MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The Montevallo softball team earned a pair of walk-off wins on Friday, to secure the overall series victory over No. 24 West Alabama. The Falcons defeated the Tigers 4-3 and 6-5 (10 inn.).
GAME ONE
Taylor Lloyd was solid on the mound in game, pitching her eighth complete game and earning her fifth win of the year. The junior allowed two earned runs, while striking out seven in seven innings pitched.
After a quiet first three innings for both sides, West Alabama struck first with a run in the top of the fourth inning to take a, 1-0, lead. The Tigers added runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take a, 3-0, advantage.
Montevallo looked to respond in the bottom of the sixth, as
Bentlee Stiner reached on an error and
Ariana Pinder followed that up with her first home run of the season, cutting the deficit to, 3-2. The Falcons were not done yet, as
Molly Pendley hit a solo shot of her own, tying the game, 3-3, heading into the last inning.
West Alabama looked to build a response of its own, as the Tigers loaded the bases with two outs. A huge strikeout from
Taylor Lloyd kept the Tigers off the board and gave the Falcons a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the seventh.
Becca Benton started things off with a leadoff double, putting the winning run in scoring position. A fly-out moved Benton's pinch runner,
Madison Fargo to third with only one out. Fargo ultimately scored on a wild pitch to secure the game one victory for the Falcons, 4-3.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Montevallo 4 | West Alabama 3
Records: Montevallo 11-15 (5-8 GSC) | West Alabama 14-10 (7-6 GSC)
Location: Softball Stadium at Orr Park | Montevallo, Ala.
GAME NOTES
- The Tigers outhit the Falcons 8-5.
- Ariana Pinder recorded her first home run of the year.
- Taylor Lloyd pitched her eighth complete game and earned her fifth win of the season.
- Madison Fargo scored the game-winning run on a walk-off wild pitch.
GAME TWO
Taylor Lloyd was solid once again in the circle, this time allowing no earned runs in five innings pitched. The junior racked up six strikeouts on the day and picked up her second win of the day and sixth of the season.
Rachel Whiddon was also solid for the Falcons in game two, allowing no earned runs in 4.2 innings pitched. The senior racked up six strikeouts.
West Alabama started the second game strong, plating four runs in the top of the first.
Montevallo got on the board in the bottom third inning, as
Becca Benton hit a three-run home run to cut the deficit to one run, 4-3.
Neither team would score in the next few innings, as the Tigers took its one run lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.
Bentlee Stiner looked to start the rally for UM, hitting a one-out double to put a runner in scoring position.
Ariana Pinder followed that up with an RBI-double to score Stiner and tie the game, 4-4. The Falcons were unable to push one more across, as the game would head to extra innings.
Both teams got runners in scoring position in the next two innings, but were unable to get them home, as the game remained knotted at, 4-4, heading into the tenth inning.
West Alabama capitalized on its runner placed at second to open the tenth inning, taking a, 5-4, advantage. Lloyd would not allow the Tigers to plate anymore runs, closing the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
Ellie Derrick tied the game back up in the bottom of the tenth, as she hit an RBI-double to score Montevallo's placed runner,
Ariana Pinder.
Skylar Johnson followed that up with a walk-off RBI-double to score Derrick and secure the 6-5 victory in game two, and more importantly the overall series win.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Montevallo 6 | West Alabama 5
Records: Montevallo 12-15 (6-8 GSC) | West Alabama 14-11 (7-7 GSC)
Location: Softball Stadium at Orr Park | Montevallo, Ala.
GAME NOTES
The series finale is set for 12:00 p.m. CST on Sunday.
