COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Benedict College softball team celebrated their final home games of the season with a doubleheader split against Edward Waters College on Wednesday afternoon at Tiger Field.
Senior Kelsey James drove home the winning run with a double in the fifth inning for a 6-5 victory in the first game of the doubleheader. Edward Waters won the second game 9-4 behind a pair of home runs from pitcher Alyssa Fonda.
Benedict moves to 24-22 on the season, while Edward Waters is now 22-22.
Edward Waters jumped to an early 5-0 lead in the first game before the Lady Tigers got on the scoreboard with a run in the bottom of the second inning. A dropped fly ball allowed Sharik Woods to reach all the way to third base, then Melissa Jenkins brought her home with a sacrifice fly. Woods added an RBI single in the fourth inning to cut the lead to 5-2.
The Lady Tigers got four runs on four hits in the fifth inning to take the lead. Brianna Billie had a two-run triple to left field and Khayreyah Parrish followed with a bunt that allowed Billie to score and tie the game. Parrish stole second and came home with the winning run on James' double to left field.
Senior pitcher Kendall James picked up the win, holding Edward Waters scoreless and just one hit over the final five innings.
Benedict jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the second game as Erika Dargan had an RBI double and Kelsey James drove home Dargan with a single. After Edward Waters tied the game on a solo homer by Fonda and an RBI single in the top of the second inning, Benedict got an RBI single by Billie for a 3-2 lead after two innings.
Edward Waters took the lead for good with two runs in the fourth inning, then got a three-run homer by Fonda in the fifth inning for a 7-3 lead. They added two more runs in the sixth for a 9-3 lead.
Benedict closed out the scoring with an RBI single by Amari Lawson in the sixth inning.
The Lady Tigers will close out the regular season with a non-conference road doubleheader at Voorhees in Denmark, S.C. on Monday. The SIAC Tournament will take place May 4-6 at Diamond Lakes Regional Park in Hephzibah, Ga.
