STATESMEN FALL IN FINAL REGULAR SEASON GAMES TO FLORENCE-DARLINGTON

PETERSBURG, Va., (April 29, 2016) – In what figures to be a matchup between two teams heading into a rematch in next weekend's Region X Conference Tournament, No. 17 nationally-ranked Florence-Darlington Technical College swept a softball doubleheader from Richard Bland College, 11-0, 4-3, in the final regular season games of the season for the Statesmen.

The two games were as disparate as the conditions – the first game played in the late afternoon and the second game played under the lights. The Stingers unleashed their bats in the first game, securing a five-inning 11-0 victory, while the 4-3 nightcap victory was manufactured by a sixth inning run, in a terrific pitching duel between Richard Bland freshman Tabby Dabney and Florence-Darlington's Ramsey Sherrill.

The loss drops the Statesmen to 18-18, 10-6 on the season while Florence-Darlington improves to 26-9, 13-1. RBC concludes its regular season and will next compete in the Region X Conference Tournament in Burlington, N.C., next Friday and Saturday. Florence-Darlington concludes its regular season on Saturday visiting Patrick Henry. The two victories enabled Florence-Darlington to win the regular season Region X Conference title and secure the No. 1 seed in the Tournament. Richard Bland enters the Tournament as the No. 2 seed.

Florence-Darlington 11, Richard Bland 0
Florence-Darlington Tech College was sparked by Heather Kirby and Anna Warley, who combined for six hits and eight RBIs. The Stingers led 5-0 after the third inning and broke the game open in the fourth inning with six runs. Kirby did the damage, blasting a grand slam in that inning. Mallory Fender got the win in the circle for Florence-Darlington, limiting the Statesmen to two hits.

Florence-Darlington 4, Richard Bland 3
Sophomore Amanda Archer got the Statesmen on the board in the bottom of the second inning when she launched a two-run home run over the left field fence. The Stingers knotted the contest in top of the fourth with a pair of runs.

Florence-Darlington took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth, rallying for a single run with two outs after Mallory Fender led off the inning with a single and scored following a bases loaded walk. The Statesmen secured a 3-2 led in the bottom of the fifth inning after sophomore Hannah Barnes roped a triple to right field and was brought home on an infield hit by sophomore Kimberly Ellis.

The Stingers tallied the winning run in the top of the sixth following a walk, a stolen base and an RBC error. The Statesmen had a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh, but were unable to push across the tying run.

RBC had five hits in the contest, two of them triples, coming from Barnes and sophomore Whitney Clements.