February 21, 2009

MARS HILL, N.C. – Mars Hill swept a doubleheader from Pikeville Saturday afternoon at Ponder Park. The Lions won the first game 1-0 and the second game 4-1. The Lions have now won four consecutive games and improved to 6-6. The Bears dropped to 0-2.

Game one was a pitcher's duel between the two teams. The combination of Tiffany Farthing (Kure Beach, N.C.) and Paige Brantley (Raleigh, N.C) surrendered only one hit, no runs and no walks while striking out six batters. Farthing earned the victory to improve to 2-1. Brantley picked up her second save of the season.

Cortney Bentley (Robinson Creek, Ky.) was also impressive for Pikeville. Although tagged with the loss to fall to 0-1, she pitched a complete game giving up one run on four hits while walking two batters.

Mars Hill was finally able to break through in the bottom of the fifth inning when Jenny Hoyt (Rose Hill, Kan.) singled down the left field line and later scored on a Rebekah Huff (Mars Hill, N.C.) ground out.

The Lions struck first in game two in the bottom of the third inning. Ashley Seawell (Asheboro, N.C.) singled to left center field, plating Ashley Angell (Winston-Salem, N.C.), to give Mars Hill a 1-0 advantage. Two batters later, Anna James (Bellevue, Wash.) crushed a three-run homerun over the center field fence to make the score 4-0 in favor of the Lions. The homerun was James' first of the season.

Pikeville responded with one run in the top of the fifth inning. Corey Huston (Russell, Ky.) grounded out to Ashley Harber (Goose Creek, S.C.), but Amelia O'Hair (Morehead, Ky.) scored on the play to cut the deficit to 4-1. However, the Lions retired the final seven Bears' batters in order to end the game.

Tara West (Urbana, Ohio) got the win allowing only one run on four hits while striking out five batters in five innings pitched. Brantley picked up her second save of the day and third of the season while giving up no runs on no hits and striking out three batters in two innings of relief.

Marissa Adkins (Russell, Ky.) was tagged with the loss and dropped to 0-1. She pitched a complete game allowing three earned runs on 12 hits.

Mars Hill travel to Simpsonville, S.C., to participate in the Mid-South Classic February 28-March 1. The Lions will play three games on February 28. They will play West Liberty State at 9 a.m., Seton Hill at 1 a.m. and West Virginia Wesleyan at 5 p.m.

Boxscore...

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