Top four seeds advance on day one of Conference Carolinas Softball Championship
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DUNCAN, S.C. – The opening day of the 2024 Conference Carolinas Softball Championship saw the top four seeds advance to the quarterfinal contests on Friday.
In the play-in games, ninth seed Barton defeated eighth seed King behind a shutout from all-conference pitcher Miranda Holmes while seventh seed Southern Wesleyan narrowly topped 10th seed UNC Pembroke. The Warriors tied the score in the top of the seventh with a leadoff home run from Avery Mercer. Taylor Palfrey then gave Southern Wesleyan the 6-5 win with an infield single that scored Amberly Way.
In the next set of play-in games, fifth seed Emmanuel topped 12th seed Erskine 7-2 behind a complete game from Maddie Edwards. The final play-in game between sixth seed Lees-McRae and 11th seed Belmont Abbey needed two extra innings to determine a winner. Lees-McRae evened the score at one in the sixth before the game went to the ninth still locked at one. Belmont Abbey took the lead on a Mackenzie Allison single before a Bailey Presley home run gave the Crusaders a 4-1 lead. That advantage held up, moving the Crusaders into the double elimination portion of the bracket.
Second seed North Greenville opened their tournament with a 16-3 win over Southern Wesleyan on Thursday evening. Virginia Bishop went 4-for-4 and drove in four while Karley Green and all-conference performer Emily Blackwell added four runs batted in apiece.
Top seed Francis Marion fell behind Barton 2-0 in the first inning, but the high-powered Patriots came storming back to take the contest 9-3. All-conference performer Taylor Watford and Mikaela Goss posted three hits each while Katie Smith drove in three for the Patriots.
In the nightcap, Emmanuel jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning against fourth seed Young Harris. The Lion lead extended to 4-0 in the third inning, but the Mountain Lions responded in the bottom of the frame. Hannah Carey laced a three-run home run in the third before blasting a solo shot in the fifth inning to even the score at four. In the sixth inning, Hannah Rizzuto ripped a two-run home run to give Young Harris a 6-4 lead. Young Harris then retired the side in order in the seventh to take the contest 6-4. Carey drove in four runs on two home runs.
Belmont Abbey took a 3-0 lead over third seed Mount Olive in the first inning, but the Trojans scored in four of the next five innings. Mount Olive took a 5-3 lead with four runs in the third inning before a three-run home run from Cara Shock in the fifth inning to stretch the lead to 8-4. Mount Olive went on to take the contest 10-4.
The second day of the 2024 Conference Carolinas Softball Championship will begin with winner bracket games at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, April 26. Four losers bracket games will follow.
To see the updated bracket for the championship and to learn more, please visit
here.