SOFTBALL EARNS SPLIT WITH SURRY C.C. IN SATURDAY REGION X PLAY

DOBSON, S.C. (April 16, 2016) — The Richard Bland College softball team parlayed a five run fifth inning in the second game of a Region X Conference doubleheader against Surry Community College, to earn a split with the Knights, losing the opener 7-6 and winning the nightcap 8-5.

The Statesmen lost a heartbreaker in the opener when Surry scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, getting a big home run from freshman Meagan Linville, to eke out a single run victory. But behind a solid pitching performance from freshman Shannon Buffington and a 13- hit attack that saw six different players get two hits each, produced a convincing three-run margin of victory in the second game.

With the split, Richard Bland draws even at 16-16 and improves to 12-4 in Region X Conference play. Surry drops to 15-24, 6-4. The Statesmen next travel to Patrick Henry on Saturday, April 23 in doubleheader action starting at Noon. Surry hosts Montreat College on Wednesday, April 20 at 4 pm.

Surry C.C. 7, Richard Bland 6

In a see-saw game that saw four lead changes and four ties, the Knights pushed across two runs in the bottom of the seventh to take the first game. Surry held a 2-1 lead after the first inning and RBC plated two runs for a 3-2 lead in the third inning after a single to left field by freshman Tabby Dabney scored sophomores Hannah Barnes and Whitney Clements. Surry knotted the game 3-3 in its half of the third and the game remained tied until the bottom of the fourth when Surry's Brooke Bagwell homered over the centerfield fence for a 4-3 lead. 

In its half of the sixth inning, a Barnes single to right field brought home freshman Maddison Waycaster, who opened the inning with a single to right, and a hard single to left by Clements plated Barnes for a 5-4 RBC lead. Surry evened the scored 5-5 in its at bat in the sixth and a huge home run to centerfield by sophomore Mikie Williams on a 1-1 count gave RBC a 6-5 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Linville started the inning off with a round tripper and the Knights parlayed two singles, a hit batter and an RBC error to push across the winning run.

Barnes, Ellis and Clements each had two hits each for RBC, with Clements and Dabney driving in four of the Statesmen's six runs. Buffington suffered the loss in relief of Dabney, who pitched four innings, allowing four runs. Buffington was saddled with three runs in two innings of work.

Richard Bland 8, Surry C.C. 5

On the mound in the second game, Buffington earned her 13th win of the season in a game that featured four lead changes. She snuffed out an attempted Surry rally effort in the seventh, getting a game-ending third out on a fielder's choice play by Barnes at shortstop. She went the distance, scattering 11 hits in a 92-pitch effort. The second game was played in similar fashion to the opener, with each team scoring early. The Statesmen trailed 4-3 after four innings and in the top of the fifth tacked on five big runs to take an 8-4 lead that held true the remaining three innings. 

Richard Bland pounded out 13 hits, 11 of them singles except for two doubles from Barnes. The Statesmen were aggressive in the contest, amassing eight stolen bases, five of them coming in the game-changing fifth inning. RBC wrapped out six hits in the fifth, ignited by Barnes who led off the inning with a double and capped off by a single by sophomore Hayley Olson that scored freshman August Ringer with Richard Bland's eighth run of the game. Olson had a team-best two RBI in the contest. With two outs in the inning, freshman Morgan Whitley kept the RBC rally in tact with a single to center.