ANDERSON, S.C. -- The Anderson softball team (20-14 overall,
10-4 Conference Carolinas) faced first-place Limestone College
(20-14 overall, 13-3 CC) on Saturday in a doubleheader, dropping
the first game 11-5 and stealing the second game 3-1 in eight
innings. In the first game, Katie Van Gieson took the mound for the
Trojans. After a three-up three-down first inning it looked like
the senior could have a shot to grab her seventh win on the season
until the Saints struck in the second inning, posting five runs off
four hits and a Trojan error. In the bottom half of the second
inning Cameron White drove Kasey King home as she singled to add
her RBI total to 12 on the season. Limestone went into the third
inning with a 5-1 advantage and further padded its lead as Kirstyn
Burleson hit a towering three-run home run over the left field
fence. The home run not only increased the Saints lead to 8-1, but
would also knock the Trojans pitcher out of the game. In the bottom
of the third inning a combination of two singles from King and
Amber Duncan and a Limestone error enabled Anderson to tack on two
more runs to trail Limestone 8-3. Donya Cobb came into the game for
the Trojans, posting up zeros on the scoreboard, until the seventh
inning when Burleson hit her second home run of the game, a
three-run laser that sailed over the center field wall. In the
bottom half of the seventh the Trojans mounted a comeback as
Meredith Knox hit a two-run bomb over the left field wall with no
outs, the senior's eighth home run on the season. Starting pitcher
Emily Wallace would seal the deal for conference leading Limestone
as she finished up the inning with two strikeouts. Van Gieson (6-2)
went two innings, giving up five runs off of four hits. In relief,
Donya Cobb came in to pitch the last five innings giving up three
runs off eight hits. In the second game of the doubleheader
pitchers Casey Deer and Leah Quant combined to put straight zeros
on the scoreboard, going into extra innings. In the top of the
eighth inning, with a runner automatically placed on second base,
Jordan Smith hit a single to drive in the first run of the game to
put Limestone up 1-0. In the bottom of the eighth, with Kinsley
Durham automatically placed on second base, Cameron White moved the
senior over to third. During the next at bat, pinch hitting Lora
Daniel hit a single to drive in Durham and tie the game 1-1, the
senior's eighth RBI on the season. One batter later, Elisa
Sebastyan stepped up to the plate with one runner on and two outs,
and with one crack of the bat hit a soaring ball that sailed over
the left field fence to give the Trojans the walk-off win 3-1. The
shot was the senior's eighth home run on the season. Deer (7-5)
went eight innings for the complete game, allowing just one run off
of four hits. The Trojans take the field again on Sunday as they
face conference foe Barton College. The first game of the
doubleheader is scheduled to start at 1 pm at Smethers' field.