Contributed
(March 1, 2010)

BIRMINGHAM - The Huntingdon softball team dropped a pair of heartbreakers on Sunday in the final day of the 2010 Panther Classic, hosted by Birmingham-Southern, as it fell to NAIA foe Berry, 7-4, in eight innings, while falling to the host Panthers, 2-1, in nine innings at the BSC Softball Park.

In the opener, the Hawks (2-8) jumped out to a 4-2 lead after four innings against Berry. 

Huntingdon plated two runs in the first inning, one on a throwing error by the Vikings Lacey Herring and another on a RBI single by freshman Brittany Mitchell.

The Hawks took the lead, 3-2, in the second inning when junior Ashley Blocker plated fellow junior P.J. Pringle, who led off the inning with a single. Pringle came around to score again in the fourth inning on a single by junior Jessica Sharker.

The Vikings battled back to tie the score in top of the seventh, plating two runs on a pinch-hit double by Lizzi Perry. Berry took the lead for good in the top of the eighth inning, scoring three runs with the big blow being a two-run single by Lindsey Campbell.

Freshman Melissa McClure took the loss for the Hawks, tossing all 8.0 innings, but allowing nine hits and seven earned runs, while striking out three.

Cailee Shamoun earned the victory, also throwing a complete game, while scattering seven hits and striking out four.

In the nightcap, Pringle laced a two-out, run-scoring double in the top of the seventh inning to tie the force extra innings for the Hawks.

However, in the bottom of the ninth inning and international tie-breaker rules taking effect, the Panthers sacrificed Ashley Bice to third with just one out, setting the stage for Melissa Revis’ fielder’s choice to plate the game winner.

Senior Kayla Bratcher suffered the tough-luck loss, scattering eight hits and striking out two in 8 1/3 innings of work.

Ronni Ferris earned the victory for BSC, striking out 12 in 9.0 innings of work.

Huntingdon will look to snap its current skid on Monday, when it hosts St. Mary of the Woods in a doubleheader at the HC Softball Field, beginning at 2 p.m.

Baseball win streak ends

BIRMINGHAM - The Huntingdon baseball team scored the first two runs of the game on Sunday, but Birmingham-Southern rallied score the final 12 runs of the contest and in the process, snap the Hawks six-game winning streak, with a 12-2 victory at Striplin Field.

With the loss, the Hawks fell to 8-4 on the season, while the Panthers improved to 7-1 on the year.

Huntingdon jumped on the board in the first inning, putting together three straight hits and four in the inning to take a 2-0 lead. Senior Shawn Bezwiechin drove in fellow senior Kyle Eller to put the Hawks on the scoreboard, while junior Greg Clayton plated Bezwiechin with a RBI single later in the frame.

However, from that point on, the Hawks managed just two hits, while the Panthers pounded out 11 hits and 12 runs.

Sam Hill and Bruce Maxwell each drove in three runs for BSC, while Hill, John Lawroski and Brian Higginbotham all posted a pair of hits.

Freshman Austin White paced the Hawks with two hits, including the lone extra-base hit of the contest for the team, a double in the fourth inning.

Senior Douglas Pate took the loss for Huntingdon, throwing just 2.0 innings, allowing five runs on two hits and three walks. Junior Ryan Harrison followed with 2 2/3 innings of relief, scattering five hits and allowing five runs, before giving way to junior Ryan Payne. Payne threw the final 1 1/3, allowing two runs in his first appearance of the season.

John Narramore earned the victory for the Panthers, settling down after the first inning to allow just six hits and two runs over 5.0 innings. Narramore struck out six in the outing. Alex Goodsell and Clay Jones each tossed an inning of relief for BSC.

Huntingdon will look to rebound on Wednesday, when it travels to Atlanta to take on Emory at 2 p.m.