MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The UWG softball team opened Gulf South Conference play with a doubleheader split against Christian Brothers, winning game one 8-1, before falling 4-3 in game two.
 
GAME ONE: West Georgia 8, Christian Brothers 1
The series opener was tight until a seven-run sixth inning by the Wolves created some separation.
 
West Georgia's opening run got on the board in the third as a Megan Waites sacrifice fly scored Isabella Pinto, who had reached with her speed by beating out an infield single, and then stole second and took third on a wild pitch.
 
Meanwhile, Calli Hardison put up three no-hit innings before CBU pushed across a game-tying run in the fourth on three hits, but Hardison erased further damage by getting out of a bases loaded jam.
 
A single, a walk, and a fielder's choice loaded the bases for UWG in the sixth, and Rylee Green then got an easy RBI by earning a walk, as did Kaprice Leonard two batters later. Waites then picked up two more RBI with a single, and then Tami Young and Blaire Bizette had back-to-back doubles that pushed the game's final three runs across.
 
Hardison pitched a complete game, allowing just the one run on six hits while recording five strikeouts. Waites led the way with three RBIs on one hit while Young had two RBIs. Bizette had the only multi-hit game for the Wolves, going 2-for-4.
 
GAME TWO: Christian Brothers 4, West Georgia 3
It was CBU who struck first in game two, pushing across a single run in the fourth before West Georgia responded with one of their own in the fifth. UWG's run came across thanks to an error, with Pinto scoring the run.
 
A West Georgia error in the bottom half gave CBU the lead right back at 2-1. West Georgia hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth, the first from R.J. Janke, and the second from Rylee Green to take the lead. Janke's home run was her 20^th career home run, making her the 10^th player in school history to reach that mark.
 
Two Buccaneers got on via the walk in the bottom of the sixth, and both came around to score as CBU took the lead on a two-out, two-RBI single.
 
West Georgia got the game-tying run on base in the seventh, but was erased on a game-ending double play.
 
Bizette led the way again with two hits while Green also had a two-hit game.
 
The Wolves used two pitchers, Marissa Thompson and Destry Lambert on the day. Lambert was charged with the loss, allowing three runs in 2.1 innings pitched.
 
UP NEXT
West Georgia and CBU meet up tomorrow for the rubber game at 12 p.m. from Memphis, Tennessee.