CONWAY, Ark. -- Belmont Softball (2-8) snapped its skid with a come from behind walk-off 6-5 victory in its first game of the Adam Brown Memorial Shamrock Classic against ULm on Friday but was unable to sustain the momentum, falling down the stretch to host-Central Arkansas in the nightcap, 5-2.
In the opening game, the Warhawks struck the scoreboard first in the top of the second inning and added two more runs in the top of the third with the help of a solo homerun to take an early lead. Belmont finally got its bats going in the bottom of the third frame. Freshman Lauren Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) sent a double to center to get things going before classmate Kristen Green (Buchanan, Ga.) singled up the middle to send her over the plate, trimming the run differential in half.
Both teams were silent in the fourth but Belmont made a move again in the bottom of the fifth frame to knot the score. Junior Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring, Texas) and senior Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) knocked back-to-back singles before Green smacked her third double of the season to score the game-tying run. ULM battled the regain the lead posting a single run in the top of the sixth and seventh innings, pulling away 5-2.
With their backs against the wall, the Bruins dug in for the final half inning. Sims singled to left before Green unloaded her first collegiate homerun, moving the Bruins to within one, 5-4. Junior Elison Ollinger (Robins, Iowa) reached base on four balls and the Warhawks changed pitchers to try to slow down BU. ULM picked off the lead runner for a second out as sophomore Audrey Lyle (Westlake, Ohio) reached on a fielder's choice. However, senior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) doubled to right center, sending Lyle over the plate to knot the score. Sophomore Jessica Parente (Verona, Wisc.) was next at bat and drove a hard single to the shortstop, allowing speeder Lee to round the bases for the game-winning run for the BU, 6-5 victory.
In the nightcap, Belmont was first to make a mark on the scoreboard. After a quiet first inning for both teams, Lee opened the second frame with a single up the middle. A single by freshman Abi Ledbetter (Livingston, Tenn.) helped Lee round the bases to cross the plate. Central Arkansas fired back in the bottom of the third, using a two-run homer over the left fence, going up, 2-1. Two innings later, the Bears used another homerun to add to their run tally.
UCA added another run the bottom of the fifth with a homerun to take a 3-1 lead. BU responded in the top of the following inning. Ollinger, for a second game, was sent to first on four balls and had freshman MyKayla Spurlin (Madisonville, Ky.) come in to pinch run. Lee and Lyle notched back-to-back singles to send Spurlin over the plate and make it a one run game, 3-2. However, the Bears exploded in the bottom of the sixth. UCA capitalized on a pair of Bruin errors and used a double to quickly add two runs to its tally to go up, 5-2. Belmont was unable to find an answer, despite getting runners on base, falling by the same score.
For the day, Green went 4-for-7 with a double, a homerun and four RBI. Lee went 4-for-6 at the plate with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
Senior Brittany Kennett (Melbourne, Australia) went the distance in the first game, fanning 13 batters, just one shy of her career-best tally. Lee tallied 11 strikeouts in the nightcap before retiring.
Belmont returns to action on Saturday for the final day of the UCA Adam Brown Memorial Shamrock Classic. The Bruins take on Northern Iowa at 11 a.m. followed by Stephen F. Austin at 1:15 p.m. Live stats will be available for both contests.
