GREENWOOD, South Carolina - The Walsh Cavaliers softball team kicked off Spring Break on Saturday with two games in South Carolina as a part of the Bearcat Challenge at Lander University. 

Walsh defeated Virginia-Wise 9-8 in eight innings in game one, taking the battle between the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers could not muster a rally in game two, falling 7-4 to Lander. 

GAME ONE

The Cavaliers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on some small ball. After an error and a double by Emma Bobey, Walsh used a sacrifice by Arianna Ott, scoring the runner from third. Kalin Kovach walked to open the second inning and scored on a two-run blast from Jessie Rock as Walsh led 3-0. In the fourth inning, Rock singled with two outs before Sophia Slack blasted a two-run homerun, giving Walsh a 5-0 lead through four innings. Sarah Moats and Yasmine Rivera both singled in the top of the fifth inning for Walsh. Bobey singled home Moats, pushing the lead to 6-0.

Virginia-Wise scratched across a run in the fifth inning on a bases loaded walk. A grand slam by Va.-Wise cut Walsh's lead to 6-5 in the sixth inning. The Cavaliers added a run in the seventh inning on a RBI single from Kovach, taking a 7-5 lead into the "home" half of the seventh. Virginia-Wise tied the game with a pair of runs, forcing extra frames. 

With the runner placed on second base, Walsh walked with two outs in the inning to have runners on the corners. Bobey reached on an error by the left fielder as both runs scored, as Walsh regained a 9-7 lead. A RBI single cut the lead in half in the bottom of the eighth but Walsh fanned a pair of batters with the winning run at first base, holding onto a 9-8 win. 

Bobey, Rock and Slack all had two-hit games while Rock and Slack both drove in two runs on homers. Rivera, Rock and Slack accounted for two runs each. 

GAME TWO

Walsh struck first in the second inning as they put two runners on with a double and a walk. Rock lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, deep enough to plate Ott from third base. The Bearcats tied the game in the bottom of the first with a solo home run. With the bases loaded in the third inning, Ott plated a run with a sacrifice fly to center field. Walsh led 2-1 through three innings. A five-run fourth inning put Lander up 6-2 over the Cavaliers. The rally began in the fifth inning as Walsh got runners on with an error and a single. Following a stolen base, a wild pitch accounted for the first run and Katelyn Loughman added a RBI single for a 6-4 Lander lead after four and a half innings. the Bearcats added a run in the bottom half of the inning, pushing the lead back to 7-4. Walsh threatened with the bases loaded in each of the last two innings but left them loaded, falling 7-4. 

After ten hits in game one, Walsh compiled six hits while Bobey was two-for-four on the game. 

Walsh continues the Bearcat Challenge on Sunday (March 1) with games against Emmanuel at 1:00 PM and a rematch with Lander at 5 PM.

-WC-