Bryan, Truett McConnell Remain Undefeated in Softball Tournament

KINGSPORT, Tenn - Day 3 of the Appalachian Athletic Conference Softball Tournament sent four teams forward and ended the seasons of two others Wednesday at Brickyard Ball Fields in Kingsport, Tenn. No. 2 seed Reinhardt survived No. 3 seed Brenau 7-6, No. 6 seed Truett McConnell run-ruled No. 7 seed Milligan 8-0 in five innings, No. 5 seed Pikeville rallied past No. 8 seed Columbia International 5-3, and No. 4 seed Bryan shut out No. 1 seed Johnson 6-0. Columbia International and Brenau were eliminated from the tournament.

The first game of the day saw Pikeville, the No. 5 seed, erase an early deficit to beat No. 8 seed Columbia International 5-3 in the 1 p.m. game. CIU struck first with three runs in the second inning, highlighted by Raleigh Stewart's two-run triple to right-center. Pikeville stayed scoreless through four innings before turning the game in the fifth. Rylee Carter lined a two-run single up the middle as part of a three-run inning that produced the lead change, and Pikeville added two more runs in the sixth, including an RBI single from Dani Crum. Pikeville totaled 12 hits, with Claudia Maness collecting three in four at-bats. Chloe Bryant went the distance in the circle, allowing 10 hits and three runs over seven innings to earn the win. The loss ended Columbia International's tournament run.

Reinhardt then followed with the narrowest finish. The Eagles scored in the first, second, third, fifth and sixth innings, then held off a late push from Brenau to secure the 7-6 win in the 3:15 p.m. game. Kylie Freije delivered a two-run single in the first inning for an early 2-0 lead, but Brenau answered quickly when Dayton Power doubled and later scored on a throwing error. Power then helped swing the game in the second, launching a two-run home run to right field during a four-run inning that gave Brenau a 5-3 advantage. Reinhardt worked back in front in the fifth, with Shallyn Olszowy contributing to a two-run rally that made it 6-5, and Emily Pettit pushed across the decisive run in the sixth with an RBI single through the right side. Pettit finished 4-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and two stolen bases, while Taylor Wade added two hits. In the circle, Anslie Pettit threw a complete game, allowing nine hits and six runs, but only one of them earned, as Reinhardt advanced despite five errors. Brenau scored once in the seventh and brought the tying run close, but Reinhardt closed out the one-run result.

Bryan handed top-seeded Johnson a 6-0 loss. Bryan scored three runs in the second inning and added three more in the seventh, finishing with 14 hits and no errors. Lakyn Lockhart had three hits and three RBIs, while Juliana Santillanes also recorded three hits and drove in a run. KP Smith controlled the game from the circle and at the plate, tossing a four-hit shutout with five strikeouts over seven innings, then adding an RBI single in the seventh as Bryan padded the margin. Johnson, the No. 1 seed, was limited to four hits, with Audrey Moorhouse collecting two of them.

The evening game was the most lopsided. Truett McConnell, the No. 6 seed, defeating No. 7 seed Milligan with an 8-0 victory in five innings. Truett McConnell scored three runs in the first inning, added one in the third, broke the game open with three more in the fourth and ended it with a run in the fifth. Rylee Walker doubled to right-center during the opening burst and finished with two RBIs. Grace Folds went 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, and Maggie McGaughey added a pinch-hit RBI single in the fifth. Elizabeth Bennett handled the rest, throwing five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out seven on 93 pitches. Milligan managed only three hits, one of them a triple by Alana Parsons, and committed four errors.

The field is now down to six teams, and play resumes on Thursday at 11 am.