Alice Lloyd softball splits with Bluefield College

Pippa Passes, KY: After missing a stretch of games due to snowy weather, the Alice Lloyd College Lady Eagles returned to the diamond on February 25th to face the Bluefield College Rams in a doubleheader. The Caney Creek crew won a close first game before dropping a tough decision in the nightcap.

February 25th

Game 1

Alice Lloyd-5; Bluefield-4

The hosts jumped ahead in their first at bat when a walk brought in the opening run (1-0). However, a 2-run double by the Rams in the second lifted them to a 2-1 lead.

The bottom half of the fourth was big for the Caney Creek crew as an error, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly enabled 3 different Lady Eagles to roar home. This gave the home squad a 5-2 cushion, and they would need it.

In the top of the seventh, Bluefield would get some assistance from the blue and white as errors helped push a duo of BC runners across the plate, to reduce the deficit to just one, 5-4. Happily, the remaining batters would pop out and preserve the win for the Pippa Passes posse.

At the plate, Maleigh McDaniel (P), and Ashley Wells (2B)  both came through with 2 hits with Rachel Rife (LF) coming through with pair of RBI's to pace the club..

On the mound, McDaniel went the distance to achieve the victory, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits with 3 stikeouts. 

Both clubs matched with 6 hits and 2 errors on the day.

GAME 2

Alice Lloyd- 7; Bluefield-9

The host club took an early lead but lost it in the final innings.

BC scored 1 on a single in the first, but ALC got a single from Arin Rife (P) and a single from Ellie Keene (CF) in their half of the inning to move ahead, 2-1.

In the Eagle second, Rachael Rife (LF) double in the third run for the hosts (3-1) only to see Bluefield gain a pair of runs in the very next inning, produced by 2 errors. (3-3).

However, BC returned the favor in the third as their errors fueled an ALC 3-run burst to place the hosts ahead, 6-3.

Unfortunately, the Rams promptly tied things in the fourth with a trio of runs (6-6), then walloped a huge 3-run homer in the fifth to leap ahead, 9-6.

In the Eagle sixth, Mckenzie Orfield (3B) drove in a run to get her squad closer at 9-7, but she would remain stranded on base. Then down to their last opportunity, Keene would reach on a single, but the next three batters promptly flied out to end the day.

At the plate, ALC saw Keene, Maleigh McDaniel (SS), Kirsten Vice (DP) and Chloe Taylor (2B) all deliver 2 hits with Keene's pair of RBI's leading in that department.

On the mound, A. Rife suffered the hard-luck loss, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits with 7 stikeouts. Vice relieved, giving up  allowed 6 runs on 4 hits while whiffing 5 of her own.

4 errors proved crucial to the Lady Eagles.