Birmingham-Southern hosted the Hendrix Warriors for their second SAA Conference series of the 2024 season. The teams had met 42 times before this match up, where BSC had earned an impressive 38-4 record including 18 straight victories.
Game #1: BSC proved to dominate the match up early. The Panthers scored first thanks to an Emma Jolley single up the middle, stolen base, and Hendrix wild pitch to make the score 1-0.
In the bottom of the second, BSC tallied 4 runs off 2 hits and 2 Hendrix errors. Leah Wood got things started at the plate with a lead-off single up the middle. Maile White reached on a fielder's choice and followed it by a stolen base to put herself in scoring position. Olivia Trout walked, and Mollie Furr forced an error to score White and give BSC a 2 run lead. Katie Hart delivered a 2 RBI single up the middle to make the lead 4 runs. Morgan McGuire kept the momentum going for the Panthers, picking up her first RBI of the day through a SAC fly. Going into the third inning, BSC had a quick 5-0 lead.
The Panthers continued to deliver productive at bats throughout the game. Natalie Snow led off the third inning with a single and Leah Wood followed with a hit by pitch. Olivia Trout's second walk of the game loaded the bases for Mollie Furr. Furr walked to score Snow and load up the bases for Katie Hart. Hart earned her fourth RBI of the day with a crushed ball over the left fielder. BSC led by an 8 run margin after just three innings of play.
In the bottom of the fourth, Natalie Snow and Leah Wood had back to back singles to quickly give BSC scoring opportunity. Olivia Trout crushed a 2 RBI triple off the right field wall to give BSC a 10-0 lead.
Natalie Snow, BSC's starter in the circle, shut out the Warriors through five innings. Snow allowed no runs and just two singles while earning the run-rule victory.
Game #2: Game 2 proved to be a much more competitive outing for the Warriors. The scoreboard was quiet until the 5th inning where Hendrix scored the first run. A hit by pitch and 2 singles loaded up the bases for Hendrix. A single up the middle earned a Hendrix run, but the Panther defense was able to escape the bases loaded situation with little damage.
In the bottom of the fifth, Leah Wood and Olivia Trout singled to put two runners on base for freshman Mollie Furr. Furr came through clutch with an RBI single to left field tying the game. BSC pitcher Olivia Trout escaped the top of the 7th with no runs scored, giving BSC the walk-off opportunity.
In the bottom of the 7th with two outs, Maile White and Olivia Trout both had 2-out singles to give Mollie Furr another clutch opportunity. Mollie Furr smoked a ground ball to shortstop, forcing the error and scoring White to walk off the game.
Game #3: Birmingham-Southern found success at the plate early in the Game 3 match up, scoring four runs in the second inning. Leah Wood led things off with a smoked double down the third base line. Olivia Trout, Mollie Furr, and Katie Hart earned three walks in a row to score the Panther's first run. Emma Jolley singled through the right side to make the score 2-0. Bella Furgason delivered BSC's third hit of the inning with a 2 RBI single up the middle ot make the score 4-0.
Hendrix found success at the plate in the 3rd inning, scoring a run off a lead off hit and RBI single to make the score 4-1.
BSC responded in dramatic fashion, starting with a Maile White single to centerfield and Olivia Trout walk. Mollie Furr reached on an error, scoring White. Katie Hart had a SAC fly and Bella Furgason reached on an error to pick up three more runs for BSC. Natalie Snow doubled to left field to score Furgason and Leah Wood followed with her second single of the game. Maile White and Olivia Trout both walked to load up the bases and then score Natalie Snow. Mollie Furr earned her first hit of the day to score Leah Wood and finish the 3rd inning with an 11-1 lead.
BSC arm Natalie Snow got the game three start where she dominated through the four innings she threw. Snow allowed just four hits while earning two strikeouts.
In the bottom of the fourth, BSC kept the pressure on the Warriors, tallying five runs. Emma Jolley reached on a Warrior error and picked up a stolen base to put herself in scoring position. Natalie Snow singled through the left side to score Jolley. Leah Wood earned 3-for-3 status with a single to left field. Maile White earned another walk to load up the bases for Olivia Trout. With bases loaded, Trout reached on an error and Mollie Furr walked, picking up two more runs for BSC. Katie Hart earned the fourth Panther hit of the inning with an RBI single up the middle to score Maile White. Emma Jolley also singled to score Olivia Trout and plate BSC's 16th run of the game.
BSC pitcher MC Campbell finished the game in the circle, shutting out the Warriors in the last inning and picking up a strike out.
