CONWAY, S.C. – Colgate Softball closed out the final day of the Battle at the Beach with a 4-2 win over Drexel to get their first win over the Dragons since the 2006 season.
Senior
Bailey Misken pitched a complete game, allowing only two runs off five hits and one walk. The Murrieta, Calif., native struck out a season-high 11 batters to capture her second win of the season.
Rachel Carney,
Jillian Herbst,
Taylor Ludwick, and freshman
Cate Murray all crossed the plate to score the Raiders' four runs.
Colgate got on the board early as the Raiders led 2-0 after the top of the first. Carney stole second base, then advanced to third after Herbst got her first hit of the game. Junior
Kara Fusco flew out to left field to bring Carney home to put the first run up on the board.
Herbst finally made it home after senior
Taylor Ludwick singled to left field. Ludwick would eventually be stranded to end the inning.
Both offenses would be quit for the next couple of innings before Drexel eventually got on the board in the bottom of the third after the Dragons scored two runs off a double to notch the game up at two.
Ludwick finally crossed home plate in the top of the fourth after a sac-fly from sophomore
Quinn Livesay to give the Raiders a one-run lead. Misken kept the deficit at one after tossing three quick outs on 13 pitches to get Colgate out of the fourth.
The final run of the day came from the top of the fifth. First-year Murray opened the inning with a leadoff double to left center, then stole third to put herself in scoring position. Carney singled to right center to bring Murray home to score her first collegiate run to give the Raiders a 4-2 lead.
The Dragons tried to catch an offensive spark in the bottom of the fifth with three Dragons getting on base with two outs on the board, but fortunately for Colgate, Misken got the final out to leave the runners stranded to close out the inning.
Misken secured the 4-2 win in the final two innings, getting six quick outs for the Raiders.
NOTES
- Misken was one strikeout shy of tying her career-high of 12.
- Herbst finished the day going 2-for-4 to go along with her run.
- Fusco, Ludwick, Livesay, and Carney ended the day with an RBI apiece.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Softball Coach Marissa Lamison-Myers
"I was really happy with the way we bounced back after a tough start to our weekend. It was nice to see our bats come alive a bit. Bailey was lights out for us. She was moving the ball well, and her change-up kept them off-balanced. Great to see Cate get her first hit today. She settled in nicely to the outfield."
UP NEXT
Colgate (3-7) heads to Hampton, Va., on Saturday, Feb. 25, to open the Battle at the Bay. The Raiders take on Buffalo at 12:30 p.m., and Hampton at 3 p.m.
