in an out put two runners on for the Scotties in the bottom of the eighth, forcing the Tornados to walk the power-hitting Howington to create a force at every base. The strategy did not work out with first-year pinch hitter Linzie Jarvis (Pasadena, Texas) working a full count before getting slogged in the noggin for the walkoff hit-by-pitch.
Hutto came all the way back to earn a third win of the season in the circle. The first-year struck out six while only allowing five earned runs in eight innings of work.
The combination of Boyer, Howington, Dailey, and Gigi Elizondo (Deer Park, Texas) registered nine hits, eight RBI, and four runs scored.
Game 2: Agnes Scott 6 - Brevard 5
The Tornados recovered after the shocking defeat starting the finale with a similar script. Brevard used a combination of small ball and good baserunning to score once in each of the first three innings.
Agnes Scott was unable to find the timely hit on the other side though. The Scotties got runners in scoring position twice over the first five innings, including a key base runner at third with one out in the third. Each time, Agnes could not push a run across.
After Brevard tagged another point onto its lead in the sixth, Agnes finally broke through with a crooked number.
Anyla Fulton (Ellenwood, Ga.) led off the sixth with an infield single and KayLeigh Fitzgerald (Dalton, Ga.) made the Tornados pay with a crunched shot to the opposite field in right.
Dailey, Howington, and Kat Fernandez (Humble, Texas) loaded the bases with three straight singles. Elizondo added a third run to plate Dailey with a two-out single over the head of second base.
An errant throw put the Tornados back on top by two in the seventh to set up another score-or-go-home moment for the Scotties.
Not forgetting their magic from the opener, Agnes Scott battled back once again. Brevard was able to get Fulton to fly out to start the inning, but an error breathed new life into the Scotties. Caitlin Weaver (Jacksonville, Fla.)--who picked up a win in the circle for the second home start in a row--advanced to second on a passed ball before scoring on an RBI single by Fitzgerald, making it a one-run game.
Dailey and Howington walked to load the bases before the Tornados grabbed another out by strikeout, bring the Scotties to the brink.
As junior Sarah Fox (Cartersville, Ga.) was about to step into the batter's box representing Agnes Scott's final opportunity, the story took a final detour.
The lights at Oakhurst Park went out.
A 15-minute intermission came and went, giving Fox more time to think about her at-bat. The starting shortstop walked on four pitches, bringing in the tying run.
With momentum fully on their side, Boyer continued a standout day at the plate with a knock to the wall in left-center to easily score Dailey from third for the walk-off.
It was Agnes Scott's first sweep of a USA South opponent since joining the conference in 2016.
Weaver K'd four batters and allowed only two earned runs in the winning effort.
Agnes Scott heads to top-of-the-table Piedmont this weekend to close out their 2021 campaign.
