Contact: Tim Ertle

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Ursuline vs. Montreat College Box Score / Ursuline vs. University of the Cumberlands Box Score


MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. ­– Ursuline lost its first game on the third day of the Fastpitch Dreams Classic to Montreat College (7-5) but avenged Tuesday’s loss with a 5-4 victory over University of the Cumberlands.

The Arrows are now 2-3 overall.

Game One: Montreat 7, Ursuline 5
In the first game of the day, UC scored three runs in the second inning only to see Montreat rally for seven unearned runs in the bottom of the inning.

The Arrows made a late push by scoring a pair with two outs in the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate after junior shortstop Michele Hare reached on an error. Unfortunately, a strikeout ended the game.

UC earned the early lead after sophomore right fielder Nicole Schierbaum took Montreat’s Brittany Gallagher deep for her first home run of the season. The seniors got things rolling with a single by catcher Samantha Gauvin and a double by second baseman Lauren Grana. Both eventually scored to give the Arrows a 3-0 lead.

The Cavaliers exploded for seven runs in the second and knocked UC senior pitcher Ciara Seymour out of the game despite the fact she didn’t allow an earned run. Nonetheless, Seymour surrendered eight hits in her 1 2/3 innings of work.

Her teammates almost got her off the hook.

Freshman third baseman Alison Porter laced a two-out single in the seventh and moved to third on a double by junior Sarah Maxwell who entered the game in relief of Seymour. Porter and Maxwell both scored when Hare put the ball in play but the come-from-behind effort was put to sleep with a strikeout to end the game.

Seymour took the loss to fall to 0-2 in the circle while Gallagher picked up the win despite allowing 11 hits in seven innings. Of the five runs UC scored off Gallagher, only three were earned and she did limit the damage by issuing just one free pass.

Game Two: Ursuline 5, Cumberlands 4
Cumerlands scored three runs in the first and tacked on one more in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead but the Arrows wouldn’t go away easily. Ursuline cut into the deficit with a single run in the fifth inning before exploding for four runs in the sixth to take a 5-4 lead that ultimately stood up.

Junior pitcher Sarah Maxwell struggled and allowed four runs, three of which were earned, in her three innings of work. She was relieved by classmate Natalie Huggins who was making her 2013 debut in the circle and head coach Sue Woodford’s move paid off.

Huggins allowed three hits and a walk over the next four innings and gave her team a chance to come back.

Her teammates rewarded her.

Freshman Rachel Wells got things going with a leadoff double in the fifth. Sophomore right fielder Nicole Schierbaum singled Wells home and the Arrows cut the lead to three after five frames.

The Arrows rallied with two down in the sixth, starting with a Huggins walk. Freshman third baseman Alison Porter reached on an error and then Wells crushed a triple that scored two.

With Ursuline trailing 4-3, junior shortstop Michele Hare doubled to bring in Wells and then scored herself on a single by senior second baseman Lauren Grana to put the Arrows on top, 5-4.

Huggins worked her way out of trouble in the sixth and retired the Patriots in order in the seventh to pick up her first victory of the season.

Cumberlands pitcher Ashleigh Hopf pitched well in her own right but was slapped with the tough-luck loss. She went the distance and allowed five runs, only one of which was charged to her. She allowed nine batters to reach base and recorded three strikeouts.

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No games are scheduled for Thursday, but the Arrows have a pair of doubleheaders on the docket before returning home. Ursuline will take on Emmanuel College on Friday (March 15) and the University of St. Joseph on Saturday (March 16). Both twin-bills will start at 9:30 a.m.