BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Birmingham-Southern softball team split their doubleheader against LaGrange on Sunday, February 12. The Panthers fell 8-6 in the first game after a big fifth inning for LaGrange. The second game ended in a run-rule with BSC taking it 10-2. 

Game one
Hailee Bryan got things rolling for the Panthers, striking out the first batter of the game to start a 1-2-3 inning for BSC in the top of the first. Offensively, Alyssa Fowler brought in the first run for the Panthers in the bottom of the first with a homerun to left field. The top of the second brought another 1-2-3 inning for Bryan. 

The top of the third saw the first run for LaGrange, scoring on an error. The bottom of the second brought in three runs on two hits for the Panthers with Izzy Berkopec bringing in Cassidy Dickson on a single to left center. Leah Wood reached first on a throwing error, also allowing for Berkopec to score bringing the Panthers lead to 3-1 over LaGrange. Margaret Alexson drove in the last run of the inning with a double to right field that scored Leah Wood. Bryan kept things going defensively facing three batters in the top of the fourth and not allowing a hit, while striking out the first batter. BSC saw a hitless inning in the bottom of the fourth, giving LaGrange some momentum to take the lead in the top of the fifth. LaGrange brought in seven runs on six hits, two errors from BSC contributed to the 8-4 lead for LaGrange. The Panthers were able to drive in two more runs at the hands of Jordyn Green with a two RBI single to left center in the bottom of the seventh. BSC fell to LaGrange 8-6 in the first game of the doubleheader. 

Pitching decisions
WIN: Claire Chamberlain (2-1)
LOSS: Hailee Bryan (0-1)

Records
Birmingham-Southern 0-1 Overall, LaGrange 3-3 Overall

Game two
Freshman, Margaret Axelson took her first career pitching start and started off strong for BSC. She faced four batters in the top of the first, striking out one. Birmingham-Southern was the first on the board, putting up one run in the bottom of the first. Jordyn Green brought in Izzy Berkopec with a two out single to center field. LaGrange put up two hits in the top of the second, but was unable to capitalize on any, leaving three on base. The Panthers pushed their 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, adding four runs on three hits to make it 5-0. Berkopec brought in two with a single to left field, Olivia Trout and Isabella Furgason scored. Margaret Axelson singled up the middle to drive in Berkopec and Fowler. 

LaGrange brought in their only two runs of the game in the top of the third. The Panthers added another run in the bottom of the third with an RBI triple from Fowler to make it 6-2. Axelson saw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth to keep the lead for Birmingham-Southern. The Panthers finished things off in the bottom of the fifth adding four runs on three hits to run-rule LaGrange in the nightcap. Alyssa Fowler singled through the left side to bring in the first run of the inning. Berkopec grounded out to second but was able to bring in Morgan McGuire to make it 8-2. An error by LaGrange allowed for Margaret Axelson to reach first and Fowler to score. Another error put runners on first and second for BSC. Lauren Cabiness came in to pinch hit and singled up the middle to drive in the final run of the game, finishing it off 10-2. 

Pitching decisions
WIN: Margaret Axelson (1-0)
LOSS: Katelyn Minnihan (0-1)

Records
Birmingham-Southern 1-1 Overall, LaGrange 3-4 Overall

Up next
Birmingham-Southern will play a doubleheader against Pacific Luthern University on Friday, February 17 at 1 p.m.