Softball Loses Twice on Final Day to Finish Second in SCAC

Jackson, Tennessee - Trinity's softball team lost twice against Birmingham-Southern College on the final day to finish second in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament.

Trinity led early in the first game, but Birmingham rallied to force game two, as the loss was just the first of the tournament for the Tigers.  In the second game, Birmingham led most of the way, but this time it was Trinity that rallied to tie the game in the seventh.

The two teams battled through extra innings until the 10th when Birmingham hit a two-run homer to win the second game, and take the SCAC Championship.  The Tigers advanced to the SCAC Championship for the second straight season by beating Birmingham 6-5 yesterday, following an opening 1-0 win over Millsaps.

In the opening game, Trinity took a 2-0 lead after two innings as Lindsay Weyand and Caitlynn Dykes drove in early runs.  Birmingham cut into the lead in the fifth, then pulled ahead with a four-run sixth to take the lead, and eventually, win the game.

Just two of Birmingham's five runs were earned, as the Panthers took advantage of two Tiger errors in the inning.  Sydney Friday suffered the loss, giving up five runs on 10 hits in a complete game, striking out three batters.

Karen MacPherson collected two hits in the opening game, scoring one of two runs.  Brooke Sanchez was 1-3 and scored Trinity's other run in the game.

Birmingham led 1-0 after the third inning of game two, and looked ready to win it in regulation when MacPherson singled home the tying run with two outs in the seventh.  The Panthers then went on to win it with the home run in the 10th. 

Friday took the loss in game two as well, coming on in relief of Mercado in the eighth inning.  She allowed just two runs on the one hit - the game-winning homer.  Mercado went seven innings, giving up one unearned run on four hits, and striking out a pair of batters.

MacPherson had two more hits in the second game, finishing 2-5 overall with the team's lone RBI.  Trinity was held to just four hits in the second game.  Mercado and Chrissy Armstrong also picked up hits for the Tigers.

Trinity fell to 28-14 on the season with the losses, and will have to await a potential at-large bid to the NCAA Playoffs.  Birmingham earned the league's automatic bid to the postseason.