CARROLLTON, Ga. - It took extra innings for the second consecutive game, but the UWG softball team came up short in Saturday's series finale, falling 7-6 to the Queens Royals in Atlantic Sun Conference play.
West Georgia (9-15, 1-2 ASUN) never led in the contest, fighting back from multiple deficits to force extra innings, and nearly erased a three-run deficit in the eighth, but in the end, Queens (7-14, 2-1 ASUN) did enough to earn game three win and take the series.
A solo shot in the first gave Queens the early lead, and the Megan Waites used her speed to manufacture a run, after she singles, stole second and third and then later scored on an RBI groundout by Addison Sturdivant.
Queens responded with two runs in the second using three singles and a walk to go up 3-1.
It wasn't until the bottom of the third when UWG had a response of their own, using a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases before freshman Ally Long doubled home two runs to draw even at 3-3.
An error on a sac bunt yielded a single run for the Royals in the fourth, giving them the lead once again. West Georgia then tied it up ion the fifth on a Makayla Register single that cashed in a leadoff single by Blaire Bizette and tied the game a third time.
Neither team scored again until the eighth when Queens used three hits, a walk and an error to take a 7-4 lead.
In the bottom half, West Georgia got a leadoff single from Long and got a clutch two-run home run from Register. A Madison Vandergriff double really set the Wolves up, and forced Queens to go to the bullpen. The Royals went to Kenzie Forrester who had not pitched all weekend and promptly walked Kristen Fowler to put the potential game-winning run aboard. Forrester then struck out three consecutive Wolves to end the game and strand two Wolves and earn her third save.
Calli Hardison got the start for the Wolves throwing over 115 pitches in 7.1 innings pitched and took the loss.
The Wolves had 10 hits in the loss with Waites, Long, and Register combining for seven of them. Register ended the day with three RBI and Long recorded two.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- Register was 4-for-10 (.400) with two home runs and five RBIs in the series. She now leads the team in home runs with five.
- Waites now has for three-hit games on the season, and eight total multi-hit games in 24 total games. Her average is up to .349 which is second on the team behind Bizette.
- Both Sturdivant and Bizette had hits in all three games. Sturdivant now has an eight-game hitting streak going while Bizette's stands at seven.
UP NEXT
The Wolves stay home for midweek action on Wednesday, hosting in-state opponent Mercer in a 5 p.m. game on March 19 at University Field.
