SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Lynn softball split games against Limestone and Mars Hill on Saturday. The Fighting Knights lost to Limestone, 8-6, in the first game. However, 14 hits led to an 8-4 victory over Mars Hill in the second game.
Morgan Simpson had five hits, scored four runs, drove in a run and stole five bases on the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 1 vs. Limestone):
- Lynn opened the scoring first after Simpson singled, stole second, advanced to third from a sacrifice bunt from Eliza Gonzalez and scored on a wild pitch
- Limestone got three runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead
- In the third inning, Limestone homered to right-field to extend its lead, 4-1
- The Fighting Knights tallied three runs in the fourth
- Olivia Lovins singled and Kyra Sunga doubled and each later scored
- Faith Miller later scored on a double steal with Simpson
- Limestone hit a solo home run to regain the lead, 5-4, in the bottom of the fourth
- Lynn regained the lead in the fifth with a solo homer by Lovins and an RBI single by Miller that scored Sunga
- Limestone hit a two-run homer to take back the lead, 7-6, in the bottom of the fifth
- The Saints finished the game with a run from a passed ball to win 8-6
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS (Game 1 vs. Limestone):
- Lovins hit her second home run of the season
- Sunga recorded two doubles and drove in a pair of runs
- Simpson went 2-for-4 with a run and two steals
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 2 vs. Mars Hill):
- Simpson scored the game's first run after hitting single, stealing second and later scoring on an Gonzalez sac bun
- Mars Hill took the lead with a two-run double to left-center field
- In the bottom of the third, Simpson again led off the inning with a single and steal
- Monique Poitevin knocked in Simpson with a two-out single to tie the game, 2-2
- Singles by Gonzalez and Poitevin and three Mars Hill errors led to a three-run fifth inning for Lynn
- Mars Hill narrowed the lead to 5-4 in the top of the sixth
- In the sixth, Maiya Reinhart scored on a Simpson bunt single
- Later in the inning, Gonzalez hit a two-run homer to center field, scoring Simpson for the game's final runs and an 8-4 final
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS (Game 2 vs. Mars Hill):
- Simpson had three hits, three runs, three steals and an RBI
- Simpson has scored seven runs and is 6-for-6 in steal attempts through four games
- Gonzalez hit her first home run in a Lynn uniform and had a game-high three RBI
- Kayley Zazzali picked up the win for Lynn (4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO)
- The Fighting Knights recorded at least 14 hits in a game for the first time since 4/2/2016 (19 hits vs. Embry-Riddle)
UP NEXT:
- Lynn finishes its tournament in Spartanburg tomorrow with games against Limestone (10:00 am) and St. Thomas Aquinas (12:15 pm)
